NEW YORK – Although the iconic New York City Marathon, which was scheduled for November 1, it was cancelled, Thousands of runners from the state and from around the world participated in the virtual marathon option that allowed each one to make the 26.2-mile journey from where they were. Usually the event would have brought in over 50,000 runners and up to a million spectators.
For this virtual marathon, which people started running from October 17 to November 1, 2020, the day on which the 50th year of the event would be celebrated, more than 27,000 runners from some 130 countries and from the United States.
This is only the second time a marathon has been canceled in the 50-year history of the race; the other was in 2012, due to Hurricane Sandy. However, this is the first time it has been done virtually.
The New York Road Runners (NYRR), the organization that plans the largest race in the world, for this year and for the first time in the history of the marathon, due to the pandemic, gave the possibility that people around the world and from the city could run the marathon miles from their own places of residence.
Mayor Bill de Blasio congratulated the runners who completed the marathon virtually on Twitter on Sunday.
“The New York City Marathon went virtual this year, but its spirit remained the same. No matter how big the challenge, we all have it in us, it’s not just about finishing but finishing strong. That is a message we need this year more than ever, ”the mayor wrote. “Congratulations to everyone who finished the race,” he added.
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