Los Angeles (AFP)
The 2020 edition of the Boston Marathon, initially postponed from April 20 to September 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will finally not take place, the organizers of the event and the city's mayor announced on Thursday.
"The Boston Athletic Association, with our contribution and support, has determined that hosting the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year due to public health reasons," said Mayor Martin Walsh.
"There is no way to maintain the usual race format without bringing large numbers of people together," he added. Each year, around 500,000 spectators attend the marathon.
"While our objective and our hope were to contain the virus and revive our economy, organizing this kind of event would be neither responsible nor realistic on September 14 or at any time this year," he concluded.
"Our top priority remains the preservation of the health of the community, as well as that of our staff, participants, volunteers, spectators and supporters," said Tom Grilk, CEO of this competition.
It is the first time that the oldest marathon in the world, created in 1897, has been canceled. Neither the World Wars, nor the tensions inside the country, nor the sometimes extreme climatic conditions had prevented its unfolding.
On April 15, 2013, its 117th edition was bruised by an attack. Two bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 250 people.
The other two major marathons scheduled for the United States later this year, in Chicago on October 11 and in New York on November 1, are being maintained.
The Boston Athletic Association has indicated that participants in the marathon will instead be able to compete in a "virtual" race at any time between September 7 and September 14. They must complete the distance of 42.195 km within the six hours allowed and provide proof of their timing to validate their performance.
© 2020 AFP