New research commissioned by British race organiser Threshold Sports (thresholdsports.co.uk) has revealed that the alarming gap between male and female participation in running events increases as the distance goes up. The result is that many more men than women take on marathon and ultra-marathon events.
With female participation in organised running events falling, the proportion of women on start lines continues to decline. Only 30% of participants in ultra-marathon events in 2023 were female. In an attempt to halt this trend, Threshold Sports has launched its Ultra 50:50 campaign, which sets a target to achieve gender parity at their world-famous ultra trail events, including Race to the Stones and Race to the King, by this summer.