The organisers of the London Marathon have declared that biologically male transgender individuals will still be able to compete against women in the upcoming race, despite the recent ruling from the Supreme Court upholding the reality of biological sex.
London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher said Wednesday that contestants will be able to compete against those in the sex that they identify with in the main mass participation race.
The organisation noted, however, that transgender runners would not be eligible for female races in the elite, championship, or “good for age” categories, as is prohibited by guidelines from World Athletics, the BBC reported.
Last week, a Supreme Court ruling found that the sexes are defined by their biologies under the Equality Act, likely meaning that supposedly transgender individuals would be barred from being able to launch lawsuits claiming inequality if they are barred from single-sex spaces, likely including areas such as female-only toilets, changing rooms, and sports.
Rather than immediately implementing the ruling, the London Marathon’s organisers said they would wait until receiving reports on the ruling from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Sport England before changing their policies.
