Parkrun has been urged to change its “unfair” rule to let transgender people to compete in women’s runs.
Women’s rights groups are demanding that the popular 5km community event scrap rules which allow transgender women to compete in female categories.
Critics have argued that the current self-ID policy has allowed transgender women to “smash” female records in Parkrun events.
The controversy has heightened after it was reported that one transgender woman has finished first in approximately 60 Parkrun events – even beating a former British Olympian.
Former Olympic marathon runner Mara Yamaguchi highlighted how transgender athlete Siân Longthorpe “smashed to smithereens” a women’s Parkrun record in the 45-49 age group category.
Records also show that Claire Hallissey, who is a marathon runner who competed for Team GB at the London Olympics, finished behind a transgender athlete at a Parkrun.
Feminist activists were reportedly “lost for words” in 2023 when it emerged that a Parkrun women’s record was still held by a transgender champion fell runner who had been jailed.
Lauren Jeska, a former British fell-running champion, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2017 for repeatedly stabbing UK Athletics’ head of human resources, Ralph Knibbs.
The attack occurred after a dispute erupted over Jeska’s eligibility to compete as a female athlete despite being born male.
Yamaguchi told The Times that, given that women are defined by their biological sex, it was “unfair against women and girls” for Parkrun to allow males in the female category.
Source: Parkrun urged to scrap ‘unfair’ rule which allows trans people to compete in women’s runs