SPECIFIC MEASURES FOR TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION

Policy Review and Update January 2025

Introduction

Ourea Events welcomes participation from transgender runners – who will be treated with respect and dignity as any other participant. We encourage any transgender runners to contact us directly with any specific requirements or questions that may facilitate their participation in an event.

The debate about transgender participation in sports is nuanced, complex and often heated. Ourea Events is a minor player in the world of organised sport, and our role is not to interrogate the evidence and arbitrate on this issue. We do not have the capacity or expertise to address or adjudicate on matters relating to an individual’s sex or gender.

Our position is that we will continue to follow the guidance from Moving to Inclusion (the UK’s Sports Councils Equality Group representing UK Sport, Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Scotland and Sport Northern Ireland), UK Athletics and ultimately UK law. If you feel our approach to transgender participation is wrong, please take this up with the UK government and UK Athletics. We place our trust in the honesty and goodwill of all participants to be transparent with us if they wish to participate as transgender runner.

The World Athletics statement on transgender and DSD regulations has this helpful definition of transgender:

“Transgender” means a person whose gender identity is different from their biological sex (whether they are pre- or post-puberty and whether or not they have undergone any form of medical intervention). A “transgender male” is a person whose biological sex is female and whose gender identity is male; and a “transgender female” is a person whose biological sex is male and whose gender identity is female.

There are different regulations for athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) outside the scope of this policy.

Following the publication of the World Athletics statement on Transgender and DSD Regulations in March 2023, the UK Athletics Policy was comprehensively updated.

In the UK, transgender people are protected from harassment and discrimination in The Equality Act 2010 under the protected characteristic of ‘gender reassignment’. But without a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), males with transgender identities are both biologically and legally male. Given most people with transgender identities do not have a Gender Recognition Certificate, most transgender people remain both biologically and legally as their biological sex.

UK law recognises that some sports are classified as “gender-affected” activities. In reality, that means sex-affected activities.

Section 195 of The Equality Act 2010 explicitly permits sex-based distinctions, such as excluding males from female categories in “gender-affected sports and activities of a competitive nature”, as an exception to sex discrimination rules. In Section 195, males with transgender identities can be excluded based on sex if they do not have a Gender Recognition Certificate because they are biologically and legally male. If they do have a Gender Recognition Certificate, they can be excluded based on gender reassignment, because even though with a Gender Recognition Certificate they are legally female, they are still biologically male.

This exception exists to ensure fairness and safety in these activities. There is an overwhelming moral and legal argument that if fairness is compromised by the inclusion of transgender women (biological males) in the female-only category, those female participants would be indirectly discriminated against. It is important to note that the law does not distinguish between elite and grassroots sport.

The UK's Sports Councils Guidance for Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport policy states that, ‘Categorisation within the sex binary is and remains the most useful and functional division relative to sporting performance’ and ‘Competitive fairness cannot be reconciled with self-identification into the female category in gender affected sport’.

The argument for maintaining a female-only category in elite sports has largely been established. However, some sports organisations and federations have adopted a two-tier approach. While acknowledging the importance of fairness at the elite level, they aim to promote ‘inclusivity’ at the grassroots level by allowing transgender women (biological males) to compete in female categories. Since most sports take place at non-elite levels — among clubs or at small-scale events and races — this approach has a disproportionate impact on the majority of female participants.

This reluctance to exclude males from female categories assumes, albeit implicitly, that female athletes should accept a degree of unfairness and that their rights and needs are secondary to those of transgender-identifying males. As a result, some women and girls choose to opt out of participating altogether, with inclusion policies inadvertently driving them out of the very category designed to ensure their access to sports.

Running at all levels should be inclusive and accessible, which is precisely why categories within running and sports exist. They ensure fairness and meaningful participation by recognising and respecting the physical differences between individuals. Sport has never been organised around people’s identities. It is objective factors like biological sex and age that matter. Removing the fundamental category of biological sex to accommodate another category based on self-declared identity undermines the integrity and fairness of sport at all levels, from grassroots to elite.

We are happy to discuss any concerns or questions transgender participants may have on a one-to-one basis confidentially and discretely.

What does our policy mean in practice for transgender participants wishing to participate in our events?

Mixed-Sex Events Policy

First and most importantly, transgender participants are welcome at any of our mixed-sex events:

1. We are happy to discuss any concerns or questions transgender participants may have on a one-to-one basis.

2. Any participant, regardless of biological sex, is welcome to participate in a Non-Competitive category where offered. This includes all transgender identities and non-binary people and any participant who prefers not to be categorised by their performance.

3. Transgender men and non-binary individuals (who are biological females) are welcome in the Male Category.

4. Transgender women and non-binary individuals (who are biological males) can participate in the female category as ‘Non-Competitive’ participants. This would mean they would be listed in the results without an overall position because of their ‘non-comp’ (shown as N/C in the results) status. They would be ineligible for an overall result or prize.

5. Access to female-only facilities (e.g. changing rooms, showers, multi-occupancy tents) will be restricted to biological females. We are happy to provide separate facilities for transgender people wherever possible. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us in advance to discuss this.

6. Almost universally, toilet facilities at our events are provided by individual portable toilets. Therefore, there is no restriction on which toilet participants with transgender identities can use in these circumstances.

Female Only Events Policy

While most of our events are mixed-sex, some are designated “Female Only”. Our “Female Only” races are strictly limited to biological females.

At these races, we do not permit entries from:

1.      Males

2.     Transgender women (regardless of whether they have a Gender Recognition Certificate)

Transgender men (biological females) and non-binary individuals (who are biological females) who have not undergone testosterone hormone therapy are welcome at Female-Only races.

We still very much welcome any individuals, regardless of background or identity, to come and support friends and family at Female-Only races.