Transgender runner Glenique Frank has been sparking headlines after allegedly using the term “girl power” to describe her win over 14k women in London Marathon 2023, find out more below about his age and gender
Following the race, Two-time Olympian Mara Yamauchi reacted furiously about the transgender runner being allowed to compete in the female category.
Who is Glenique Frank transgender London Marathon 2023 runner: Bio, age, gender, time record
This male ran in yesterday’s #LondonMarathon as Glenique Frank in the female category (Mass race) finishing in 6160th place out of 20123. So nearly 14,000 actual females suffered a worse finish position bc of him.
Last month, he ran in the Tokyo Marathon, as Glen Frank, also… https://t.co/u2UmaFBSns
— Mara Yamauchi (@mara_yamauchi) April 24, 2023
A biological MAN who competed in the Female Category in the London Marathon has responded to backlash.
Glenique Frank responded by saying:
“How can they say that I've cheated, who have I cheated? I wasn't taking any advantage over another female.”
He has also apologized for… pic.twitter.com/vAeNHGWDMb
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 25, 2023
Yamauchi was clearly not happy to learn about the runner who boasted about utilizing ‘girl power’ to complete the race on Sunday, April 23.
“Wrong and unfair”
Yamauchi challenged the rules that allowed a transgender runner to win over 14,000 other women participants in the female section. Yamauchi noted how the UK Athletics applied the World Athletics’ regulations regarding the exclusion of transgender women from elite female competitions back in the end of March. The decision was done to make it:
Fair for athletes who have gone through male puberty to be excluded from the female category in athletics”
However, athletes who had previously registered before the decision where reportedly allowed to continue competing in the divisions they registered for even if it meant that it didn’t correspond to their biological sex.
Yamauchi stated about Frank staying:
This male competed under UK Athletics’ transitional arrangements, but it is still wrong and unfair”
Meanwhile, other female athletes like Lia Thomas stated: ‘Disingenuous and disgusting’, to people saying feminists push ‘transphobic beliefs’
Another swimmer Riley Gaines claims that USWMNT player Megan Rapinoe ‘would genuinely shiv’ at any trans athlete if they took her spot on the team.
Glenique Frank
Glenique Frank is a 54-year-old transgender runner and personal trainer who competed in the recently concluded London Marathon under the female section despite being born a male. Frank reportedly came out three years ago as Glenique, which is a combination of Glen and “unique”.
Frank sparked controversy after slowing down mid-race and sharing with the BBC about her happiness on completing her seventeenth marathon. While speaking, Glenique flexed her biceps over armbands and said, “Girl power!”. The runner then closed the conversation by sharing about about how her “beautiful son” is having a child. She stated ecstatically:
So I’m going to be a gran – Granny G!”
‘Males in the [female] category is UNFAIR for females’
Mara Yamauchi, a female runner who ranked sixth in the marathon at the Beijing Summer 2008 Olympics, tweeted:
Males in the [female] category is UNFAIR for females”.
Yamauchi tweeted this along with a footage of the mid-race interview of the runner wearing a sports bra and gushing about soon becoming “a gran.”
Yamauchi proudly claimed that despite being “ranked second in the world” as a woman, “at least 1300 men ran faster than me”. She argued that “nearly 14,000 actual females suffered a worse finish position [because] of” Frank.
Frank speaks out about upsetting Mara and other athletes
Following all the negative reactions, Frank made a reply saying:
I feel sad that I’ve upset Mara, because I respect her”.
Frank claims that she was shocked about the things that transpired at the event. She claimed that she wasn’t an elite runner who was competing for money or a place on the podium. Instead, she revealed how she used the races to raise around $37,000 for charity.
Frank stated:
I did [the race in] four hours 11 minutes. There’s lots of women that beat me.”
However, the transgender runner stated that in future events, she will compete under “other” or “male,” to keep everyone happy. She added:
And I’ll still do it in four hours and I won’t steal anybody’s money”.
Glenique Frank previously competed as a man in an NYC race
Frank herself claimed that she had previously competed in the male division of marathons. This includes the race in New York back in November. Frank explained how this is because she was compelled to compete using the name and gender given on her passport.
However, since the same passport rules did not apply for the London Marathon with Frank being a British citizen and residing in the UK, Frank competed in the women’s category. She stated:
I ticked female because I see myself as female. But I’ve known since I was five that I was in the wrong body”.