Women's names left off Auckland Marathon merchandise 'not ideal'
Auckland Marathon organizers have apologized after a printing error omitted women's names from commemorative half-marathon merchandise. The event organizers are offering refunds and planning to reprint the affected items for participants.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the importance of inclusivity and quality control in large-scale sporting event management.
Auckland Marathon organisers are apologising after women runners' names were left off commemorative clothing. Nearly 18,000 people registered for the event on Sunday, which is expected to be the biggest in more than a decade. IRONMAN regional director Nicky van den Bos told RNZ that an "unfortunate, unintentional" error had resulted in the men's names being printed on both the men's and women's half-marathon t-shirts and hoodies. "These things happen and obviously we're really apologetic to those that are impacted," he said. "Not ideal." Van den Bos said 8000 runners registered for the half-marathon, 46% of them women.
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