A trans-identified male who previously sued a spa for not allowing him to bathe with women has announced that he has been accepted to compete as a “woman” in the 2025 Boston Marathon. Riya Young Suising, born Robert Chien Hwa Young, has placed on the winner’s podium at multiple women’s running competitions.
Suising, 57, celebrated his qualification in the race via Facebook with his confirmation email from the 129th Boston Marathon: “Yay! 15th Boston next April, and I barely made it in this time,” he wrote. He has qualified for the female category. The race is set to take place in April 2025.
The Boston Marathon has age and gender qualification categories. Genders include male, female, and “non-binary.” Notably, the “non-binary” category has identical qualifying times as the corresponding female categories.
In Suising’s case, he had to demonstrate a time of 4 hours and 5 minutes or less; Suising qualified with a time of 4 hours, 1 minute, and 27 seconds. Had he been forced to compete with other males he would not have qualified for the marathon, as participants in the men’s category are required to meet a 3 hour and 35 minute performance cutoff.
Suising has been competing in women’s running since at least 2010, and has also participated in female dance classes at the San Jose Dance Theatre. In addition to being a flight attendant with United Airlines, he works as a part-time massage therapist and Zumba instructor.
Suising competed in the 2024 San Francisco Marathon dressed in a “sexy” bumble bee costume, complete with black nylons and a mini skirt. He wore the same outfit in previous races, including a 2017 New York City Marathon and in a 2018 Los Angeles Rock and Roll Half Marathon. He also competed in the female category of the 2024 California International Marathon on December 8.
In a since-deleted Facebook post from 2015, the Palo Alto Run Club announced that Suising was seen taking second place in the women’s category of the Brazen Racing half marathon, seizing a $500 prize.
Suising has also won at least two other women’s running prizes, including taking second place at the 2015 Jed Smith 50K, and third place at the 2013 Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance Run.
In November of this year, Beth Bourne, an advocate for women’s rights and safety, recognized Suising as one of her attendants on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Mexico. Bourne had previously competed against Suising at multiple races in Northern California, including the 2014 Golden Gate Park cross-country women’s race.
“I first saw this man in our local racing scene here in the San Francisco/Sacramento area in 2013. It made me so uncomfortable seeing him dressed up as a woman—but I didn’t know what was happening. So I said nothing… [It’s] awful that the race directors let him compete in the women’s category, as it impacted individual and team scoring,” said Bourne.
“I find it misogynistic and degrading to see men pretending to be women, so I was upset to see a male trans-identified United Airlines flight attendant on my recent flight. As a paying customer, I don’t believe my speech should not be compelled when talking to other passengers, including my boyfriend who was seated next to me, about this flight attendant.”
Bourne says she felt particularly concerned because she was aware of a recent incident involving another United customer whose family had been removed from a flight for allegedly “misgendering” a flight attendant.
“If men want to dress up as women in the privacy of their own home that is fine – if United Airlines wants to employ men dressing up as women outside of the view of paying customers, that might also be a different circumstance but in this instant, flying between San Francisco and Mexico City, I was being held hostage to having to participate in this man’s fetish.”
On X, Bourne announced that she requested a refund from United Airlines, describing Suising’s in-flight behavior as “degrading and misogynistic to women” and noting that he had been wearing a name tag with “she/her” pronouns listed. Bourne says she has not received any communications from the company regarding her complaint.
On Suising’s participation in the Boston Marathon, Bourne says she is upset that he has been allowed to compete in the women’s category.
“The qualifying time for men in the 55-60 age group is 3:30 and 4:00 for women. Likely he would never be able to make the men’s time standard but by declaring himself a ‘woman’ he can steal a coveted spot that was meant for a woman,” Bourne says.
“I’ve competed in several international marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2010, so I know this it’s a big deal to qualify for a spot. I’m also super disappointed that the captured Boston Athletic Association has a ‘non-binary’ division, which of course is predominantly men winning all of the top spots across all age groups.”
Biological males have won in the non-binary category both years it has been offered by the marathon, and with the accommodation of trans-identified males in the women’s category, it provides men three opportunities to take top spot.
