The London Marathon has been postponed until Sunday 4 October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The marathon was due to take place on Saturday 26 April. It is the first time the race has been postponed since its launch, in 1981.
“The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19 and public health is everyone’s priority,” event director Hugh Brasher said in a statement.
“We know how disappointing this news will be for so many – the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year.
“We know that there will be many, many questions from runners, charities and others and we ask you to please bear with us as we work through the detailed planning process to deliver the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on its new scheduled date.
“We will email all runners and charities today and then update them via email by the end of next week at the latest. We will also post regular updates on our website and social media channels.”
Organisers have said that every runner with a marathon place will be eligible for the new October date, although refunds can also be claimed.
The London marathon is the latest sporting event to be cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, all elite football in Britain – including the Premier League, EFL, FA Women’s Super League and Scottish Premiership – was suspended until at least 3 April.
The England cricket’s team’s Test series in Sri Lanka was earlier called off.
Next month’s Masters in Augusta has also been cancelled while the PGA Tour has cancelled all events until 16 April.
