New Mom Excluded from Running Club Amid Transgender Controversy

Ten years ago, a woman achieving a sub-three-hour Boston Marathon just six months postpartum could expect a glam feature in a fitness magazine.

However, last week, shortly after completing the esteemed race in 2:50:04, new mom Natalie Daniels found herself expelled from her running club in the DC metro area.

The cause? She voiced concerns regarding fairness in women’s athletics.

Daniels stands firm against trans athletes competing in women’s categories, especially in Boston, which limits the number of marathon participants.

“I want it clear that there’s a place for trans athletes in sports as a whole,” the 33-year-old shared in an emotional interview. “But biological women in women’s sports are valid and deserve integrity in their results.”

Having won five of the 18 marathons she has participated in, Daniels first signed up for Boston while eight months pregnant with her son, Cooper.

During her training, she came across a social media post by Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, highlighting that a trans woman would be allowed to compete in the women’s open category on April 21. Sey pointed out that the marathon had a nonbinary category that has exclusively been won by men since its launch two years ago.

The implication was clear: biological men could dominate all categories.

“This went against the very reason I signed up — to celebrate my female body and compete meaningfully with other women,” Daniels explained. “During my pregnancy, this became increasingly important.”

Feeling inspired, she reached out to XX-XY, a company dedicated to preserving the integrity of women’s sports.

“I said, ‘If you create a special Boston singlet, I would wear it with pride,’” recalled Daniels. She also agreed to participate in an interview with the brand, published on YouTube, where she expressed her views on biology and fair competition.

Initially thinking only a small audience would watch, her story gained traction when Olympic runner Nikki Hiltz—who identifies as trans and nonbinary and competes in the women’s category—posted a rebuttal video that went viral.

“I thought the essence of a marathon was to push yourself and enjoy the journey,” Hiltz stated in the TikTok video. “Are you upset because a trans woman might finish ahead of you?”

Daniels, who placed 110th in the women’s division in Boston, felt Hiltz was undermining amateur runners: “It suggested that competition and integrity don’t matter.”

Daniels’ Instagram was soon flooded with negative comments, and strangers began tracking her running locations via her Strava app to “intimidate” her.

On the Saturday before the race, her coach advised her to avoid wearing the club’s uniform for her safety.

He also requested that she make a “clarifying statement” to the club. Daniels stated she apologized if she upset anyone, but did not retract her belief that women’s sports should include only biological women.

Moreover, she agreed to refrain from discussing it further on Instagram, but remained active on X where she received supportive messages. “It was an emotional lift,” she noted.

Daniels chose not to disclose the name of the club to prevent any backlash against them. Instead, she aims to highlight that speaking out about fairness can have personal consequences.

The day after the race, her club—a group she had been part of for over a year—requested her to issue a public statement disavowing her views.

Daniels refused. Following Sey’s post about her story on X on April 23, she received an email terminating her club membership.

“There is a difference between constructive discussions regarding transgender and non-binary individuals in competitive sports versus bullying, harassment, and the diminishing of individuals,” the email stated.

It further claimed Daniels “repeatedly and intentionally” misgendered Hiltz, a biological woman, by referring to her as a woman.

“Rather than engaging, they opted to send this email suggesting I didn’t act in good faith… It feels like a policing of thought,” Daniels remarked.

One club member expressed that the situation was mishandled, adding that Daniels is well-liked among members, and several runners share her views.

“They imposed harsh measures when they could have easily acknowledged her right to express her own opinions without the club’s influence,” the member commented.

The club retains the right to define its membership as it sees fit. However, by labeling genuine discussions about fairness as bullying, they are stifling essential dialogues in women’s sports.

Recognizing biological facts should not be deemed bullying. Exiling someone for holding beliefs that resonate with nearly 80% of Americans seems more representative of the true ‘b’ word.

Now that Daniels is no longer affiliated with the club, she intends to team up with Sey and XX-XY to establish an online running community.

Reflecting on her choice to speak out and its ramifications, Daniels has no regrets.

“I’ve witnessed middle schoolers and teen athletes protest by taking a knee against competing with biological males. I keep asking, ‘Where are the adults?’” Daniels stated. “I am the adult now. I need to speak out. And I did.”