Officials in charge of a women’s running event in Madrid have apologised after winners were presented with kitchen appliances and low-fat products.
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The 7-kilometre Carrera de la Mujer race involves over 30,000 runners every year, coursing through the middle of the Spanish capital’s historic streets, starting outside the National Archaeological Museum and finishing at a monument in the city’s west to Simon Bolivar.
Despite the size of the race, organisers insist they had not considered that the kitchen appliance – donated by a sponsor – may have sexist implications.
“We understand that, seen from a biased perspective, it can generate some controversy, and we apologise if this has been the case and if any woman may have felt offended, but it is a product that we consider not to have a sexist character and that it is ideal for any sportsperson who want to improve their nutritional habits,” the statement said.
“In any case, we accept the criticism, we reiterate our apologies if anyone has been offended, and we promise to take measures necessary to avoid this controversy in the future.”
Serbian Ivana Zagorac won the race in 24 minutes and 7 seconds, with 32,000 runners coming together on Spain’s Mother’s Day to support domestic violence and cancer survivors.
Zagorac finished alongside her twin sister Sladjana, who came second with a time of 24 minutes and 8 seconds.
Spain’s secretary of state for equality, Rodriguez Pam, tweeted about the food processor gaffe.
“If you win: housewife and if not at least you’ll lose weight,” Rodriguez tweeted.
It’s not the only recent sexism scandal to occur in Madrid, with the Madrid Open tennis tournament coming under fire for a series of scandals that appear rooted in misogyny.
Men’s and women’s No. 2 ranked players Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both celebrated their birthdays during the tournament, but men’s star Alcaraz received a multi-tier gold-trimmed cake that had to be held up by several people, while Sabalenka was given a far more modest single-tier cake.
Since the decision was made in 2004 to replace ballkids on centre court with models, the tournament has been at the centre of controversy and this year was no different, with social media ablaze with outrage over the skimpy outfits given to the women in particular.
