Transgender women will be allowed to compete as females in this weekend's London Marathon mass event, despite last week's Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces.
Race director Hugh Brasher confirmed that participants can continue to self-identify their gender when taking part in Sunday's iconic race.
The decision maintains the marathon's existing policy on gender self-identification.
The decision applies only to the mass participation event, with Brasher emphasising that elite, championship and good-for-age women's categories remain restricted to those who are biologically female.
London Marathon organisers are prepared to defy the Supreme Court
Reuters
Brasher stated that London Marathon Events will await a "detailed report" from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the Supreme Court ruling before making any decisions about future races.
A separate report from Sport England will also inform their position on transgender participation.
"We obviously will meet what the law says," Brasher confirmed.
The Supreme Court ruling last week confirmed that the terms "woman" and "sex" in the 2010 Equality Act "refer to a biological woman and biological sex".
The court also stated that a section of the Act permitting exclusion of athletes based on their sex from gender-affected sports was "plainly predicated on biological sex".
This landmark ruling has significant implications for sporting events nationwide.
The London Marathon has offered a non-binary gender option to mass participation applicants since 2023.
For the mass event, participants can self-select their gender on the ballot application.
Identification documents such as passports, which may state a gender different from that assigned at birth, are accepted for verification.
"This is complex," Brasher acknowledged.
The marathon faced controversy two years ago when Glenique Frank competed as a female shortly after running as a male in the New York marathon.
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Transgender women will be allowed to compete as females
PA
Frank subsequently apologised for the situation.
The runner called for race organisers to introduce a separate transgender category to address such issues in future events.
In a surprising move, Brasher revealed that London Marathon Events has boycotted Elon Musk's X platform.
The organisation's account, with nearly 192,000 followers, has not posted since January.
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Race director Hugh Brasher confirmed that participants can continue to self-identify their gender when taking part in Sunday's iconic race
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Brasher described the platform as "vitriolic" and "descending into a gutter", adding: "It was ceasing to be a positive place to be."
More than 56,000 people are expected to participate in Sunday's event, potentially breaking the current record for finishers.
The 2025 London Marathon will again raise millions of pounds for charity.
British long-distance runner Eilish McColgan is set to make her London Marathon debut after withdrawing from the 2023 event due to injury.
