Policy on Transgender Runners

Background: While the VHTRC desires to have as few rules as possible, the club needs a policy to facilitate the participation of transgender runners. In December 2015, the VHTRC board adopted a policy that conformed with the approach of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC subsequently changed its approach which necessitated a reconsideration of the 2015 VHTRC policy. Based upon this reconsideration, the 2015 VHTRC policy on transgender runners is rescinded and replaced by the following policy.

Our overall goal is to have a simple, workable policy that respects the personal rights of runners but also preserves the integrity of awards and records based on sex.

Policy

General Rule: A runner should enter a VHTRC event under the sex that the runner declares
publicly for all other purposes.

Exception: A male-to-female transgender runner may not enter as a female unless that runner is currently taking hormone treatments related to gender transition and has been taking those treatments continuously for one year.

Enforcement: The Club accepts a runner’s word that the runner is in compliance with this policy.

Note: This policy is guided by our view of the NCAA policy on this subject as stated in its NCAA Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes, August 2011. The NCAA policy may be consulted for definitions and help with interpretation. This is not, however, the NCAA policy. It’s the VHTRC policy, and the club is the final authority on it.