06 March 2020

Marathon mayhem: Paris postponed, Rome cancelled, and London being monitored over coronavirus concerns

The 2020 Paris marathon has been postponed due to fears over the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

It was announced that the iconic race, which was due to take place in the French capital on April 5 with over 65,000 entrants, will now be pushed back to October 18.

The move follows precautions taken last week when authorities cancelled the Paris half marathon the day before the race.

Cancellation of the Paris Marathon follows decisions to make the Tokyo Marathon for elite runners only while the Rome Marathon, which was scheduled for March 29, has also been cancelled.

A statement from organisers in Rome said: “This is the message that we would never have wished to write but sadly, as a consequence of the ongoing health emergency and according to what is laid down in the cabinet decree of March 4, 2020, the #ACEARunRomeTheMarathon on March 29 has been cancelled.”

Organisers of the London Marathon, which is set for April 26, have said they are "monitoring the situation" in regards to the historic event.

Hugh Brasher, event director, said: "The Government’s current advice is that all mass events should still go ahead. 

"There are many mass events scheduled in the UK before us and we are working closely with the DCMS (the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and other mass event organisers to coordinate and agree appropriate advice to the public.”

These marathons join an extensive list of competitions already affected by the outbreak including Formula 1's Chinese Grand Prix, Six Nations games and a number of Olympic Qualifying events as well as the announcement that all sports events in Italy will be played behind closed doors until at least April 4.

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