Strava Partners with For All Mothers+ To Help Eliminate The Motherhood Penalty
Strava continues Strive For More™ initiative with $300K in research and grant funding to get more moms to the starting line this year
SAN FRANCISCO – MAY 14, 2025 – Strava, the app for active people, today announced a partnership with For All Mothers+ as part of Strava’s Strive for More™ initiative, a commitment to promote and support women in movement and sports. To get more women to the starting line, Strava has pledged $300K to For All Mothers+, an impact non-profit on a mission to, through the lens of sports, eliminate the Motherhood Penalty–the phenomenon by which women face economic, social, and health disadvantages after becoming mothers. Part of the funding from Strava will support a new program “Childcare So They Can Get Out There” grants, which will provide 50 recipients $2,000 to defray the disproportionate costs associated with childcare, travel & lodging, and support to train for and participate in races this year.
This commitment is in addition to funding from Strava for essential research initiatives, such as the recently released study (The Race Towards Equity & Accessibility for Pregnant and Parenting Runners) conducted by For All Mothers+ in partnership with Carleton University’s Health & Wellness Equity Research Group. The top three barriers identified from the research include: the lack of onsite childcare or stroller options, no accommodations for breastfeeding and pumping participants, and inflexible deferral policies for women during various points of their maternal journey (including pregnancy, postpartum, fertility treatments, or miscarriage).
Additional key findings from the survey revealed:
83% of parents reported that pregnancy and/or their role as a parent has prevented them from participating in a race
66% cite that the lack of childcare is the primary reason why they can’t participate in races
40% have skipped races due to concerns about breastfeeding or pumping logistics
More than 92% of participants “strongly agreed” that they prefer to support races that provide pumping/lactation and/or childcare options even if they don’t personally need them.
“Getting to the start line of any event is a metaphor for the multifaceted barriers mothers have to overcome in order to pursue their ambitions–we believe every mother should have the opportunity to get to that start line and be welcomed with a family-friendly situation when they do,” said For All Mothers+ Founder and Olympic Medalist Alysia Montaño. “In breaking down systemic barriers, we level the playing field so that mothers can see a clearer pathway to reaching the finish line and achieving their podium moment.”
Thanks to ongoing advocacy work, more races are increasingly offering accommodations like private lactation spaces, onsite childcare or stroller-friendly course options, and penalty-free deferrals for those whose family-planning timing and race calendars fall out of sync. The For All Mothers+ Family Forward Event Directory is a comprehensive database of both recreational and professional races that prioritize these standards. Organizers can submit their events to the tracker for runners to easily access and now have the option of integrating the location of their lactation stations via Waypoints on their Strava course maps. Waypoints help mark specific locations along routes so runners can easily identify and access these facilities while participating in races.
“Partnering with Strava on essential research, platform integration, and grants has supercharged our work to break down barriers for moms, empowered more race organizers to adopt family-friendly standards, and expanded our directory of family-friendly events,” said Montaño. “With Strava, we look forward to shifting the narrative for moms who choose to pursue their ambitions in sports and beyond.”
“Childcare So They Can Get Out There” Grants are now open for applications until June 14, 2025. Please visit https://www.forallmothers.org/ for more information about the grant, The Race Towards Equity & Accessibility research study, charity teams, partnership opportunities, resources for race directors, or to make a donation.
About Strava
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Press contact: press@strava.com
About For All Mothers+
For All Mothers+ (formerly &Mother) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit on a mission to eliminate the Motherhood Penalty – the phenomenon by which women face economic, social, and health disadvantages after becoming mothers. Founded on Mother’s Day 2020 by Track & Field Olympic Medalist and mother of three, Alysia Montaño, we are breaking down barriers that limit mothers and building a world where they can thrive in pursuit of health, career, and personal ambition. Through the lens of sports, we drive investment, policy reform, and cultural influence, setting a new standard for how mothers are supported across industries. Learn more at www.forallmothers.org and follow @forallmothersorg on Instagram.
Press contact: hello@forallmothers.org