In exactly two months, on May 16, the starting shot for the Gothenburg shipyard would have been fired. But because of the coronavirus, the organizer Gothenburg's athletics association has run a sacred running tradition.

The plan at present is to carry out the race in August - but if that is not possible it will mean a million blows to athletics in Gothenburg.

- Those who are mainly affected besides the runners are the associations. The Gothenburg shipyard is a lifeblood for athletics to be able to function and offer opportunities for many groups to train, says federation chairman Jahja Zeqiraj.

50 clubs could lose about SEK 10 million

The race is a cornerstone of the Gothenburg Athletics Association's annual source of income. The surplus goes to the district associations, if the competition does not go away, 50 clubs will lose about SEK 10 million.

Do you have any fear that the smallest compounds, which are not on their own, will be forced to boom again?

- There can be too many associations, not just the small ones. They are dependent on income from the various races arranged in Gothenburg.

"We need government assistance"

Jahja Zeqiraj is now hoping for help from the state.

- We cannot solve this situation all by ourselves. We will do everything we can, but we need help from both the government and the state.

Do you see it as a necessity for the state to intervene and finance?

If you want to have a strong association life, you have to find different solutions. This is a considerable sum for both the union and the associations.