New York (AP) – In view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the 50th edition of the legendary New York Marathon will not take place.
The major event planned for November 1st – the largest marathon in the world with tens of thousands of participants – has been canceled this year, the organizers announced. “The cancellation of this year’s New York City Marathon is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved, but it was clearly the course we had to take from a health and safety perspective,” said Michael Capiraso, President of the organizer “New York Road Runners”.
Mayor Bill de Blasio welcomed the decision. It shows that the health of runners and spectators comes first: “We are looking forward to the 50th run of the marathon in November 2021.” Since 1970, hundreds of thousands of people have run the New York Marathon through the US east coast metropolis. Last year more than 53,000 participants reached the finish line after 42.195 kilometers.
The Corona crisis hit New York with its eight million inhabitants particularly hard. In recent months, the city has been one of the epicentres of the pandemic, but has been able to significantly reduce the number of new infections and deaths and is now considered a success story in the United States in fighting the virus. The organizers were concerned, however, that participants from other countries and states in the USA could raise the infection rate again. The organizer said that registered runners would now be notified by July 15, when the entry fees could also be reimbursed.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200624-99-550983 / 3
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