Boston and London Marathons Postponed to the Fall

The Boston Marathon, one of the country’s oldest continuous sporting events, will not take place on April 20 because of mounting concerns about the coronavirus.

Another prestigious event, the London Marathon, was postponed a few hours later. It had been scheduled for April 26, and for some British runners would have served as a qualifier for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in late July.

The Boston Marathon will be Sept. 14. The London Marathon will take place on Oct. 4.

After resisting calls to cancel the race for weeks, the Boston Athletic Association, which owns the Boston Marathon, announced the postponement, because health officials have said banning large-scale events is important to stop the spread of the virus.

The 26.2-mile race first took place in 1897 and has been held annually through wars, periods of domestic tension, and in intense weather.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/sports/boston-marathon-london-marathon-postponed-coronavirus.html