The Boston Marathon has been cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city’s mayor Marty Walsh announced the decision on Thursday, saying plans to hold the race in September following its initial postponement in April were ‘not feasible for public health reasons’. Around 30,000 people usually take part.
Instead, organisers plan to hold the race in a virtual format, with runners encouraged to complete the 26.2-mile distance on anytime during what would have been marathon week, from September 7-14. Finishers will still receive an official medal and t-shirt, while all scheduled participants will also be refunded their entry fee.
The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s most famous road races, featuring the iconic ‘Heartbreak Hill’, and forms part of the World Marathon Majors series.
Of the other five majors, this year’s Berlin Marathon has already been cancelled, while the mass participation race in Tokyo was also called off in February, though elite athletes were allowed to run. Chicago and New York are still scheduled to go ahead as planned in the autumn, while the London Marathon has been postponed from April 26 to October 4.
