Boston Marathon Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Pandemic
May 28, 2020, 3:17 PM
Atsede Baysa of Ethiopa crosses the finish line to win the 120th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, Mass. – The Boston Marathon has been canceled for the first time in its 124-year history.
Organizers have decided to have a “virtual event” instead, where participants who verify that they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive their finisher’s medal.
The race had originally been scheduled for April 20 before being postponed for five months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The @BAA has announced that the 124th Boston Marathon will be held as a virtual event, following Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s cancellation of the marathon as a mass participation road running event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/tlIdvsU9sq
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) May 28, 2020
Although the title of Boston Marathon champion is contested by a few dozen elite athletes, the field includes more than 30,000 recreational and charity runners, with as many as 1 million people lined up along the course.
That presented organizers with a social distancing problem they don’t expect to solve by the fall.
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