Parkrun faces backlash over scrapping records in wake of transgender row

PARKRUN is facing a backlash over its decision to scrap all-time records after a row over transgender athletes taking female accolades.

One event director resigned yesterday, as the organisation’s chief executive pleaded for less “heat” over the trans debate.

All-time gender records disappeared from the websites of every Parkrun and Junior Parkrun on Thursday.

Russ Jefferys, the chief executive of Parkrun, insists the move – which also includes scrapping best times in age and course brackets – was not influenced by a campaign to make participants declare their sex at birth after it was reported that three female records were set by transgender women.

Weekly results of the 5km race, which is run by thousands of people every Saturday morning, will still be published, with Parkrun saying that its primary function is working as a public health charity rather than facilitating competition. However, the move fuelled accusations of “sex discrimination” from critics including Sharron Davies, the former Olympic swimmer, who said it had taken a “cowardly” position.

The Women’s Rights Network said that Parkrun “would rather stop publishing age category data and rankings

‘We would all benefit from turning the heat down and remembering that Parkrun is a free community event’

rather than allow fair sport for women and girls”, adding, “there’s only been uproar now because they’d rather wipe records than be fair to women.”

Mr Jefferys said: “I think we need to be careful about making serious accusations – sadly there is just a lot of anger and emotion in this conversation.

“I think we would all benefit from just turning the heat down and remembering that, in the end, Parkrun is a free, fun community event and a great way to start the weekend.” Appearing on BBC 5 Live, Mr Jefferys was challenged over Parkun’s suggestion that displaying records on the website had become off-putting to new entrants and was asked if they had received complaints.

“Not so much complaints but we conduct regular surveys and we know that one of the biggest barriers … to participation is the misperception that Parkrun is a race,” he said.

“I think the criticism we faced from the Women’s Rights Network and others is down to a total misunderstanding of what Parkrun is.

“It is not a race. It is not a competitive athletic event.”

He added that since the event’s inception as a time trial in 2004, it has “clearly evolved” into a “health charity”.

Mr Jefferys’ comments came after a Parkrun official quit over the move. Mick Anglim announced his departure as Brockenhurst’s Parkrun event director on Thursday night, writing on Facebook that he had resigned “in response to HQ’s new ‘inclusive’ policy”.