Recreational Running and Black American Women's Bodies: Challenging Inclusiveness in an Non Inclusive Place Around Recreational Running

The resulting marginalization of Black women ignores their intersectional experiences and renders their narratives invisible. In other words, the deconstruction of whiteness and its negative impacts in and through sport involves recognizing how historical and current systems (including narratives) exclude the perspectives, experiences, and contributions of racially oppressed groups such as Black women. Physical activities such as running are seen as a welcoming and all-inclusive activity that all people can participate in. Yet Black women and men, especially Black women, have found that recreational long-distance running has been framed as a white sport and a “white space.” This paper focuses on the connection between Critical Race Theory and recreational running. Using critical race methodologies I will show why there is so little progress in the elevation of Black women in recreational running and how black women resist racism and intersecting forms of oppression through creative expression, relationship building (social bonding and bridging), resource sharing, mutual respect, trust, and intentionality in the sport.