New York Road Runners, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of the City of New York, have made the decision to cancel the New York city Marathon due to coronavirus-related health and safety concerns for runners, spectators, volunteers, staff, and the many partners and communities that support the event.
“While the marathon is an iconic and beloved event in our city, I applaud New York Road Runners for putting the health and safety of both spectators and runners first,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We look forward to hosting the 50th running of the marathon in November of 2021.”
“Canceling this year’s TCS New York City Marathon is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved, but it was clearly the course we needed to follow from a health and safety perspective,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “Marathon day and the many related events and activities during race week are part of the heart and soul of New York City and the global running community, and we look forward to coming together next year.”
Just half an hour after the news from New York City, organizers of the Berlin Marathon announced that their 2020 race will not be going ahead.
“Over the past weeks, we have put a lot of commitment and effort into examining all options for holding the BMW Berlin Marathon 2020 under the given conditions,” says the statement from the organizers. “We worked hard on the development of a hygiene concept and held countless discussions with our experts, the responsible authorities and service providers, among others. The examination of various options in this complex situation have taken a great deal of time. A comprehensive feasibility analysis showed that an event such as the Berlin Marathon could not be held.”
“Due to the weather conditions alone and the ever shorter days, it would be very difficult to hold the BMW Berlin Marathon with its various competitions and event formats this year,” said Managing Director Jurgen Lock. “Then there is the uncertainty about which regulations will apply at a later date. The question of whether athletes will be able to travel internationally again by then can also not yet be answered.”
