Parkrun embroiled in transgender ‘bigoted bullying’ row as race director tells former Olympian to ‘f*** off’ – and Martina Navratilova piles in
- The angry online row came after Kingsbury Water Parkrun blasted campaigners
- After calling out the event, a Parkrun director told the ex-Olympian to ‘f*** off’
- Tennis legend Martina Navratilova leapt to the British runner’s defence on X
Former British Olympic runner Mara Yamauchi has been branded a ‘bigoted bully’ and told to ‘f*** off’ by a Parkrun director in a furious row about trans women competing in the event’s female category.
Yamauchi, 51, who finished sixth in the women’s marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and also competed at London 2012, took to social media on Sunday to seek answers from Parkrun over their organisation’s criticism of ‘offensive and discriminatory’ leafleting at Kingsbury Water, near Birmingham, this weekend.
KingsburyH20, who organise the run at Kingsbury Water, posted on Saturday to announce that this weekend’s event had been ‘spoiled’ by campaigners who had printed leaflets speaking out against trans athletes competing in the women’s category.
Yamauchi said on X: ‘Hi @KingsburyH20, so far you have ignored me and all the others asking you what is “offensive and discriminatory” about fairness for females. What is your answer? Perhaps @parkrunHQ can confirm please — is women wanting fairness “offensive and discriminatory”?’
Her post prompted Parkrun director and volunteer Simon Teale to involve himself with an X-rated reply, which read: ‘F*** off, you bigoted bully. Thanks to all the @parkrun volunteers who support their communities and encouraged more to strengthen their physical and mental health than ex-professional Mara ever has. And much love and support to all at @KingsburyH20.’
According to the Parkrun website, Teale has been a run director in Stratford-Upon-Avon on 132 occasions, having volunteered over 500 times.
Former Olympian Mara Yamauchi (above) has been branded a ‘bigoted bully’ and told to ‘f*** off’ by a Parkrun director in a row about trans women competing in the event’s female category
Yamauchi took to social media to question why Parkrun’s event at Kingsbury Water had criticised campaigners and described their actions as ‘offensive and discriminatory’
Her post prompted a Parkrun event director to respond furiously with an expletive reply on X
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has frequently spoken out against trans athletes competing in women’s sports, furiously reacted to the Parkrun director with an expletive-laden post of her own.
She said, sarcastically: ‘Much support to those who don’t give a s*** about women’s rights. How very kind of you. And your response to Mara, an amazing person and athlete, really is kindness personified. Wow…’
Another furious social media user responded to the X-rated post by saying: ‘Yet another bloke swearing at women who are campaigning for their rights to equality and non-discrimination in recreational sport.
‘Lovely chap. Men’s rights activist. Also a @parkrun Event Director.’
Kingsbury Water parkrun’s initial Facebook post, which now appears to have been deleted following Yamauchi’s response on X, read: ‘Good morning everyone, and well done for starting the weekend off right with parkrun.
‘Normally this would continue to be a congratulatory and celebratory post but this morning was spoiled by someone leafletting in one of the car parks with some offensive and discriminatory material.
‘Please remember that parkrun is an inclusive event and we do not condone this is any way shape or form.
‘Everyone has a right to exist. Everyone has a right to parkrun. Everyone has a right to do so without bigotry being thrust in their faces.
The two-time Olympian finished sixth in the women’s marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Parkrun director Simon Teale pictured volunteering at an event in Stratford-upon-Avon
According to the Parkrun website, Teale (back) has been a run director on 132 occasions
Martina Navratilova leapt to Yamauchi’s defence with an angry reply to the Parkrun director
Tennis legend Navratilova has frequently spoken out on transgender athletes in women’s sport
‘We do apologise to anyone who found this material on their car today, and would ask that whoever put it there ceases doing so. We don’t even allow flyering of other runs, so why on earth would you think we’d allow this.’
Mail Sport has approached Teale for comment.
Parkrun has been embroiled in a transgender row over the last few months amid growing pressure to protect the fairness of female events.
In February, event organisers announced Parkrun’s website would stop listing its fastest runners’ times after a dispute over trans athletes posting female records.
However, it was urged that the decision was made as part of a long-term plan to improve inclusivity rather than anything to do with the row.
Sharron Davies, another outspoken former Olympian who frequently campaigns against trans athletes in women’s sport, has rubbished the idea that Parkrun wiping all speed records is unrelated.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t believe that this is something that they’ve had planned for months or years,’ Davies, who has spent five years campaigning for a change of approach in Parkrun’s records, told Sky.
‘I believe this is a reaction to the criticism that they’ve had recently about the competitiveness and the course record[s].
‘Personally, I would have preferred keeping the competitive results. But now this has happened.
Parkrun (pictured above in Belfast) holds a series of events for walkers, runners and volunteers
Sharron Davies, pictured with Yamauchi (back), is another outspoken campaigner on the issue
Kingsbury Water Parkrun initially criticised campaigners for spreading ‘bigotry’ at the event
‘The men are all complaining [that the records are gone] but for five years men haven’t been complaining.
‘Hardly anyone has wanted to listen to our voice as women [saying], “please can we have fair sport?”.’
Davies has instead proposed that a separate Parkrun category should be made for transgender athletes.
‘There’s no reason why [displaying records] can’t go on, but they just need to be fair and if that means bringing in some extra classifications, fantastic,’ she added.
