New York City’s upcoming half-marathon has been canceled as the coronavirus spreads throughout the state.
The 2020 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, was nixed by the race’s organizers on Tuesday.
“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,” the New York Road Runners group said in a statement.
People who signed up to participate in the event will be given the choice of either getting a full refund or having the option to preregister for next year’s race.
“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,” the statement said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a containment zone in New Rochelle, a small city that has become a coronavirus hot spot, and deployed the state National Guard to help. “New Rochelle has double the cases of New York City. It’s true. It’s a phenomenon,” he told reporters Tuesday at a press briefing in White Plains.
As of Tuesday, there were 173 confirmed cases in all of New York, 108 of which were in New Rochelle.
The Los Angeles marathon took place last week despite concerns about the coronavirus.
