The NYC Half Marathon and New Balance Indoor Nationals, both scheduled for this weekend, have been canceled while the Spartan Race in San Luis Obispo, CA, also set to take place this weekend, has been postponed.
New York Road Runners (NYRR) wrote in a statement, ” Due to the rapidly developing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the NYC Half, scheduled for Sunday, March 15, and the accompanying Rising New York Road Runners youth event, have been canceled. We appreciate the support of New York City officials through this complicated decision-making process.”
The organization added, “We know this is a challenging time for everyone, and the cancellation of the NYC Half is disappointing news to many, but the resources necessary to organize an event with 25,000 runners on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan have become strained during this difficult period. Over the past week, the NYRR team worked hard to adjust plans, implementing modifications and accommodations to alleviate crowding and facilitate social distancing. Unfortunately, it has become clear that we will be unable to proceed in the manner that our runners have come to expect at NYRR events, where the safety and security of our runners, volunteers, staff, partners, and spectators are our main concern.”
Runners will be given a full refund or guaranteed non-complimentary entry to the 2021 NYC Half.
The New Balance Indoor Nationals were set to take place at The Armory in New York from March 13 to 15.
“Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and out of concern for the safety of all athletes, coaches and families, we’ve decided it’s in the best interest of all parties to cancel the meet,” said NSAF and NBNI Meet Director Jim Spier, in a statement. “It’s the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make.”
In a statement, Spartan said the decision to suspend the Spartan Race in San Luis Obispo, CA came after consulting with the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department. A new date was promised by Friday. The event was expected to include three OCR (obstacle course racing) distances with the Super, Beast and UltraBeast series. The San Luis Obispo Spartan Trail races of 10k and 13.1 miles will also be postponed.
CoolEvents, which operates a number of experiential running and obstacle events, said in a statement it is closely monitoring developments relating to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 as participant safety and public health are paramount concerns.
CoolEvents wrote, “We are working with the appropriate municipalities in which our events are held, and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make sure we follow best policies for our five national event tours. We are currently planning on hosting our full events calendar for Blacklight Run, Bubble Run, Foam Glow, Muddy Dash, and Terrain Race. As mitigation strategies are put in place across the nation, we realize it may be best to modify some portion of our schedule. Should that happen, we will communicate changes immediately with our participants via email and social media.”
Photo courtesy NYC Half Marathon
