【Running Group】All Colors Run Club

CONNECT introduces institutions, communities, and services recommended by the Palettalk editorial team to our readers. This corner is not just about connections and input within your smartphone but also about providing various “places of connection” where you can directly communicate your thoughts, listen to others, and more.

The “CONNECT” we are introducing this time is “All Colors Run Club,” a running group where you can enjoy running in your own way, regardless of your sexuality.

The founder and manager, Yoshino-san, originally had a passion for running, participating in competitions and running groups.

However, after Yoshino-san realized their own sexuality and starting hormone treatment, they began to feel hesitant about running with others due to concerns like:

• “What if there’s trouble at the running station* reception?”
• “What if people in the running group start questioning my gender?”

In such a situation, Yoshino-san met an ally runner and rediscovered the joy of talking only about running without worrying about gender.

Finally, Yoshino-san established the club, thinking, “With a safe space and supportive friends, I can be passionate about running like before!”

* running station: A spot near a popular running area equipped with lockers and showers.

Who is it recommended for?

All Colors Run Club was started with the idea of “creating a place where LGBTQ+ individuals can exercise stress-free, rather than saying ‘nothing can be done.’”

This club is recommended for people who find it difficult to exercise due to barriers related to gender, sexuality, or appearance.

• Those who feel embarrassed about their body or shape being seen by others
• Those who feel mentally exhausted when people make assumptions about their gender or partner during conversations
• Those who dislike or cannot choose sportswear and shoes because of gender-specific designs

If you have these feelings, this club aims to create a space where you can enjoy running and be yourself.

What can you do there?

Offline gatherings focus on running and walking, mainly around the Kanto (Tokyo metropolitan) area.

Not only do they do serious workouts like long-distance running (LSD) and trail running which are tough to do alone, but they also explore the city and visit shops selling sweets for takeout treats. They aim to add extra enjoyment to running (or walking).

Additionally, they organize various events like hiking and visiting leisure facilities that involve physical activities, under the motto “Let’s do anything that gets us moving!”

Activities are held with the cooperation of companies that provide shower-equipped spaces (studios) and spots that offer changing rooms and luggage storage. This makes it easier to participate for people who have previously felt anxious or uncomfortable in running groups.

All Colors Run Club also has online activities! Members stay connected via voice chat on Discord while running their usual routes individually.

This allows people living outside the Tokyo metropolitan area to easily join in.

This club, which just started in April, currently has about 10 members on Discord, and 5 people participated in the offline event in May. Participation is open to everyone regardless of the gender or sexuality assigned to them at birth, but many participants were X-gender or non-binary.

Voices from Participants

“Looking back, places where I could openly express my sexuality were mostly bars in places like Shinjuku 2-chome. It’s the first time I can do this in a healthy place like a running club.”

“This was the first time that I joined this kind of gathering, and it felt really good that everyone was able to use changing rooms and showers without any hesitation.”

Detailed Access

📍 Online Regular Meetings (Discord): Held once a week
The days and times are not fixed; we are still looking for the most convenient ones for participants.

(For Reference)

• April 2024: Every Tuesday at 7:00 PM
• May 2024: Every Thursday at 9:00 PM

How to Join:

Please send a message via DM on Instagram. For those interested in offline (Discord) participation, we will send you an invitation link. If you join Discord, please fill out details such as your preferred name in the self-introduction channel.

Even without joining Discord, you can still join real-life events!

Message from the Representative

At first, I thought I had to practice alone and quietly, and even if it was tough, I had to hide my hormone treatment and pretend to be the gender I was assigned at birth. However, one of the members told me, “If people directly affected don’t speak up, others will think that things like non-binary categories in marathons aren’t necessary.” This was a major turning point for me.

Even when I looked into running stations, it was clear that sexual minorities (including those who can’t be categorized as male or female) weren’t even considered.

You shouldn’t have to give up and think, “It can’t be helped because I’m the one who chose to live without lying about my sexuality.”

Through our club activities, we want many people to realize,
“LGBTQ+ people exercise too” 
“They care about their health.”

As we increase cooperation with changing room facilities, we’re exploring how to ensure that people who can’t be categorized into male or female can use public baths and sports areas with peace of mind. We want to grow our network of allies who share and think about these concerns seriously.

Furthermore, statistics from various countries indicate that sexual minorities often face poorer health conditions. Promoting health through exercise and creating environments that help such activities is not just valuable for these individuals but also for society.

(Translation: Jennifer Martin)

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Palettalk is always looking for organizations to feature in the CONNECT category. For more details, please see this article. 

We look forward to your applications.