In 2016, Lucrezi gathered some friends together to start an online journal — a place for female-identifying runners to share experiences, tips and inspiration. For a few months, they posted one article a week, until women from all over began to submit contributions to the journal.
When Gina Lucrezi found herself immersed in the running and outdoor fitness industry, she immediately noticed something was amiss.
“The thing I just couldn’t help noticing was the huge lack for the female perspective and the female voice,” Lucrezi said. “Being in the sport myself, I knew there were a ton of women that were interested in doing more, and wanted to feel more welcome.”
Lucrezi fell in love with running in the small slate quarry town of Bangor, Pennsylvania as a high school cross country athlete. She went on to run at the collegiate level, ultimately earning 10 NCAA D3 All-American recognitions. After her collegiate career, when she started trail running, her competitive edge slowly fizzled, replaced by a deeper appreciation for the sport. Nowadays, she often leaves her running watch behind.
While Lucrezi noticed that running companies tended to follow the dollar and market towards women, she knew that change within the industry was not keeping up. Leadership roles fell predominantly upon men, and women’s voices were too often marginalized. She grew tired of being one of the few women in the room where decisions were being made.
“I have a hard time keeping my mouth closed on issues. I was like ‘okay, I can be upset about it, but it doesn’t really matter unless I take action,” she said.
In 2016, Lucrezi gathered some friends together to start an online journal — a place for female-identifying runners to share experiences, tips and inspiration. For a few months, they posted one article a week, until women from all over began to submit contributions to the journal.
“There was such a void for women’s voices in sport and frankly, I was just pissed off enough to do something about it,” Lucrezi said.
There are now local Trail Sister communities across the country, offering discussion circles, running teams, adventure grants and retreats. What started as a small Squarespace site between friends blossomed into much more.
Races across the country are Trail Sisters approved, meaning they adhere to a set of guidelines promoting equal opportunities for female racers. To earn the Trail Sisters’ stamp of approval, a race must offer equal podium spots, equal prize money, women’s specific swag and apparel, menstrual products clearly available at aid stations and equal space for women at the starting line. Lucrezi stresses that these easy, low cost changes can make a huge difference for female participants.
“It shouldn’t put any stress on the race director,” said Lucrezi.
It seems that these small efforts to open up space for women have actually worked — approved races have reported increased female participation. And dozens of women have reached out to Lucrezi personally to express deep gratitude.
“I know that it has helped tons of people, but sometimes I’m like, ‘I think I need to do more,’” Lucrezi said. “I want to make sure I am doing everything I can.”
This drive might stem from the competitive spirit that she has never quite shaken. Lucrezi grew up with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, and channeled her energy into athletics — attending back to back cross country and field hockey practices in the fall and running track in the spring. She struggled with ADD throughout her youth, beating herself up because she often had to work harder than others to achieve the same results. But as an adult, she is grateful for it.
“I’m not afraid of working hard. That’s gotten me everywhere in life,” Lucrezi said. “I’m really happy — in the long run — that I did grow up with this.”
A strong work ethic allows her to manage the many moving parts of Trail Sisters. But even amidst rapid change and a packed schedule, Lucrezi makes a conscious effort to slow down and enjoy the present moment.
“I’m happy that I’ve helped start something,” Lucrezi said. “But the success of Trail Sisters can really be attributed to everybody that’s involved with it — every contributor that’s ever written an article, every single leader at a local group, the women that come to the retreats.”
Lucrezi and her husband will soon be launching a mobile app, and on September 11, Trail Sisters will host the inaugural Women’s Trail Half Marathon in Buena Vista, Colorado. Trail Sisters will continue to grow, stewarded not only by Lucrezi but women all across the country who’ve dared to challenge the trail running status quo.
“I’m glad we’re moving the dial a little bit,” Lucrezi said. “But that doesn’t mean take your foot off the throttle.”
Written by Sarah Siegel. Contact her at mountainultratrailrunning@gmail.com.