Fast Women: Autistic women become more visible in the running community
Fast Women: Autistic women become more visible in the running community
In her half marathon debut, Agnes Ngetich runs an incredible 1:03:04.
Issue 321, sponsored by Topo Athletic
I’ve been intermittently working on this week’s lead story since May. I was seeing quite a few female runners opening up about their neurodivergence in articles and on social media, but I wasn’t seeing many of them talking about being autistic.
That’s partly because girls and women are still massively underdiagnosed, and partly because it’s not always safe for autistic people to be open about their diagnoses, due to a lack of understanding and acceptance. But I’m happy to see that even just this year, the number of women openly discussing their experiences as autistic runners has increased.
I know some amazing autistic women and girls, and I’ve seen how challenging it can be, at times, for them to live in a world that’s not built for them. And that’s why designing everything—including group runs, races, and experiences on running teams—with autistic people in mind helps.
Because this story is long, I’ve only included part of it in this newsletter. You can read the full piece here. If you’d like to learn more about autism, @neurodivergent_lou is one of my favorite follows on Instagram, and I loved this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, about autistic-centered therapy. If you do your own search, know that there’s a lot of controversy and misinformation out there. I recommend prioritizing listening to autistic advocates and looking for neurodiversity-affirming sources.
But first, thank you to month’s sponsor, Topo Running
Topo Athletic creates footwear for those seeking a lifetime of exploration and miles. All Topo shoes feature three essential elements: a roomy toe box for natural toe splay and comfort, a secure midfoot and heel, and a low heel-to-toe drop that encourages an efficient stride. Whether you log miles on the road or out on the trails, The Topo Difference provides ultimate comfort and performance with each step.
I’ve been trying out the Atmos, a max-cushion trainer, and the Specter 2, a high-cushion performance trainer. The wider toe box plus secure midfoot and heel are a game changer. I’ve found that with other brands, sometimes even the wide shoes aren’t wide enough. But with Topo, that’s a non-issue. Plus the cushioning is great.
Experience the Topo Difference yourself, using the code FASTWTOPO for 15% off full-price items at topoathletic.com. Offer valid until 1/31/25.
The Growing Visibility of Autistic Women in Running
Heather McKirdy loves running, but there are certain parts of it that can be tough for her to handle. Like wind. One time several years ago, she got out of her car for a run, she was hit in the face with a gust of cold wind, and she burst into tears. She was confused by her reaction. “That’s weird to admit to someone—the wind can make me cry,” she told Fast Women.
But last year, at age 38, she learned that she was autistic, and many aspects of her life began to make sense. She now knows that she’s very sensitive to sensory input, which can make a windy run tough.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that affects how people think, communicate, move, process information, and perceive the world. McKirdy’s experience of being diagnosed as an adult is common for women; one study estimated that 80 percent of autistic women remain undiagnosed at age 18.
For McKirdy, getting a diagnosis was life-changing. “I’m so grateful for the chain of events that allowed me to figure out what was going on,” she said. “The diagnosis saved my life.”
Autistic women have long been a part of the running community, at all levels. But as awareness increases and more women are diagnosed, they’re becoming more visible, thanks in part to social media. Fast Women spoke to five runners about their experiences learning they were autistic, why running has been a good fit for them, and the ways in which the running community could be more inclusive.
The dangers of misdiagnosis
McKirdy, a running coach and 17:59 5K runner who is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, had never thought about autism much until the summer of 2022. An old friend, who is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, began talking about an influx of self-diagnosed autistic people who were showing up at her practice. It led McKirdy to do some googling, and the results were eye-opening.
“I was like, ‘Oh shit, autism is not at all what I thought it was,’” she said. “And I’ve been diagnosed with just about everything in the book and none of those diagnoses ever made perfect sense. But reading about autistic people, I was like, ‘This is 100 percent me.’”
The previous year, McKirdy had what she now recognizes was an autistic meltdown—a response to an overwhelming situation—that led to her being hospitalized. Though she had experienced them throughout her life, she had never had one in front of her husband before, and it scared him enough that he called emergency services. She was put on a psychiatric hold for almost 72 hours and prescribed antipsychotics.
“For people who need [antipsychotics], they’re a lifesaver, but being medicated for the wrong things, I could have suffered really severe consequences,” McKirdy said. “If we hadn’t figured out what was happening, it likely would have meant more hospitalizations, more medications, and more intensive psychiatric care.”
After sitting on the idea for a couple of months, she decided to find out if her hunch that she was autistic was correct. McKirdy found a doctor in California to do an assessment. It wasn’t covered by insurance.
Getting an autism diagnosis can be very expensive and involve long waitlists. McKirdy feels very fortunate that she was able to get the time off and could afford the travel and the appointments. “It’s absolutely ridiculous to me that that’s sometimes what’s necessary in this country,” she said. “There’s a huge barrier to access.”
McKirdy now talks about her experience in both serious and lighthearted ways, because she wants to help others who are struggling.
Women are often overlooked
Jazz Santiago-Tracey is a competitive runner based in Raleigh, North Carolina, who has raced everything from 600 meters up to 50 miles. When she was little, her mother saw a TV segment on autism and recognized enough of her daughter in it that she decided to consult a doctor. But the doctor was dismissive and told her she just had a shy kid. Earlier this year, at age 35, Santiago-Tracey was finally diagnosed with autism.
Women are more likely than men to go undiagnosed for a variety of reasons. Most of the screening tools have been developed based on research that tends to center male participants. Girls are more likely to be socialized to mask—consciously or unconsciously change their behavior to appear neurotypical and blend in socially.
Many girls are missed due to outdated ideas about what autism is and who can be autistic. Additionally, the diagnostic criteria have changed over time, so who is eligible for a diagnosis has also changed.
Of the five women who spoke to Fast Women about learning they were autistic, only one of them was diagnosed as a child. Sofia Latham, a 16:08 5K runner from London, England, was diagnosed when she was 3. But Latham, who is now 19, didn’t get an accompanying ADHD diagnosis until she was 16.
Santiago-Tracey now knows that she was relying heavily on masking, without even knowing what it was, to avoid social rejection. “I always felt like an alien,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. I knew that something was off, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.” And the masking often came at a cost, leaving her completely exhausted.
Until recently, White children were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism, so as a Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Indigenous girl whose traits presented more internally, Santiago-Tracey was, statistically speaking, unlikely to get a timely diagnosis. When she decided to consult a professional and see if she qualified for a diagnosis, she made sure the practitioner was a person of color.
“I think it is a very different experience when you’re already part of a marginalized community and then you feel more marginalized because your brain works differently,” Santiago-Tracey said, noting that is why she has decided to be open about her experience. “I want other women of color to know we do exist and it’s okay that your brain works differently. Representation matters so greatly to me because for so much of my life, I’ve felt very alone.”
Because it can be so difficult to get a diagnosis, the autism community acknowledges that self diagnosis is valid. Bettina, a 3:06 marathoner who opted to go by only her first name here, is self diagnosed, despite initially being skeptical of self diagnosis. “A friend of mine brought up that she thinks she might be autistic and at first I was like, ‘From TikTok? Really?’ But then I started looking into it.”
Once she began researching it, Bettina, 26, found too much supporting evidence to ignore. She consulted journal articles and websites and spoke with a therapist. She thinks it will be helpful to get an official diagnosis in the future, but at the moment, especially as a law student, “making negative money,” the process sounds expensive and overwhelming to her.
Dr. Samantha Friedman, an assistant professor of applied psychology and autism researcher at the University of Edinburgh, says that the main benefits to having a formal diagnosis are validation and legal rights. The legal rights include accommodations at school and at work, but Friedman, who is neurodivergent herself, acknowledges, “Diagnosis is not a magical thing that unlocks all of the resources.”
Cait Chock, 38, is a former U.S. high school record holder in the 5,000m, and she didn’t realize she was autistic until she was an adult. Chock, who works as a comedian in Portland, Oregon, is self diagnosed. She has other diagnoses, and she doesn’t think having one more would make a big difference in how she goes about her life. Plus, she doesn’t have good health insurance. “I haven’t felt the need to add another official title to the resume, so to speak,” she wrote in a message to Fast Women.
But better understanding how her brain works has helped Chock navigate the world. “I’m a science freak, so I love having answers,” she wrote. “Even if it doesn’t ‘solve’ certain things, it helps me find a roadmap to survive.”
This article continues here. Click to continue reading about the ways in which running is a good fit for some autistic women, the challenges they face, and some adjustments race and group run organizers can make to be more inclusive.
In her half marathon debut, Agnes Ngetich jumps to No. 2 all time
Sunday’s Valencia Half Marathon was historically fast. Running in light rain, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye went through 5K in 14:38 and 10K in an incredible 29:18. In the 13th kilometer, Ngetich dropped Taye, but she had the help of two pacesetters. Ngetich slowed over the second half of the race but she still held on to win in 1:03:04. In her first stab at the half marathon, the 23-year-old was only 11 seconds off of Letesenbet Gidey’s 1:02:52 world record. Ngetich is now second on the world all-time list.
Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay and Kenya’s Lilian Rengeruk started the race at a more modest (but still incredibly fast) pace, hitting 5K in 14:57 and 14:55, respectively. Tesfay moved up to take second (1:03:21) and Rengeruk wasn’t far behind in third (1:03:32), good for third and fourth on the all-time list. Taye paid for going out with Ngetich, but she still held on to take fourth in 1:04:14, which ties her for seventh all-time.
When Letsenbet Gidey ran 1:02:52 in 2021, also at the Valencia Half, she became the first woman to break both the 64- and 63-minute barriers. At the time, it was one of the most impressive running performances of all time. Three years later, it’s still impressive, but such performances are becoming more standard. And if anyone was going to challenge Gidey’s record, Ngetich, who set the 10K world record of 28:46 in January in Valencia, was a good candidate. (Results | Race recap)
Other News and Links
Former TCU standout Gracie Morris has signed with Puma Elite. Over the summer, after the collegiate season, she ran PRs of 4:08.94 (1500m) and 2:01.38 (800m). And on the roads, she ran a blazing 4:21 at the Fifth Avenue Mile, where she finished fifth.
NAU grad Annika Reiss has signed with UA Mission Run Dark Sky Distance. Reiss finished ninth in the 5,000m at NCAAs in the spring, running a PR of 15:30.64. She also took 15th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last fall and helped her team to a runner-up finish.
Great Britain’s Ellie Leather, who was previously with UA Mission Run Baltimore Distance, has joined Team Boss. She is still sponsored by Under Armour.
Mark Coogan talked to LetsRun.com’s Jonathan Gault about how he plans to coach Parker Valby, among other things. He said because the team mainly does 5K training, she’ll be able to do a lot of her workouts with New Balance Boston middle-distance runners. He also said that he thinks his team is going to need to experiment with sodium bicarbonate, even though part of him is philosophically against it, because they’re hearing that it’s a game-changer.
I enjoyed watching Kenya’s Hellen Obiri do this pre-NYC Marathon workout, with On Athletics Club assistant coach Kelsey Quinn on the bike.
According to Flagstaff Running News, Kellyn Taylor had meniscus surgery in August, which shortened her New York City Marathon buildup, but she’s still optimistic about how the race might go. Taylor said she’s hoping to run professionally through her daughter Kylyn’s senior year of high school (she’s in ninth grade now) and she wants to move back to Wisconsin when she’s done with her running career.
Amanda Vestri and Emily Durgin were originally planning to run the Valencia Half Marathon, but neither made it to the starting line. Leading up to the Boston 10K for Women, race organizers sent out a media update that indicated Vestri had withdrawn due to injury. And earlier this month, Durgin said in an Instagram post that she had to make some changes to her racing schedule, but she’s happy to be healthy.
On Friday, Joshua Grenade, who tracks NCAA distance recruiting news, said in an Instagram post that SEC coaches have been informed that roster limits for men’s cross country and track will be 10 and 35, respectively, presumably beginning in the fall of 2025. (I haven’t seen this from other sources at this point.) Women’s limits in the SEC will be 17 and 45, which are the proposed maximum in the House vs. NCAA settlement, which was already bad enough. It’s possible to field a good cross country team with only 10 roster spots, but it will be difficult for schools to develop athletes, unless they have a feeder program, like a club team. And there will be very little wiggle room if anyone gets injured or sick. According to this article, athletes are already being cut from teams, and scholarship offers are being retracted. The final House vs. NCAA decision won’t be made until April, and it’s still not entirely clear how it will all play out, but it seems likely that it will be bad for the sport.
I saw the tragic news that runner Alyssa Lokits, 34, was murdered while working out on a popular exercise path in Nashville, Tennessee, about an hour after last week’s newsletter went out. That meant that I wasn’t able to spread the word about the memorial runs that took place in her honor last Monday. But there will be a second opportunity to run in Lokits’ honor, on November 4, at 5:00 p.m. You can read some of the details of this heartbreaking story here. And in a separate article, Lokits’ sister-in-law said the family wants the world to remember her for how she lived, rather than the circumstances of her death. (Both links Runner’s World) “We just can’t be afraid, because I know that she would not be afraid,” Abby Lokits told Runner’s World. “She was fierce and strong and she would get back out there. And I know that it feels scary to get back out there. We have to, we have to keep running, and we have to keep moving and loving each other.”
Julia Hawkins, who broke two age-group world records in the 100m, died on Tuesday at 108. Hawkins didn’t run her first track race until she was 100 years old. She has donated her body to a research center that studies longevity. (New York Times, gift link)
Additional Results
Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa took more than six minutes off her personal best, winning the Frankfurt Marathon in an impressive 2:17:25. Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai finished second in 2:18:58 and PRed by more than three minutes. (Results)
Ethiopia's Asmirach Nega ran a personal best of 2:24:13 to win the Dublin Marathon. (Results)
Tessa Barrett ran 2:39:38 to win the Marine Corps Marathon. Barrett was the 2013 Foot Locker Cross Country Champion and she ran for Penn State, but according to The Washington Post, her job as a financial adviser “turned her passion into a hobby.” Barrett said one of her goals is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials. (Results)
Riley Brady won the Javelina Jundred 100 miler in 14:19:01, taking seventh overall. Hannah Allgood took second in 14:38:30. Both earned golden tickets for next year’s Western States 100. (Results)
Kidan Kidane won the Mayor’s Cup 5K cross country race at Franklin Park in Boston, running 17:21. Grace Richardson finished a close second in 17:22. Molly Huddle was the top masters runner, in 18:44. “When you get outkicked in a 5K by a high school girl,” Huddle wrote in an Instagram story, “But she turns around and says, ‘I love How She Did It, it’s really helped me take better care of myself.’” (Results)
Podcast Highlights
Jess Hull announced on the Ali on the Run Show that she’ll be a Grand Slam Track racer in 2025. Hull said she thinks her first race of the season will be a 1K indoors at the University of Washington in January with Nikki Hiltz, just like this year. She said she will likely run the same indoor circuit she did in 2024, which would mean the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, the Millrose Games, and World Indoors.
Canada’s Briana Scott talked about her relatively quick path from new runner to Olympian on Rob Talks Running.
Shannon Rowbury discussed belatedly becoming an Olympic medalist and getting ready to run the New York City Marathon (in the sub-elite field) on C Tolle Run.
Additional Episodes: Katie Izzo, who just moved to Flagstaff, was on the Lactic Acid Podcast | Laura Thweatt recorded an episode of The Strength Running Podcast late in her Chicago Marathon build, but before she knew she would miss the race due to injury | Anna Rohrer was on the Circle City Success podcast; the episode was recorded a while ago.
Upcoming
The USATF 5K Championships will take place on Saturday in New York City. I expect the fields will be announced very soon, and they’ll be strong as always. The men’s race begins at 8:30 a.m. ET, and the women go off five minutes later. If you watch live, the broadcast is free. If you watch after the fact, you will need to be a USATF TV/RunnerSpace subscriber.
The New York City Marathon is the following day. Here are the fields, as originally announced. If you want to get really nerdy, you can download the media guide, which has more up-to-date start lists, here. A number of people have noticed that Dakotah Lindwurm is now listed as Dakotah Popehn, and that’s because she got married yesterday. That’s one way to distract oneself during the taper. Defending champion Hellen Obiri goes in as the favorite, but she should have plenty of competition.
The race will air on ESPN2 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET and ABC7NY.com from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And thanks to TCS, there will be uninterrupted coverage of the pro races on the race app, and you can read more details about various ways to follow the race here.
Some key start times include:
8:00 a.m. Pro Men’s Wheelchair Division
8:02 a.m. Pro Women’s Wheelchair Division
8:35 a.m. Pro Women’s Open Division
9:05 a.m. Pro Men’s Open Division
9:10 a.m. Wave 1
Thanks again to Topo Athletic for supporting Fast Women in October, and remember to use the code FASTWTOPO for 15 percent off full-price items at topoathletic.com. Thanks, also, to everyone who helps keep Fast Women going with your support via Venmo and Patreon. I hope you all have a good week.
Alison
The great thing about being in wave 5 for NYC is getting to watch the pros finish while you're still waiting in the start village!