The New York City Marathon has been cancelled due to fears of coronavirus spread, organizers announced Wednesday.
The famous test of endurance was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in November and was expected to draw 50,000 runners, 10,000 volunteers and nearly one million fans.
In the wake of a disturbing spike of COVID-19 cases around the country and warnings of a possible second wave in the fall, city officials and New York Road Runners — the entity that organizes and runs the event — decided to cancel the race as a public health measure.
Large gatherings, such as those often seen at the marathon, are virus-spreading hot spots, health officials say. While running outdoors is typically deemed acceptable, the nature of the race prevents athletes from safely social distancing, further increasing the chances of virus transmission.
There are also fears that international athletes would not be unable to participate due to travel restrictions.
Michael Capiraso, the chief executive of New York Road Runners, said he and other organizers had held out hope that the race could happen. They decided to cancel before having to spend more money to organize it.
“There was hope but that turned to uncertainty, and given what we have seen the past months this was really the only decision,” Capiraso said.
New York has only cancelled one marathon in the event’s history. In 2012, the marathon was cancelled after Hurricane Sandy swept through the area mere days before the event.
Marathon participants will be able to obtain a refund or choose to defer their entry for the next three years, organizers said. New York Road Runners also plans to announce a virtual marathon event in July, the New York Times reported.
Other endurance sports competitions have suffered the same fate due to the global pandemic. Boston’s marathon was cancelled in May, while the London and Chicago marathons have been pushed back to the fall.
