Téllez has made significant contributions to both the LGBTQ+ community and the running world.[8][9] She is the founder of the Lez Run Running Club.[10] She serves as Co-Race Director and Co-Founder of the Philadelphia Pride Run. An ambassador for Athlete Ally,[11] Téllez actively promotes inclusivity in sports. She previously served as Associate Director of LGBTQ Programming for Students Run Philly Style.[12]
In 2024, she was appointed by the Montgomery County Commissioners to the inaugural Montgomery County Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, a nonpartisan, non-political commission.[13][14][15]
Advocacy in Athletics
C.C. Tellez 2023 Mexico Gay Games Gold Medal
Téllez's advocacy has led to the adoption of nonbinary race inclusion and registration with equal prizes in events such as the Philadelphia Distance Run (PDR). After the groundbreaking PDR nonbinary race inclusion, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, the Philadelphia Marathon, and all seven World Major Marathons, including Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney followed shortly afterward.[16][17][18][19]
The DVLF praised Téllez's transformative efforts, stating:
"C.C. has been instrumental in promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance in running. Her efforts toward non-binary inclusion resulted in races adopting more inclusive policies, including the Philadelphia Distance Run, the first public race to offer non-binary race registrations with equal prizes. Since helping to generate this change, in 2022, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run and the Philadelphia Marathon, along with five of the six World Major Marathons—including Boston and Berlin—have adopted the policy."[21][22]
Athletic Achievements
2017 Women's Right to Run 19k: Téllez won first place at this race in Seneca Falls, New York, which celebrates the 19th Amendment mandating women's suffrage.[23]
2022 Buffalo Marathon 5k: Téllez and Jenner Selig became the first women to secure the top two overall positions in this race.[24][25]
2023 Gay Games XI in Guadalajara, Mexico: Representing Bolivia, Téllez won the gold medal in the women's marathon. This marked the first time the Gay Games were held in Latin America, an event recognized as the largest global sporting and cultural event for the LGBTQ+ community.[26][27]
