Today Parkour UK has published its Transgender Inclusion Policy for competition, which comes into effect immediately. The policy establishes Female and Open competition categories for athletes aged 16 and over and is designed to ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 while maintaining fair competition and providing opportunities for all athletes to participate.
Over the last two years Parkour UK has been consulting, listening and learning from the parkour community to develop its approach to competition in parkour, including transgender inclusion. This work has helped us better understand the views of our community, the practical realities of competition, and our obligations under British law.
Community Consultation
Parkour UK have completed an extensive, independent community consultation on competition in parkour. Undertaken by the Sport and Recreation Alliance Research Team, the consultation drew insights from face-to-face interviews at events, online questionnaires and stakeholder meetings.
The consultation was open to all, and it was encouraging to hear from a wide range of voices across the parkour community. One message was clear - Parkour UK has a responsibility, as the National Governing Body, to provide leadership in this area.
The consultation highlighted two important principles. First, that inclusion is a core value of parkour and should remain central to decision-making. Second, that fairness in competition is important and that there may be differences between the sexes that can influence competitive outcomes. We recognise that balancing these considerations is complex and that there is no solution that will satisfy every perspective. We have taken this responsibility seriously throughout the development of this policy.
Legal Responsibilities
As the National Governing Body for parkour, we have a duty to organise competitions in a way that complies with British law, particularly the Equality Act 2010, while also listening to our community. While the consultation has informed our approach, our policy must ultimately reflect those legal obligations. The publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) draft Code of Practice in May 2026 provided additional clarification regarding the application of the Equality Act to competitive sport and informed the final drafting of our policy.
Throughout this two-year process we have also engaged with guidance, workshops and educational resources provided by the UK Sports Councils. Our approach has been discussed and scrutinised by both our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Sub-Committee and the Parkour UK Board. The policy we are publishing today is the culmination of this thorough and robust approach to policy development.
Why We Are Publishing Now?
The first British Championships are taking place this August 2026, run by Parkour UK in partnership with Street Monkeys Academy in Preston. Therefore, now is the appropriate time to publish our policy and provide clarity for competitors, officials and spectators.
Looking Ahead
Parkour UK is committed to creating welcoming environments for everyone who takes part in parkour. We recognise that this topic can be deeply personal and that views differ across our community. We ask that discussions about this policy are conducted respectfully and in keeping with the values of parkour.
We will continue to monitor developments in law, evidence and statutory guidance. Should these change, we will review our policy accordingly to ensure it remains lawful, fair and appropriate for our sport.
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