The public ballot for next year’s London Marathon will have a nonbinary gender option for the first time, organisers confirmed on Wednesday.
All potential runners in the mass participation event will have three gender options when the ballot opens on Oct. 1 — male, female and nonbinary.
It comes after organisers of the Boston Marathon announced nonbinary athletes would be able to run in next year’s event without having to register for the men’s or women’s divisions.
The elite races, which all operate under World Athletics rules, will not offer a nonbinary gender option.
“This is a significant step forward for the TCS London Marathon as we continue our journey to make our event truly inclusive,” event director Hugh Brasher said.
“We know there is still much more to be done, but changes such as this demonstrate our commitment to making the TCS London Marathon an event that is for everyone.”
The 2023 London Marathon will take place on April 23.
The three gender options will be offered to all runners registering for the mass participation element of the TCS London Marathon via other entry routes, including charity entries.
