OutPace programme transforms running into a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth in Philadelphia

OutPace, part of Students Run Philly Style, offers LGBTQ+ young people in Philadelphia a supportive environment through structured running programmes that promote physical activity, mentorship, and community, fostering confidence and wellbeing amid challenging social climates.

OUTPace is giving LGBTQ+ young people in Philadelphia more than a place to run. As a new school year begins, the programme is again opening enrolment to middle- and high-school students who want a structured, non-competitive route into running, mentorship and community.

Part of Students Run Philly Style, the initiative pairs sixth- to twelfth-grade students with adult mentors and asks them to train together three times a week, building towards events ranging from 5Ks to marathons. The organisation says the format is deliberately welcoming to beginners, with early sessions often mixing walking, jogging and running, while more experienced runners can also take part.

The programme grew out of a recognition that many LGBTQ+ young people do not find sport spaces to be safe or affirming. According to Mariana Folco, Students Run Philly Style’s director of programmes, the organisation had long signalled inclusion through flags and signs, but decided to be more intentional when it launched OUTPace in 2020. After focus groups with young people, the charity expanded its resources for LGBTQ+ participants and began running a team at The Attic Youth Centre, a Philadelphia hub for queer youth that continues today.

Those efforts have since been folded into the wider organisation. Students Run Philly Style says OUTPace is now integrated across its programmes in Philadelphia and Camden, with mentors undergoing standard background checks, fingerprinting and child-abuse clearances before receiving training on injury prevention, nutrition, sleep and LGBTQ+ inclusion. The charity says the aim is not only physical fitness but also mental wellbeing, with mentors trained to spot when a young person may need professional help rather than acting as therapists themselves.

That supportive structure has made a lasting difference for participants and mentors alike. Harim Jung, a lead therapist at The Attic who joined OUTPace as a mentor in 2023, said the work can be therapeutic in its own right and does not have to happen only in an office. They described the programme as a setting where movement, trust and shared goals can help young people build confidence and discover abilities they did not know they had.

Diyu Liu, now a college student, said the programme changed how they saw themselves. After joining in middle school and continuing through high school, Liu said the experience helped them move from self-doubt towards ambition, supported by mentors who knew when to encourage them and when to ease off. For Liu, OUTPace also created space to learn about LGBTQ+ culture, visit queer-led organisations and build ties across generations. They said that, in a climate that has made being queer and genderqueer feel increasingly difficult, the programme offered consistency, joy and hope.