)
Transgender inclusion in sport sparks debate ahead of London Marathon as organizers await guidance on future gender policy decisions.
On Sunday all eyes will be on the streets of the capital as more than 56,000 runners take part in the London Marathon, potentially setting a new Guinness World Record for finishers.
But alongside the athletic feats and emotional stories, an ongoing debate over transgender participation in sport is casting a shadow over the event.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News
)
19:30 - 22.04.2025
Hellen Obiri Breaks Silence Following Boston Marathon Heartbreak
Hellen Obiri fell short of a historic third Boston Marathon win but proved her dominance with a resilient podium finish.
Last week's landmark legal ruling in Britain — which stated that only biological women fall under the legal definition of "woman" in equality law — has added renewed urgency to the issue, particularly as it relates to competitive fairness in elite sport.
"It's really difficult to predict what we would do," said London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher, during a media call on Wednesday as per Reuters.
"I've gone through loads of different scenario planning since the court delivered its verdict, but honestly, we have to wait until the commission gives its report, until Sport England do, because otherwise we're just going on to what ifs, what ifs, what ifs."
)
21:30 - 20.04.2025
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Begins 2025 With Win as Shericka Jackson, Sha’Carri Richardson Await Battles Ahead
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opens her 2025 season with a confident win, signaling readiness for upcoming showdowns with sprint rivals.
Currently, the London Marathon allows mass participation runners to self-identify their gender. However, elite and championship entries are restricted to athletes assigned female at birth. Brasher emphasized the event’s commitment to both inclusion and fairness.
"We delight in being both inclusive but also protecting in competition the rights of women, which is incredibly important. Seb Coe and World Athletics have always led on that, and we absolutely look to continue doing that," Brasher added.
The discussion comes in the wake of a decision by World Athletics, led by President Sebastian Coe, to require a one-time genetic test for female athletes competing in women's events.
"I think that what World Athletics have done has been incredibly good for athletics and been really clear," Brasher said.
"When you look at the Olympics, you're looking at protecting women's competitive sport, I think it's absolutely vital. The job that Seb Coe has done has put the sport at the forefront of protecting women's rights to compete fairly."
)
20:22 - 22.04.2025
3 Americans Set to Stop Shericka Jackson's Bid for Redemption in 200m Season Debut
Shericka Jackson will begin her 200m comeback on Saturday, aiming for redemption while facing a fierce American trio out to test her.
Asked how many transgender athletes would be running on Sunday, Brasher noted that it’s impossible to determine under the current self-declaration system.
"Your passport would say your gender, and your gender can say female, even if you were born male. And so this is where getting into the advice that there is going to be from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Sport England is incredibly important," he explained.
"This is complex. We're really clear about the competition element, anywhere where there is competition that includes 'good for age,' that has to be your biological birth sex."
Despite the transgender issue London Marathon is also responding to increasing online hostility. Notably, it has ceased posting on X (formerly Twitter), where race organizers say the tone of discourse had become toxic.
"Just looking at how that channel, the vitriol, it was ceasing to be a rational conversation, it was ceasing to be a positive place to be," said Brasher. "The London Marathon is about positivity."
)
05:35 - 25.04.2025
American Legend Sanya Richards-Ross: I Would Have Been a Hurdler if I Ran For Jamaica
Richards-Ross may be a legend in the quater mile, but she might never have become one had she stayed and developed in her native Jamaica.
Among those taking part this year are four Olympic and Paralympic champions and several high-profile debutants, including Britain’s Eilish McColgan, who recently endured online abuse linked to the transgender debate — something Brasher condemned as “abhorrent.”
Despite the controversy, Sunday’s race is set to be a celebration of human spirit, athleticism, and, inevitably, an evolving dialogue on how sport defines fairness and inclusion in a changing world.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)