Community in Motion

Five years in, OUTrun creates space for LBGTQ+ runners

By Holly Bowers

Boulder is no stranger to running groups, from the casual to the Olympic hopefuls. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find a true running community. That’s the need that elite athlete Addie Bracy wanted to fill when she created OUTrun five years ago.

Bracy is a three-time USATF National Champion and competes professionally for Nike Trail in mountain and ultra running. She’s also an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has worked to create more spaces for queer runners since coming out in the sport herself.

“I got to a point where I really wanted to find queer community within the running community,” she explains. “I started looking around for groups or meetups in my area that felt like it was made up of similar people to me. I couldn’t really find anything, so I thought, ‘Why not just create something?’”

OUTrun held its first group run at Improper City in Denver on June 12, 2019. Bracy and her then-girlfriend, Corey Conner, found success growing the community, holding regular events in Denver and Boulder and helping start chapters in other cities. Then, the pandemic hit. 

OUTrun moved to activity-tracking app Strava, where athletes could maintain some sense of community. That’s where Boulder runner Neesha Regmi Schnepf found the group. They had tried a few different running groups in Boulder but couldn’t find one that really fit. OUTrun felt different, and Schnepf wanted to make that camaraderie stick after the pandemic. “At the end of 2022, I just posted in that group, ‘Whoever’s around in January, let’s meet at the Whole Foods here in Boulder this Sunday and just go for a run together,’” they say. “And then, like, 30 people showed up!”

Before long, Schnepf became the coordinator for the Boulder chapter of OUTrun, which has been going strong ever since. The group meets every Friday morning, rotating between locations in north, south and central Boulder. Last year, they hosted a meetup at the BOULDERBoulder 10K.

For both Bracy and Schnepf, creating a community where queer runners can show up and connect as their authentic selves is paramount. “Feeling like I can be fully authentic at races has definitely made me feel more capable of doing hard things,” Bracy said. “Regardless of the outcome, I can provide visibility for those who might need it.”

“It’s just easier to be yourself,” in queer spaces, Regmi Schnepf agreed. Runners at OUTrun don’t have to worry about confusion over the presenting gender of their partners, for instance, or explain jokes. That’s a huge relief. “It’s a space where everyone can just run,” Schnepf said. “It just feels relaxed.” 

For many OUTrun members, that relaxed feeling stands in stark contrast to the feeling of running while closeted. Not being able to show up as your authentic self can take a huge mental and physical toll on athletes. 

“Being closeted takes so much energy,” Schnepf explained. “Even if you’re still able to perform, it’ll start coming at other health areas. It always catches up with you to be exerting energy not being yourself.” The added stress and tension can affect performance and increase an athlete’s risk of injury. 

But examples like Bracy’s and groups like OUTrun and Boulder Frontrunners, another queer running group, are starting to affect the running world more generally. Races, including the New York City Marathon, are starting to offer non-binary categories. The High Lonesome 100, an endurance race in Colorado’s Sawatch Range, has instilled a gender parity policy. 

For her part, Bracy would like to see races go further to build connections among queer runners. “While folks want to feel accepted, they also want to feel like they aren’t the only one,” she said. “So, any opportunities to create actual space or connection is awesome.”

As for OUTrun? “I would love to have more active chapters located in other places,” Bracy said. “That’s something I would love to focus on growing so that we can have a wider reach.” More meetups, like the BOULDERBoulder, and even retreats and weekend events are on the table, too.

But Bracy also recognizes the importance of what she’s already accomplished. “My main intention behind OUTrun was just to create a space for people to connect. To find support and acceptance within the running community,” she explained. “I think we have accomplished that.” 

That’s certainly true for Schnepf, who hopes to keep growing the Boulder chapter and make more connections with other chapters. As they put it, “OUTrun will be here for you wherever you are, whenever you’re ready.”