2020 Boston Marathon

The 2020 Boston Marathon was planned to be the 124th running of the Boston Athletic Association's Boston Marathon. Originally scheduled for Monday, April 20, 2020, it was rescheduled for Monday, September 14, 2020, before later being cancelled entirely, and will be held as a virtual event.

2020 Boston Marathon
VenueBoston, Massachusetts, United States
DateApril 20, 2020 (rescheduled)
September 14, 2020 (cancelled)

Postponement and cancellation
See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts, and COVID-19 pandemic in Boston

On March 11, 2020, amid growing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) posted a notice on their website that concluded by stating, "As this situation is rapidly evolving, details will be forthcoming."[1] The next day, Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh acknowledged conversations about a potential postponement of the race.[2] On March 13, Walsh—joined by the CEO of the BAA, the CEO of sponsor John Hancock Financial, and Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker—announced that the race would be postponed until September 14, 2020.[3] It was the first postponement in the history of the event.[3]

On May 28, 2020, the marathon was cancelled.[4] Organizers stated that the race will be held virtually, and anyone who provides proof they completed the race in under six hours will receive a medal and other items. Those who qualified for the 2020 race will be eligible to compete in the 2021 Boston Marathon.[5] 2020 was the first year in the race's 124 year history that the event was canceled. Boston Mayor Walsh said of the decision to cancel the race, "There's no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. While our goal and our hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on September 14 or any time this year."[6]

References
  1. "RACE UPDATES". BAA.org. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  2. DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (March 12, 2020). "Here's the latest on the 2020 Boston Marathon in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak". Boston.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  3. Yang, Nicole (March 13, 2020). "2020 Boston Marathon postponed to Monday, Sept. 14". Boston.com. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  4. "Boston Marathon 'not feasible this year' because of coronavirus concern Mayor Walsh announces". WCVB-TV. May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  5. "2020 Boston Marathon Cancelled For 1st Time Ever; Will Be Staged Instead As Virtual Race". letsrun.com. May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  6. Golen, Jimmy (May 28, 2020). "Boston Marathon canceled for 1st time in 124-year history". The Associated Press. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

Further reading
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