Ultra-marathoner Ryan Montgomery is back on the trails & making running a safer space for queer people everywhere
A post shared by Ryan Montgomery (@ultra.ryan)Ryan Montgomery is returning to the trails this weekend. The ultra-marathoner, who’s dedicated himself to creating inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ runners, will take part in the Black Canyon 100K race Saturday.
And no, that is not a typo! The race is really 100 kilometers, which equals roughly 62 miles. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.The course, which stretches along the non-motorized Black Canyon National Trail in the shadow of Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountains, is a natural wonder.
As a queer person, Montgomery, who’s been a runner for most of their life, says they find freedom in the great outdoors. “As a queer individual growing up I’ve always not felt the most included, or seen, and I think the more time I spend in the outdoors, the more I feel like the outdoors has given me the avenue to really express myself,” they told Park Record in a 2023 interview. “Flowers, for example; they’re both reproductively male and female; it’s just there’s so much queerness in the outdoors and so I feel this connection to nature.”A post shared by Ryan Montgomery (@ultra.ryan)A post shared by Ryan Montgomery (@ultra.ryan)A post shared by Ryan Montgomery (@ultra.ryan)Living in Utah, Montgomery isn’t afforded easy access to a large, queer urban community.
That’s one of the primary reasons they started Out Trails, a group for LGBTQ+ runners that hosts events and retreats in the Salt Lake City and Seattle areas.
