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.
The controversy has sky-rocketed after a transgender woman finished first in around 60 Parkrun events - even beating a former British Olympian
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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.
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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.
Director of Sex Matters Fiona McAnena said: "It's never been 'inclusive' to allow male runners to claim women's places and records. Now Parkrun has no excuse to continue to discriminate against women by letting men register as female."
Parkrun currently allows participants to self-identify their gender as "male", "female", "non-binary" or "prefer not to say".
Director of Sex Matters Fiona McAnena said that Parkrun has 'no excuse to continue to discriminate against women by letting men register as female'
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Previously, a Parkrun spokesman said that the event was not a race or athletic competition overseen by national or international federations.
The organisation believed it would not be "appropriate or practical" to request proof of gender or "adjudicate the validity of a person's gender identity".
Meanwhile, UK Athletics has already moved to ban transgender women from competing in female categories after guidance concluded it could not balance fairness with safety.
The decision came after determining that the inclusion of transgender women in female events could not adequately address both fairness and safety concerns.
