Cal Calamia is set to make history this weekend at the London Marathon, racing in the nonbinary division and marking the final chapter of a remarkable journey through the World Marathon Majors (WMM).
The 28-year-old will become the first trans athlete to compete in the nonbinary category across all six WMM races — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York — earning the prestigious “Six Star Medal.”
With a growing presence in distance running and over 150,000 social media followers, Calamia, who uses they/he pronouns, has emerged as a prominent LGBTQ advocate in the sporting world. Last year, their advocacy was recognised with “Trailblazer Awards” from both San Francisco and the state of California.
In March, Calamia made headlines by winning the Tokyo Marathon’s inaugural nonbinary division, having actively campaigned for its creation. That race was the last of the Majors to adopt a nonbinary category, with Sydney joining the series this year.
Calamia continues to push for broader inclusivity in sport, arguing that nonbinary divisions should be standard across all disciplines.
“I think nonbinary divisions need to exist in every sport, eventually,” Calamia said during an appearance on KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast. “I think it’s harder with team sports because we need to acquire the numbers. But I’ve also experienced that if you build it, they will come.”
Importantly, Calamia clarified that they are not proposing a blanket separation of trans athletes into a third category: “Just because I’m advocating for a nonbinary division, that actually doesn’t mean that I think that every transmasculine person and every transfeminine person needs to participate in that division.”
The Boston Marathon has seen a modest rise in participation, with 70 nonbinary athletes finishing this year’s race, up from 48 in 2024. This marks the third consecutive year Boston has offered this category.
Beyond running, other sports are beginning to explore similar avenues. In 2023, World Aquatics trialled an “open category” at the Berlin World Cup, though no participants registered. In contrast, the Canadian rowing event Royal St John’s Regatta will introduce an open category this July — a move welcomed by trans nonbinary athlete Émile Sopkowe.
Calamia emphasises that collaboration with the trans and nonbinary community is key: when athletes are consulted in the development and naming of new divisions, awareness and participation both improve.
However, challenges remain. Public visibility can feel daunting for athletes who may not want the attention that comes with being in a separate category. Additionally, financial parity is an ongoing issue, as nonbinary divisions often lack equal prize money. While the New York Marathon has previously awarded cash prizes in the category, most other WMM events do not.
Calamia also addressed broader legal and societal issues. In a recent Instagram post, they criticised the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definitions of “woman” and “sex,” warning that it could jeopardise trans inclusion in sport and public life.
“This hateful and devastating act is inextricably tied to parallel political moves in the US,” they wrote, noting the potential impacts on travel, documentation, and participation in athletics.
The marathoner has found solidarity with fellow trans athlete Schuyler Bailar, who will also be competing in the London Marathon — his first. The pair addressed the backlash to a trans woman’s participation in the Boston Marathon via a video on Instagram.
“Here are some facts,” Calamia said. “The Boston Marathon has allowed trans women to compete in the women’s division since at least 2018.”
Bailar added: “And there has been no trans women domination that everybody’s afraid of.”
The athlete in question finished outside the top 600 in her age group and ranked just inside the top 9,000 overall, yet still drew ire online.
Olympian Nikki Hiltz, herself a nonbinary athlete, showed her support for Calamia and Bailar’s message, echoing the sentiment that trans athletes are not a threat to sport.
“Don’t get tricked into thinking that trans athletes threaten sports when transphobia is really the threat,” Bailar concluded.
