MCRRC Statement on Inclusion and Diversity

“MCRRC remains committed to inclusion and diversity.”

That’s it. That sounds simple enough, and shouldn’t need to be said. But these extraordinary times compel us to affirm our commitment. 

Recent events have forced us to consider how we interact with each other. The pandemic has isolated us from each other, challenging our lives and livelihoods. The racism behind the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd has caused us sadness and outrage – forcing us to examine ourselves and our relationships, affiliations, and institutions with an equity lens. We are confronted with conflict as people demonstrate their support for black lives and protest ongoing injustice. And we know that these types of struggles will continue for the black community and other historically underrepresented and marginalized groups.

It’s often hard to know what to do when we are overwhelmed with sadness and anger. 

With all of this fear and uncertainty, we seek comfort and security from our friends, family, clubs and community. We look for normalcy in our routines and long for a sense of stability. And we are hopeful that as runners, we can return to the activity that has brought us together with a common purpose. Yet, we know things have fundamentally changed.

We are witnessing a watershed moment in our society.

When we return to the new normal, we want to make sure that we do so safely and that we do so with welcoming arms. Our members are our club. No matter what path we take toward our return, we will still be about running. Our programs, races, and services – in whatever form we are able to recreate them – will still be a place where we can find the joy of connectedness.

We want the world to know that MCRRC will continue to be a welcoming running community, without question. We support the black community. We support all groups. We support you. 

But we want to do better.

MCRRC will be creating a discussion group for inclusion and diversity. It will be a constructive forum open to all members to reflect and discuss the issues of the day, and to promote the positive exchange of ideas on the intersection of inclusion and running.

If you are interested in more information about MCRRC’s Inclusion and Diversity Discussion Group, please contact diversity@mcrrc.org.  Please note that we are in the process of creating an online forum for the group and once this is available, we will share it with all of you. We appreciate your patience while we work that out.

To learn more about MCRRC’s mission and commitment to inclusion and diversity, visit https://mcrrc.org/about/our-mission/