OK ladies, this one is for you. Girl talk time!
And no, boys, don’t freak out: we will not be discussing anything too feminine. Just women-only races. Probably not of interest to you, anyway.
So yes. I love women-only races! I will tell you why in a bit, and then I will let you know how you can win a FREE entry to one today!
But first, let me tell you about my very first one. It was the New York Mini, back in 2004. The New York Mini is an iconic race in itself. The first one took place in 1972, when women were yet to be allowed to run the New York City Marathon. So the Mini – a 10K around Central Park – was held for women only. If men had their marathon, women could have their “mini.” (The shorter distance made the race more accessible to women at the time, of course, since technically none were allowed to race marathons yet. Doesn’t that piss you off? Yup. Oh well.)
I remember that race like it was yesterday. The start was so fun. There was none of the pushing and shoving I had grown used to. It didn’t smell bad!!! Somehow, it felt not like a competition but like one big running party. Just for us, gals! At the finish line, volunteers handed out roses. The race was to benefit Circle of Friends, an initiative to reduce tobacco use among women.
Walking home after the race, I was stopped by an older lady, holding a cigarette. (I swear I’m not making this up!) She asked me about my medal and rose. I told her about Circle of Friends and I gave her the rose. I figured she needed it more. In hindsight, I should’ve given her the medal too. I got another one exactly like it the following year, anyway.
Clearly, that first experience made me fall in love with women-only races. For so many reasons! The camaraderie out there on the course, the fun of thousands of women taking over the streets or park, etc., the cute running outfits all around (what can I say, I’m a sucker for hot pink running clothes!)… and, of course, the swag!
Oh, the swag!
The Mini was quite simple back then: a rose and a medal. But now? Feather boas and tiaras! Chocolate and champagne! Jewelry! At races like the Nike Women’s Marathon, even the course support is targeted to us gals — and the gals, what with bra exchange booths and all.
A women-only race is the perfect answer if you’ve got race jitters or (irrational) fears of a new distance or even sport. Want to try the art of triathlon? [Oh, trust me, it’s FUN!] Try getting started with a women-only race!
And yes, there is a reason I am telling you all this: 
On October 5th, See Jane Run is throwing a party for us girls: the women-only See Jane Run triathlon, at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton, Calif.
It’s a sprint distance: 400 yard swim, 12-mile bike, 3-mile run. Perfect for first timers, and perfectly fun for those who have a few (or a few dozen) tri-s under their belt!
And the location is fantastic! I did my first Olympic-distance triathlon there — don’t let the talk of hills in my recap scare you, though, that bike ride was more than twice as long. More importantly, the swim in Shadow Cliffs was amazing: you don’t even need a wetsuit for that quiet, warm lake! 
I will be at the See Jane Run tri, of course, having a blast and representing as a See Jane Run Ambassador. And so can you, with a free entry that I am raffling off here, courtesy of the lovely ladies at See Jane Run!
[Note that this race also has a duathlon option – 1-mile run, 12-mile bike, 3-mile run – and I’m pretty sure the code I have can be used for that, if the swim still scares you. We can definitely ask!]
So what do you have to do to tri your luck? (Get it? Ha. Ohhh, I’m just so funny…)
It’s super easy, just follow the instructions in the widget below. I’d love to hear more from you in the comments to this blog post, but as you can see, there are many other ways to enter.
Hope to see you there in October!
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I actually disagree. I totally get all the points you make above, but I think Women Only races are inherently sexist. If there was a race only for guys, can you imagine the fuss we’d all make? Oooh…remember when we weren’t allowed to run Boston? I don’t think we can have it both ways. Full disclosure: my first two races were women only and I LOVED them so I GET it…but surely we’re big enough girls to run with the boys these days!
Well yeah, but up until the 1970s, there were only men’s races. So why not have events now that cater to women specifically? And not with easier or shorter courses (like it was back in the 1970s, case in point: The NY Mini, only a 10K in answer to the men-only marathon), but with “girly” race perks. (A free running bra? Why not! Even a tiara at the finish line: it’s fun!) It’s kind of like going to see a “chick flick.” I don’t feel disparaged in any way when I hear that term, after all, when would you see a group of dudes get together to watch a horribly cheesy romantic comedy? They wouldn’t turn them down at the movie theater, just like women’s races don’t turn men down (they can’t!). But not many men would go. Sure, we’re big enough to run with the boys, but sometimes, it’s way more fun to do it with just us, girls 🙂
My sister and I ran our first half-marathon with See Jane Run in Boise! It was BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING! This triathlon is doable!! And the fact that it is women only makes me feel less nervous and more confident to do it!!
I haven’t but I would love to register and train for a TRI. 🙂 That would be an awesome experience !:)
I agree. LOVE women only races because of the awesome perks. Have never done a tri so how cool would it be to do a woman only tri? Pretty darn cool