Communities Secretary Steve Reed has expressed outrage after women were barred from participating in a charity fun run organised by the East London Mosque (ELM) in Victoria Park, describing the decision as “horrified and appalled.” The 5km (3.1-mile) event, held on Sunday, drew hundreds of runners and was promoted as “inclusive,” but participation was restricted to men, boys, and girls under the age of 12.
Reed told LBC Radio that preventing women from joining a public sporting event was “absolutely unacceptable,” adding that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) would be investigating. “We do not want a situation in this country where men are allowed to do things that women are then barred from,” he said. “We cannot tolerate that.”
The East London Mosque has not directly addressed the criticism but issued a statement reaffirming its “long-standing commitment to supporting women and girls.” The organisation said it regularly encourages women to take part in a range of sporting activities, including marathons, cycling, and hiking challenges for charity.
The annual fun run, now in its twelfth year, is described by the mosque as a “highlight in the East London Muslim calendar.” Each year it raises thousands of pounds for charitable causes, such as food banks, youth programmes, and refugee support initiatives across the UK and abroad.
The mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, congratulated participants following the event, praising “the youngsters, the elders and the community at large” for their involvement. However, after reports of the gender restriction emerged, Tower Hamlets Council said it had contacted the mosque to seek “urgent clarification” and emphasised that it was not the organiser of the event.