The Nike coach getting black women on the trails
The trail world isn't well-known for being an inclusive space for either women or people of color. Dora Atim is on a mission to change that.
“I’m always annoyed about something,” Dora Atim laughs as we try to recall one particular gripe she posted a few weeks ago. Such is the life of someone who isn’t happy with the status quo, I suggest.
Dora is a Nike running coach and the London-based creator of Ultra Black Running, a “trail running community designed to amplify and empower Black Women and Non-Binary people.” In a sport that’s predominantly both white and male, it’s clear why Dora might want to push this envelope.
It’s the kind of movement that requires a big personality, though. I enjoy the vibrancy Dora gives my Instagram timeline. On a superficial level, it’s her always-bright hair, but really it’s her progressive attitude and enthusiastic sharing that I look out for. And if she’s always annoyed, 1) it doesn’t show, and 2) it’s likely because she’s always thinking about how to improve things around her.
Dora’s first run
You might expect a Nike coach to be a lifelong athlete, but Dora’s first run was when she was 19 years old, and it was at a boxercise class. She found that she loved boxing, and was training every day for two hours, and wanted to improve.
“[The trainer] said to start running because boxers run every day. I was like… that surely cannot be true. It turns out people there were just running six miles every day. I didn’t even know how far that was.”
So Dora started running. At midnight, in the wrong kit, wrong shoes, wrong everything, but she persevered.
“I was like, ‘I'll just try again tomorrow.’ 10, 15 minutes started creeping into 20, 30 minutes, and I was soon recognizing that I was doing distance.”
One day Dora ran 10 kilometers AKA the six miles the other boxers were running, and that was that. She felt exhilarated. She was hooked.
Ultra Black Running explained
Dora’s mission began in 2020 when she moved out of London during the early days of the COVID pandemic. She laughs as she describes her time in Hampshire as “absolute hell.” She tells me it took five days just to see another black person. Overall, it was a stressful time with coronavirus, George Floyd, and especially Ahmaud Arbery. Dora just wanted to run.
“Two or three times I was stopped [while running], and people would ask what I'm doing. I was like, ‘Of all times to ask a black person what they're doing whilst out on a run, this is not the right time.’”
Far from home, the born-and-bred Londoner began questioning who has access to running, and who should have that access. That anxiety increased daily, and Dora’s runs became short as she focused on just getting home.
“It took away the joy - the reason why I started running. I was just sort of like how do I come out of this funk. How do I work through it? Also as someone that's visible in the running space, how I show up is important. There’s an element of responsibility there.”
So Dora just went for it. She put on a playlist and ran for as long as she could, into the countryside.
“I remember getting to the middle of the forest and just crying because all these feelings had built up. I was feeling anxious, hopeful, worry, I was feeling joy.”
Following that period of feeling “anxious and numb,” this was a euphoric moment, and Dora decided that she had to share it with anyone who could relate to her. That was her way of improving things, so she started with those directly around her.
“For me, that was the girlies. I got home, got into the group chat, and asked the girls to come and join me next time.”
While the initial reaction from Dora’s friends was one of reluctance, they did go for a run in Epping Forest, in north east London. While the sun was shining and the cameras were snapping, it was the conversations that came out of the black- and female-friendly space that Dora had created that were most inspiring.
“We were having these conversations at work about how we’re Black people. We've had multiple movements but now, all of a sudden, the world is aware of that. The conversations were so raw and authentic. It was a safe space to come and completely be themselves. Not have to code switch. Not have to worry about how people are going to perceive things. It was incredible.”
“I remember posting a picture about it and it just took off. People saying they wanted to sign up for membership and join the next one. First of all, there was no membership. Second, there wasn't going to be a next one, but I guess there has to be now.”
It’s that topic of intersectionality. I’ve previously written about how women feel running alone in cities, and some of the work being done to achieve equity in the trail space, but both were from white female perspectives. This is a further intersection, and the work that Dora is doing here to make trail running a more inclusive space benefits everybody.
A big day out in Chamonix
Where better to make a splash than the epicenter of trail running: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in The Alps.
Just like that first run in Epping Forest, the act of Dora taking 100 people to run a 10k trail race in Chamonix in 2023 started in a group chat a year earlier. When a friend told her she wanted to run a 23km trail race in the mountains, Dora called her crazy but still joined her, plumping for the 10k distance.
“I remember running on this path and seeing mountains. I don't think I'd ever seen mountains like that before, and I've traveled a lot. I was like, ‘This is incredible. I've got to do this again.’ So I put out an Instagram story: Who wants to come? And 80 people responded.”
A few weeks later and everyone was following the script. Dora was organizing free bibs for 100 people (thanks to Nike’s support) “from all walks of life” who wanted to go to and run in Chamonix with her. The alpine resort is not known for attracting those from all walks of life, of course.
“I just wanted people to feel the incredible feeling that I felt. That's how I build my projects.”
Dora still counts the 2023 trip as one of her biggest career highlights because it was “so candid and authentic,” and she doesn’t take people choosing to spend their money to go run with her for granted. After the event, there was pushback from the organizers who, despite Dora’s group being newsworthy enough for TV crews to interview them, claimed it was not the right audience. Whatever that means.
“I'd been to Chamonix so many times prior to that, but that time I was like, ‘There are so many black people in Chamonix.’”
While this season’s White Lotus focuses hilariously on the various crises that middle-aged men suffer, the subtext is of wealthy white Americans vacationing in Asia. There’s a moment where Belinda spots a black couple. There’s a wave and an acknowledgement between the only two black parties at the resort. It was a moment to signify that they all belonged in that space. I hope you see how this fits the ultrarunning conversation.
The pressure of creating something beautiful
There’s no doubt in my mind that creating a space for black women and non-binary people in the trail running world is a beautiful thing, and that’s what Dora is trying to do. The problem, however, is the effort it takes to push back against such an established power structure.
To build something – anything – takes enormous effort in terms of thought, planning, and execution. To tear that thing down takes just a moment of thoughtlessness or whimsy, and it can be devastating when it happens.
While Dora is a big personality with big opinions and bigger ideas – something common in the creative fields – there’s absolutely nothing stand-offish about her. But that moment in Chamonix ended up being bittersweet. While she was so proud of what she’d put together, the pushback sent her spiraling. She feels the pressure constantly.
“Someone mentioned that I haven't been posting recently, but I only post when I have something to say. I’ve just been building what I want to do in the trail space. When I’m quiet, it’s never really a bad thing. I’m usually just in the corner bubbling away.”
“I’m building new ways to connect with people and connect them to the outdoors. It's such a beautiful position to be in because I have access to a lot of resources and when you have a lot of access to resources, the thing is to share it, build a tightly-knit community and try to flourish in every way possible.”
What’s next?
A new season of Ultra Black Running is having the finishing touches put to it.
This time, the program will be based around specific events. 5-7km training runs will take place in green spaces all around Dora’s beloved London, including Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, and the aforementioned Epping Forest. Whether that allows for accessibility or exploration of the city, it’s a great thing for participants.
Dora is putting her role as an influential hands-on coach to the side here as she sees this program as a place to platform other up-and-coming coaches. She talks about building up her community and helping people get qualified and become run leaders themselves. I see Dora as an essential black, female advocate in the trail world.
What would Dora say to someone considering joining Ultra Black Running?
“Just take a chance on yourself and give yourself that space to be a novice at something. You've never run with someone before. Let this be the first time. You might love it, you might hate it, but try it. Everything that’s come from my running journey has come from trying something.”
Just do it, as some might say.
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Thanks for reading
Raz x
Thank you for sharing this story, Raz. Not sure I would have heard about Dora and what she's doing otherwise. Love the community and opportunities she's creating.
So much love for Dora! An absolute powerhouse x