The prize money for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials just got a little more generous. The top three mothers who complete the race will receive a new monetary performance bonus.
This is all part of the Changemaker grant created by. &motherThe organization was founded by Olympic track and field athlete Alicia Montaño and supported by Vita Coco, with the aim of supporting female athletes and changing the narrative around motherhood and sport. According to some information, the three fastest moms in the trial will each receive a $5,000 prize. statement &Mother’s website.
This money is official prize money Provided by the race itself, which will be held in Orlando on February 3rd. Prizes range from $80,000 for his first place to $7,000 for 10th place.
“We use sports as a demonstration platform to society as a whole. It is a well-known fact that women who choose to become mothers, regardless of their performance, receive a reduction in their wages, and Vita Coco We are thrilled that partners like , believe this should never happen,” Montaño said in a statement. “We hope more partners will join our mission as we expand into new sports in 2024.”
If you look at it, starting list There are a number of runners who could benefit from the new grant in the 2024 trial. running for women, Of the approximately 160 athletes, including professionals and sub-elite athletes, 22 are mothers. This includes defending trials champion Arifin Tuliamuk, former half marathon American record holder Kyra D’Amato, Sarah Hall, Betsy Saina and Stephanie Bruce.
In 2019, Montaño wrote: Editorial in new york times She criticized her former sponsor Nike for its lack of maternal protection, drawing public attention to an all-too-common problem and encouraging other runners to speak out. A year later, she founded &Mother to continue supporting her fellow athletes on a larger scale as they juggle sports and raising children.
“People were wondering how we could help [this] That’s when the wheels started turning,” Montaño said. women’s running “I wanted to move forward and make some real, tangible change.”
Since then, the organization has created a range of Changemaker grants for mothers and caregivers of athletes, covering child care, family travel, mental health and lactation support, and more. As previously reported by SELF, in 2022 &Mother will partner with the New York City Marathon to make race day logistics a little easier for breastfeeding athletes, with dedicated breastfeeding facilities at the expo, throughout the course, and at the start and finish lines. A station was set up. In the same year, the organization also joined forces Teaming up with track and field star Allyson Felix and Athleta to offer a new child care initiative at the U.S. Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
If you are a runner competing in the trials and are interested in registering for the new Changemaker Grant, please complete your application by midnight on February 1st. here.
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