Strava, the app for active people, has entered into a partnership with For All Mothers+ as part of Strava’s Strive for More initiative, a commitment to promote and support women in movement and sports. To get more women to the starting line, Strava has pledged $300,000 to For All Mothers+, an impact non-profit on a mission to, through the lens of sports, eliminate the Motherhood Penalty — the phenomenon by which women face economic, social and health disadvantages after becoming mothers.

Part of the funding from Strava will support a new program “Childcare So They Can Get Out There” grants, which will provide 50 recipients $2000 to defray the disproportionate costs associated with childcare, travel and lodging, and support to train for and participate in races this year. 

This commitment is in addition to funding from Strava for essential research initiatives, such as the recently released study (The Race Towards Equity & Accessibility for Pregnant and Parenting Runners) conducted by For All Mothers+ in partnership with Carleton University’s Health & Wellness Equity Research Group. The top three barriers identified from the research include: the lack of onsite childcare or stroller options, no accommodations for breastfeeding and pumping participants, and inflexible deferral policies for women during various points of their maternal journey (including pregnancy, postpartum, fertility treatments, or miscarriage).

Additional key findings from the survey revealed: 

·  83 percent of parents reported that pregnancy and/or their role as a parent has prevented them from participating in a race.

·  66 percent cite that the lack of childcare is the primary reason why they can’t participate in races.

·  40 percent have skipped races due to concerns about breastfeeding or pumping logistics.

·  More than 92 percent of participants “strongly agreed” that they prefer to support races that provide pumping/lactation and/or childcare options even if they don’t personally need them.

“Getting to the start line of any event is a metaphor for the multifaceted barriers mothers have to overcome in order to pursue their ambitions. We believe every mother should have the opportunity to get to that start line and be welcomed with a family-friendly situation when they do,” says For All Mothers+ founder and Olympic Medalist Alysia Montaño. “In breaking down systemic barriers, we level the playing field so that mothers can see a clearer pathway to reaching the finish line and achieving their podium moment.” 

Thanks to ongoing advocacy work, more races are increasingly offering accommodations like private lactation spaces, onsite childcare or stroller-friendly course options, and penalty-free deferrals for those whose family-planning timing and race calendars fall out of sync.

The For All Mothers+ Family Forward Event Directory is a comprehensive database of both recreational and professional races that prioritize these standards. Organizers can submit their events to the tracker for runners to easily access and now have the option of integrating the location of their lactation stations via Waypoints on their Strava course maps. Waypoints help mark specific locations along routes so runners can easily identify and access these facilities while participating in races. 

“Partnering with Strava on essential research, platform integration, and grants has supercharged our work to break down barriers for moms, empowered more race organizers to adopt family-friendly standards, and expanded our directory of family-friendly events,” adds Montaño. “With Strava, we look forward to shifting the narrative for moms who choose to pursue their ambitions in sports and beyond.”

“Childcare So They Can Get Out There” Grants are now open for applications until June 14, 2025. Visit https://www.forallmothers.org/ for more information about the grant, The Race Towards Equity & Accessibility research study, charity teams, partnership opportunities, resources for race directors, or to make a donation.