Race Director Diaries | 002 | #BeatTheBoys – Why We Launched It (and why it’s not going anywhere)

On paper, it probably looks a bit strange.

A company founded by two blokes… pushing a campaign to get more women into endurance sport.

But for us, it was never about ticking a box or jumping on a trend. It’s much bigger than that.

I’m a dad to two girls. Both sporty, both full of confidence, both at that age where they’ll give anything a go without overthinking it. And if I’m honest, a lot of this campaign comes from that.

Because when you actually look at endurance sport, especially ultra running, there’s a massive gap.

And not because women can’t do it.
And not because they don’t want to.

In fact, the data shows more women run than men.

But as the distances go up… participation drops off. Marathon numbers dip, and by the time you get to ultras, it’s heavily dominated by men.

And let’s be honest about who those men are…
A lot of them are middle-aged blokes going through some sort of crisis.

Myself included.

So the question is, why?

From what we’ve seen, it’s not ability. It’s not desire.
It’s accessibility. It’s perception. It’s environment.

That’s the bit we want to change.

We want our events to feel like somewhere anyone can show up and give it a go. Whether you’re chasing a podium or just seeing what you’re capable of. No barriers. No intimidation. No “this isn’t for me” feeling.

Still challenging. Still proper events.
But inclusive at the same time.

And this isn’t just theory for me. It hit a bit closer to home recently.

My youngest is 7. She plays rugby at a local club, and they’re brilliant with her. But she’s the only girl there.

A few weeks ago, she got really upset about it. Properly knocked her confidence. Didn’t want to go back.

Seven years old… and already feeling like she didn’t belong.

That didn’t sit right with me.

She’s back now, by the way. Won player of the week. Absolute machine. One of the best there.

But it got me thinking… if that feeling starts that early, how many people are we losing from sport before they even get a chance?

And I don’t want that anywhere near our events.

When we started Heart & Soul, we were proud of the fact we were pretty much 50/50 male to female across most races. It felt like we were doing something right.

Then we launched our first Backyard Ultra.

17% female.

Seventeen.

That was a bit of a wake-up call.

So we made a decision to do something about it.

That’s where #BeatTheBoys came from.

Not as a gimmick. Not as a one-off for International Women’s Day. But as a proper shift in how we approach things.

We backed it properly. Messaging, community outreach, creating an environment that actually invites more women into the space rather than just expecting them to turn up.

And it worked.

We’ve gone from 17%… to 40% female participation.

And in some events now… we’re at 78% female sign-ups.

Which means, ironically, we might need to launch a campaign to get the lads back involved before they become the minority.

Didn’t see that one coming.

A massive part of this has been partnering with Scott Sports, who have backed what we’re trying to do and share the same vision for the future of the sport. This isn’t just for one event either, it’s something we’re building into everything we do, including the festival.

Because this is now part of our DNA.

It’s not about “beat the boys” in a literal sense. It’s about levelling the playing field. Creating an environment where more people feel like they belong.

If that means more women stepping onto start lines, pushing boundaries, and yeah… occasionally beating the lads along the way…

Even better.

More to come.