BAA: 125th Boston Marathon postponed until at least fall 2021

BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston Athletic Association has announced that the 125th Boston Marathon, traditionally held on the third Monday in April—Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—will be postponed until at least the fall of 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The B.A.A. says it will begin working with local, city, and state officials, sponsors, organizing committee members, and other stakeholders to determine if a fall 2021 date is feasible.

“With fewer than six months until Patriots’ Day and with road races prohibited until Phase 4 of the Massachusetts reopening plan, we are unable to host the Boston Marathon this coming April,” said Tom Grilk, C.E.O. of the B.A.A., in a statement “By shifting our focus to a fall date, we can continue to work with stakeholders to adjust the in-person experience for runners and supporters alike. Prioritizing the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members, we continue to assess all elements of the race

Grilk said it is also disappointing for the volunteers, spectators and the businesses who benefit from the $200 million generated by the event.

“It’s disappointing for us because it’s disappointing for all the runners who love to come and compete and experience running in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” he said.

In a statement, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he appreciates the BAA’s cooperation in putting the public’s health and safety above everything.

“The Marathon is one of Boston’s most beloved traditions. We have appreciated the BAA’s cooperation in putting public health and safety first, both by shifting the 2020 Marathon to a virtual format this fall, and by postponing the 2021 Marathon until the public health data shows that it is safe for all athletes and spectators to gather in large numbers,” Walsh said. “We look forward to holding the Marathon again to celebrate not only this world-class event, but also the resilience and solidarity that the people of Boston have shown throughout this crisis.”

Road races aren’t allowed until phase 4 of reopening – which the state has said will require a vaccine or an effective treatment for COVID-19.

“We’re reaching for the best balance that we can in an environment that we hope we can do something but at the same time recognize, to one degree or another, limited by the disease,” Grilk said.

The 2020 Boston Marathon, originally scheduled for April 20, was held as a 10-day Virtual Experience after being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the BAA says they are focused on figuring out the logistics for the next 26.2.

“It may very well that a Boston Marathon in 2021 in the fall with people running and in-person experience may be quite different from what we’ve been able to do before,” Grilk said.

This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

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