EXCLUSIVEProfessor Jonathan Van-Tam quits Parkrun trustee role for personal reasons one year into three-year contract with running charity that was caught up in trans athlete row
- Ex-Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam quits volunteer Parkrun job
- Comes after fastest times taken down after trans athletes held female records
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam who was a key figure in Britain's response to the Covid-19 pandemic has quit his voluntary role as trustee of the running charity Parkrun.
The former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England had been expected to serve at least three years in his post as is customary for trustees.
Sir Jonathan, 60, resigned after just a year in office, saying it was due to 'personal reasons' meaning he could not devote as much time as he wanted to the organisation.
His decision follows criticism of Parkrun over its decision to stop publicising the fastest times for runners after a row about trans athletes holding female records.
But there is no suggestion that the issue is connected to Sir Jonathan standing down from the charity which stages weekly 5km events in parks and on courses around the UK, attracting hundreds of thousands of runners, joggers and walkers.
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has quit his voluntary role as trustee of the running Parkrun
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jonathan Van-Tam speaks during a press conference on the Covid pandemic on July 19 2021
Sir Jonathan's appointment to the global board of the charity was announced in January last year, and he took up his role two months later.
At the time, he said: 'Parkrun is a fantastic organisation which has done so much to promote free, inclusive, friendly participation in sport, exercise, movement and mental wellbeing and I am delighted to be joining it this year as one of its trustees.
'As a public health professional, I am passionate about supporting initiatives which focus on the benefits that an active lifestyle can bring to our physical and mental wellbeing both in the short term and in helping us to live longer and healthier lives. I look forward to contributing to the charity's continuing success.'
Sir Jonathan who regularly attends his local Parkrun was one of seven new trustees appointed at the time to 'improve diversity and provide expertise and guidance for the delivery of an ambitious five year strategy'.
The appointments were hailed at the time as a major revamp of the charity's governance a year after an internal report concluded that many Parkrun staff knew little of the charity's trustee board.
The report described trustees as 'a mystery' to most staff, and added: 'They are anonymous, their composition is unclear, their purpose and their relevance hazy'.
Sir Jonathan confirmed his departure in a statement this week, saying: 'It has been an honour to serve as a Trustee on Parkrun's Global Board for the past year.
'However for personal reasons I now, unfortunately, find myself unable to dedicate as much time and energy as I would have liked to Board and Trustee responsibilities at Parkrun.
'I wish Parkrun every success in continuing its important work in improving the health and happiness of even more people around the world, through these impactful weekly community events.'
Sir Jonathan who became a familiar figure on television, while serving as Deputy Chief Medical Officer during the pandemic lockdowns before leaving the role in March 2022, did not respond to MailOnline's request for further comment.
It is thought that he had advised Parkrun when events were being closed during the pandemic before he became a trustee.
Siân Longthorpe - a transgender woman who is biological male - completed the Porthcawl Parkrun in a record 18 minutes and 53 seconds in May in the women's 45-49 age category
Mara Yamauchi (pictured), a former British Olympic runner, accused Parkrun of 'choosing to prioritise men who want to run as "female" over fairness for females'
Jeremy Townsend, the interim chair for Parkrun Global's Board of trustees, said he was 'sorry' about Sir Jonathan's departure.
He added: 'The Board would like to thank Sir Jonathan for his time and contributions to parkrun since his appointment in March 2023, and we wish him all the very best for the future.'
Directors of Parkrun's Global board are usually appointed for a three-year term, which can be renewed up to a maximum of two further three year terms to a total of nine years.
Parkrun started in 2004 with just 13 runners and five volunteers in London's Bushy Park, and has now events taking place in more than 2,200 locations in 22 countries.
The organisation announced in January that it would stop publishing data such as most first-place finishes, age grade and category speed records following criticism of the top female positions going to trans athletes.
Many runners claimed that entry rules allowing biological men to self identify as female were unfair on women.
The organisation removed a search bar on its website as part of an 'inclusivity' drive, after earlier historical data outlining the identity of the fastest male and female athletes to complete 5km courses was hidden from participants.
The move followed a report by the think tank Policy Exchange which found three female Parkrun records were held by runners born biologically male
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies described Parkrun as 'cowardly' and said it should instead add course records for trans athletes alongside the existing male and female records.
She said: 'Rather than give females their fair sports results from Parkrun ... they have removed from public view all records.
'The feelings of all females should never matter less than the feelings of a few trans-identifying males. Keep sport fair for both sexes!'
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies (pictured) described Parkrun as 'cowardly' and said it should instead add course records for trans athletes alongside the existing male and female records
Mara Yamauchi, a former British Olympic runner, accused Parkrun of 'choosing to prioritise men who want to run as "female" over fairness for females'.
She wrote on X: 'It will be interesting to see how Parkrunners react to all this data disappearing. I predict that a lot of men will be fed up about it. If males continue participating in (females) category (at least one did last Sat), I will continue speaking up.'
Other runners announced that they were withholding parkrun donations in protest at the charity hiding 'stats' instead of 'correcting its poor gender policy'.
More than 23,000 people signed petitions calling for the reinstatement of Parkrun's record stats and leadership lists for male and female runners.
Parkrun CEO Russ Jefferys responded by describing 'the removal of some records' as 'a proportionate and appropriate step for the charity and in line with our mission to transform health and happiness by empowering people to come together to be active, social and outdoors'.
He added: 'Above all else, whilst parkrun will continue to evolve and change in the years ahead, we all remain committed to the promise of it being free, for everyone, forever.
'We accept that this announcement didn't go as we would have liked from a communications and engagement perspective and the result has been a lot of misunderstanding, misinformation and upset - all of it entirely understandable.'
