London Marathon director Hugh Brasher announced Wednesday that the event has decided to permanently boycott the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, due to rising levels of online abuse since Elon Musk took over. Brasher called the platform a space that “has descended to a deplorable level.”
The announcement came after being asked about the abuse suffered by athlete Eilish McColgan, who was the subject of offensive comments on social media, accusing her of “looking like a skeleton” and suffering from anorexia after posting videos of her training ahead of Sunday’s race.
Toxicity in X
Brasher expressed her dislike of the attacks directed at McColgan and highlighted her strength in standing up to them. “I think it’s abhorrent the abuse he’s received. Some social media channels are particularly vitriolic and have descended to a deplorable level. That’s why the London Marathon events have stopped using one of those channels.”
The director confirmed he was referring to X, where the official London Marathon account, with 191,000 followers, has not posted content for the past three months. “It stopped being a positive place. It wasn’t a space for rational conversations,” he added.
Brasher contrasted the values of the London Marathon with those of the X platform, stating that the event, founded in 1981 by his father Chris Brasher and John Disley, has always promoted positivity and togetherness. “The London Marathon is about showing that sometimes the human family can celebrate and be happy together. It’s a force for good, and we didn’t feel that platform shared those values,” she explained.
Trans women’s participation in the event
Brasher also confirmed that the London Marathon will maintain its policy of excluding trans women from elite and championship women’s races, although they will be able to participate in the mass event. This decision follows the recent UK Supreme Court ruling, which defines a woman according to her biological sex under British equality law. However, Brasher noted that they are awaiting a detailed report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Sport England to determine how to implement the ruling in the future.
Brasher stressed that the London Marathon seeks to balance inclusion with protecting women’s rights in competition. “To participate in age categories, championships, elite and age group awards, they must be women by birth, as defined by the courts. In the mass event, it is self-selection,” he explained.
The director also highlighted the complexity of verifying gender identity in the event and the importance of receiving clear guidance from the competent authorities. “We will comply with whatever the law says, but we need clear details from the commission and Sport England. We pride ourselves on being inclusive, but also protecting the rights of women in competition, which is incredibly important.”
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