The New York City Marathon has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
City officials and New York Road Runner, which owns and organizes the marathon, decided that the risk of the virus spreading at a mass event such as the marathon was too high.
“Canceling this year’s TCS New York City Marathon is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved, but it was clearly the course we needed to follow from a health and safety perspective,” Road Runners President Michael Capiraso said Wednesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio applauded the decision.
The marathon, which is the world’s largest, usually attracts over 50,000 runners. It was scheduled to be run on Nov. 1 and would have celebrated its 50th anniversary.
It is the second cancellation of a major U.S. marathon this year. The Boston Marathon, which is usually run in April, was initially postponed until September. In late May, organizers canceled it altogether.
