Sexism row over London Marathon T-shirt
THE London Marathon was embroiled in a sexism row last night after runners complained the commemorative T-shirts for finishers do not fit women.
Equality campaigners have dubbed the tops ‘sexist’ and claim they are made for men – leaving women feeling excluded.
The New Balance T-shirts will be given to all runners who complete the 26.2-mile race tomorrow. Organisers are under pressure to supply Tshirts for both genders, as they do in Paris.
Maud Hodson, from the Run Equal Campaign who push for gender equality in athletics, told the Daily Telegraph that redesigning the tops would ‘ make women feel more welcome’. She said: ‘We all pay the same entrance fee but we are not getting the same deal as the men.
‘I think it is sexist as being male is the default and women have to put up with it. It isn’t ever the other way around. T-shirts are trivial but it’s another side of the same issue of the world being designed around men.
‘If organisers want to increase the amount of participation and make women feel more welcome this would be a good way to do it.’
Heather Castle, 38, from Lee, South East London, who has completed the London Marathon twice, added: ‘Men aren’t made to wear women’s T-shirts so I don’t get how in 2019 that we are still being made to wear men’s T-shirts. It makes you feel like you are not really supposed to be there and not a member of the community.
‘We run equal distances and there are a lot of fast women out there, but it still feels like we are not supposed to be here.’
The criticism comes ahead of the marathon tomorrow. Last year, a record 40,273 people completed the course – with 50.2 per cent of the runners female.
A spokesman for the London Marathon said: ‘We have sizes XXS – XXL at the finish. Runners select the size they want, and if they want to exchange after they get home they can contact us and we will endeavour to help.’