After winning the US Olympic Marathon Trials and qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, Aliphine Tuliamuk celebrated her accomplishment. It was a breakthrough performance at the marathon distance, and she posted on Instagram: “I have shed so many tears of joy since then. The hills, wind, big fields and the deepest ever elite women’s marathon trials was epic. American dreams realized.” Born in Kenya, Tuliamuk moved to the United States in 2009 and became a citizen in 2016.
Over the next few months, though, whenever she re-watched coverage of the race, she felt erased and ignored. NBC race commentators did not focus on her until the 23rd mile of the marathon. They highlighted numerous other contenders, from Emily Sisson to Des Linden, but, even as Tuliamuk pulled ahead of everyone else, they did not seem to know very much at all about her story or her running credentials.
On June 19, more than three months after her victory, Tuliamuk reflected on what this lack of coverage meant to her. First she explained, “I was elated after I crossed that finish line, I was grateful for the opportunity that being an American had given me…. NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY.” But then she added, “I didn’t feel like anyone knew much about me. For starters, that was my 10th national championship title…. I have watched that race 7 times, and I got enraged each of those last 6. I wondered if the reason was that I was a black woman, or that I am a Kenyan-American, (so not American enough?).” She concluded the post with a plea to media to “do their research, so that athletes can get the exposure they deserve, and fans can be educated on who they are watching.”
Following the race, media coverage focused on Molly Seidel’s second place finish, in disbelief that this was only her first official marathon race. While Seidel rightly deserved coverage, most media outlets failed to similarly recognize Tuliamuk and Sally Kipyego, the third-place finisher. (Like Tuliamuk, Kipyego was born in Kenya). To her credit, Seidel agreed with Tuliamuk’s posts. In a July 14 LetsRun.com article, she said that “I don’t think NBC did a great job covering the Trials... Sally and Aliphine were really big names coming into that race… and I think because they aren’t seen as ‘American-born,’ people keep saying, ‘Oh, they’re Kenyan-born.’ No, they’re Americans. They deserve to be talked about... to have their accomplishments put there on the broadcast.”
What happened to Tuliamuk and Kipyego at the Trials was not just an isolated incident. Surely, part of the blame must fall on the commentators themselves. The main commentators were three white men: Leigh Diffey, who specializes in auto racing, joined by distance analysts Craig Masback and Tim Hutchings. Both Masback and Hutchings were professional runners and have covered running for many years, but, on this day, the gaps in coverage must be acknowledged. The problem extends far beyond this broadcast’s silences and its lack of gender and racial diversity: many broadcasts on NBC and other platforms look and sound similar. There have been women commentators, notably Paula Radcliffe and Shalane Flanagan, who have helped narrate and contextualize the sport’s biggest events (such as Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-2 hour marathon), but there need to be more opportunities for women, and women of color, in commentary.
Instead of directing our anger towards these commentators, or even towards NBC, I think we should take Aliphine’s story as an opportunity to reflect on the kind of sport we want running to become. How should race coverage reflect the values we want to see in the world? Running can no longer act like it is above the fray of politics. Who NBC or other media companies choose to cover reflects values and intentions, decisions about who is deemed worthy of coverage in the first place.
As a running community, we must demand better. We must hold NBC, Runner’s World, LetsRun.com, and any and every media outlet focused on running to a higher standard. We must demand that all runners, no matter the color of their skin or where they were born, receive fair attention and recognition. As a white man, I’m aware it may seem a bit strange or out-of-place to be writing this, but I’m trying to educate myself and acknowledge the work I still need to do, too.
Why does it matter that journalists focused predominantly on Seidel’s performance? It matters because of the politics of race and xenophobia in running and broadcasting. Who is seen as worthy of respect as an “American” and who is looked down upon for not being “American enough” reflects a politics of white supremacy. Stoked by the federal government, nationalism and xenophobia are powerful currents in today’s politics. Running must work to embrace everyone in its biggest races, and it must acknowledge and challenge its historical and present-day whiteness. When white runners like Seidel are held up as examples of hard work and determination, but Black runners like Tuliamuk and Kipyego do not earn the same respect, running perpetuates racial inequality and contributes to an exclusionary sports landscape.
When I watched the livestream of the Trials, I gravitated towards Seidel’s story. I was so inspired by her fighting disordered eating and injuries to earn a spot on the Olympic team. The fact that this was only her first marathon race was especially compelling. At Stanford, I was friends with collegiate runners who struggled with eating disorders, a problem that is frighteningly common at the collegiate and elite level. The marathoner and positive body image activist Allie Kieffer has led a movement of elite runners who have revealed their own struggles with body image. One of Kieffer's most recent articles on her website is appropriately titled, "Eat the Chocolate."
Even as an amateur marathoner, I have felt pressure to be as “light” as possible. While I generally have a healthy relationship with my body, it is impossible to live in today’s society and not internalize some of the unhealthy politics of social media and advertising: where the thinnest bodies are deemed most beautiful. The pressure to be thin--sometimes dangerously thin--affects female runners most acutely, given the sexism in mass media and in athletics, but male runners face pressure as well. So I related, in my own ways, to Seidel’s story.
But in latching onto Seidel’s performance, I somewhat unconsciously ignored Tuliamuk and Kipyego’s achievements. That can’t happen. I’m hopeful that, thanks to Tuliamuk’s posts, runners now have an opportunity to reflect on the biases in media coverage that exist. When the Tokyo Olympics get underway in 2021, I’ll be cheering for Aliphine, Molly, and Sally, for three women who are at the pinnacle of the sport.
You can watch the full race on Youtube. Here's a highlight video. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if you want to contribute by writing a post: marathontojustice@gmail.com.
My son grew up in Montgomery, and he has been educated against racism his entire life. We travel as a family frequently. He often notices the overt racism in cities that I may not notice, myself. I commend you for talking about this issue. It needs to be pointed out and talked about. That is when change can happen.
I wonder what the commentators would say. Are they aware of their (apparently) unconscious bias?
Interesting hidden prejudice.