About Us
Hi there, my name is Nikki Hiltz - I'm a non-binary professional runner & founder of the Pride 5k!
Back in February 2020, I was gearing up for an exciting outdoor track season and a chance to make an Olympic team. As we all know, both the outdoor track season and the Olympics were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With my running dreams on hold, I had time to process, understand, and honor my gender identity in ways I hadn’t before. Because I didn’t feel comfortable enough to come out, I began to lean into my LGBTQ+ advocacy work, more determined than ever to create safe spaces for queer people.
I decided to put on a virtual 5K race to raise money for The Trevor Project, an organization providing crisis and suicide intervention to LGBTQ+ youth.
The virtual turnout was incredible. In that first summer, we donated $33,000 to The Trevor Project. Nearly 2,000 people from around the world signed up for the Pride 5k - many of whom had never run more than two miles. There was an entire family that ran the race together to celebrate a daughter who had recently come out, and (at least) four participants publicly came out as queer on race day, proudly wearing the “Love More Than Ever” t-shirt.
This represented everything I hoped the Pride 5k would be: A safe space for people to show up as themselves. I knew then that this race wasn’t a one-time quarantine special; it was something I wanted to do for years to come. Over the past three years, the Pride 5k has raised and donated over $172,000 to the Trevor Project.
Creating a race where people can celebrate pride and support queer youth has not only been the highlight of my career; it served as the inspiration for me to come out as transgender non-binary and live as my full authentic self. I'm so grateful for the beautiful community of runners, walkers, and allies that have made such a safe space possible.
We are excited to announce the 2024 Pride 5k is fundraising for Point of Pride. Point of Pride is a nonprofit organization that provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care. Their mission is to provide access to gender-affirming resources such as chest binders, breast forms, and other essential items to those who may not have the means to acquire them. Besides simply donating money to Point of Pride, our goal is to make sure that every transgender person knows that there is an entire community of runners who love and support them and believe they belong everywhere they decide to be.
