J Solle is celebrating a big win as an athlete and member of the non-binary community.

“We are really fortunate in New York that New York Road Runners implemented this across the board,” Solle said.

Solle came in first place in the non-binary category at the 42nd running of the Front Runners New York LGBT four-mile Pride Run on Saturday. The non-binary category has been in place since 2021.

“The reason it was done was to give people who don’t identify with any of the binary genders a place to run and feel welcomed and comfortable,” Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners, said.

Organizers say around 7,000 runners took part in the four-mile race at Central Park on Saturday morning.

“It feels amazing,” runner Omar Merced said.

Merced and his boyfriend Chris Seret run in the race every year.

“Now more than ever, it feels really important just to be able to run with your group — with your tribe,” Seret said.

There was a sense of comraderie among runners, especially in light of recent attacks on the LGBTQ community, such as the vandalism of Pride flags at the Stonewall National monument.

Dennis Hong hopes this run can help people learn about inclusion and support.

“I think educating the community to be more accepting of the community, I think that’s where it starts,” Hong said.

Kathy Yang was pounding the pavement on Saturday as an ally to her friends and family.

“It is important to me to find opportunities to publicly show I support them,” Yang said.

This year, a portion of the proceeds from the run will go towards the Hetrick Martin Institute, a nonprofit that provides resources to the LGBTQ community.