A live, in-person staging of the Marine Corps Marathon is out again for the second straight year due to COVID-19 concerns. The race was suspended Tuesday for “security and safety precautions,” organizers said.
Runners who were hoping to compete in the annual marathon, one of the most anticipated athletic events in the nation’s capital, will have to settle for a virtual event.
“After exhausting all possibilities, the opportunity to safely operate and execute a live event is just not feasible at this time,” Rick Nealis, director of the Marine Corps Marathon Organization, said in a statement.
The virtual marathons, whether the 26-mile or 10K races, must be completed between Oct. 1 and Nov. 10 — the Marine Corps’ birthday.
“Though we had high hopes to welcome hone our running community this October, we are excited to still be able to celebrate the 46th running of ‘The People’s Marathon’ virtually,” Mr. Nealis said.
Other major marathons are going forward with live races.
More than 30,000 participants are expected to take part in the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 7. The route will take runners through different neighborhoods of New York City’s five boroughs — Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, organizers said.
More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers will line the street to support the runners, New York marathon officials said.
The Boston Marathon, easily the most famous in the country, also is opting to run a live race this year. All participants will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to take part in the Oct. 11 race, officials with the Boston Athletic Association said in a statement.
