This has been a tragic and difficult time as we have witnessed the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks. The Big Sky Wind Drinkers believe that Black Lives Matter. BSWD stands in support of those who are engaged in protesting these incidents across our country, and we hope that significant social changes are forthcoming and will increase justice, opportunity, and equality for all in our society.

BSWD wants to emphasize that our club welcomes all races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations to join our runs and races. We strive to create an atmosphere where running unites us all, regardless of background.

We understand that we are responsible for creating a running community that reflects our values, and that we have not always done so. Like many of you, we are taking this time to listen, to learn, and to evaluate how we can do better. We will be looking at the entirety of how our club operates to determine how we can create a more inclusive, welcoming, equitable running club.

In a recent Runner’s World article Olympic 10k runner Marielle Hall wrote “If we want our running community to be a force for change, and not a reflection of the biases that our nation endures, we have to be willing to consistently have a sustained conversation that will effect change and is capable of asking questions without immediate answers or solutions.” BSWD is committed to engaging in those conversations among its leadership, and we look forward to having a more positive impact on the future.