EMPOWER EVERYONE
At RaceBase Events, we strive to create a comprehensive experience that is inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all participants. Our core value, Empower Everyone, guides all our decisions and inspires us to continuously evaluate our practices, policies, and purpose.
We are thrilled to support and be accredited SheRaces, and while much of what follows has been the unwritten standard of our events, formalizing our EMPOWER EVERYONE Policy has been a valuable and important step forward.
Our international event - The 9 Dragons - boasts a proud history of an increasing gender equality among runners. By sharing our policies, we aim to ensure at least equal representation, if not greater.
However, we recognize that our local attendance does not currently reflect this ideal percentage.
As the trail running market evolves in Hong Kong, we are committed to leading the way in inclusivity and accessibility within our events.
LEVEL THE START LINE
Inclusive Imagery
Across our website, social media, blogs, and images we make available to press partners we will include a range of Impact Runner images. This includes sharing photos of first-time runners, back markers, front runners ensuring that we are representing all ages, shapes and colours in our organisational communications. All our photographers and videographers are fully briefed on this goal to guide their storytelling.
Race Descriptions
Although our races are traditionally among the toughest in the region, we are undertaking the process of making the language and information around our routes more inclusive and accessible. We will include more specific information about our routes as early as we can. We will continue to encourage runners to focus on the experience and not the time.
Generous cut-offs
Historically, at Country of Origin we have had a generous cut-offs. At The 9 Dragons we know our checkpoints are tight and we are trying to make these as generous as possible and come as late on the course as feasible. We are undertaking an analysis of our routes against historical data from our runners to ensure that our cut-off times do not exclude those who have more even pacing through the full race distance.
Planning
We will be informing runners of all the logistics around our events 6 months in advance where possible. This will include a series of automated emails and social media posts.
Fair deferral policies
No women will be penalised for having a child. We have a Parenthood policy in place which explains all the options.
EQUAL THE EXPERIENCE
Toilets
Our races are often in remote locations, making our toilets provision particularly challenging. At the start lines, we will ensure appropriate toilet facilities with clearly marked separate toilets for women. At aid stations without toilet facilities, our leaders will have assessed appropriate areas to recommend to women. Safe, out of site and with provisions. We will also ensure sanitary products are available at all our official checkpoint aid stations.
Safety
Our starts will have waves where appropriate to make for a less crowded and safer beginning to our events. Where possible, we aim to have enough female volunteers to ensure representation at every aid station. Due to the locations in which we operate, we will also be ensuring a male presence on every aid station for the security of our volunteer teams.
As part of the ‘Duty of Care’ section of our race briefings, we will cover on-course etiquette – this includes information how to pass runners from behind, the rules on inappropriate language and a reminder of the values of RaceBase Events.
Tees
Race Tees are an optional purchase. This enables us to ensure high quality fabrics, design, and appropriate sizing for both male and female bodies. We will use producers to make only tees that are requested such as at The 9 Dragons.
Breastfeeding athletes
If any runner needs to breastfeed at our events, we will be available to discuss and plan their needs out on the course. At 9 Dragons we will ensure that at least 40% of our checkpoints have breastfeeding tents.
RESPECT OUR COMPETITION
Equal Coverage
All our post-race write-ups, press releases and discussions will make equal reference to the results of both the women's and the men's race. Where we discuss the fastest on the course, we will ensure equal representation.
Prizes
All prizes - whether monetary or product will remain equal.
At every event.
Always
