AMERICA — The Boston Athletic Association confirmed in a tweet on Thursday, May 29 that the Boston Marathon has been canceled. This is the first cancelation in its 124-year history.
According to the data from last year’s run, the BAA counted 30,234 runners entered. In addition, they estimate as many as 1 million watchers lined on the sidelines of the race. The number of people congregated in one place concerned event organizers. Ultimately, the announcement cites social distancing concerns as one of the main reasons for the cancelation.
The event will not be completely abandoned. Plans were released on the Boston Marathon twitter account for a virtual version of the event. This allows participants to run the race from home.
Runners registered for the event will be offered a full refund of the entry fee. They also have the right to participate in the virtual run between September 7-14. The run of 26.2 miles must be completed within 6 hours. Proof of timing will be required. Those who finish will receive the official Boston Marathon program, a participant t-shirt, a medal, & a runner’s bib.
Additional virtual events are being planned for the “Marathon Week”. These will include panel discussions, champion interviews, and a downloadable toolkit.
The 2021 run of the marathon is still expected to happen. The beginning of the qualifying window for the 2021 Boston Marathon will be in September. Runners will be able to use their qualifying times for registration in the fall.
