The 2020 Boston Marathon will be postponed until September, the city’s mayor announced Friday in the latest suspension of a major seasonal sporting event amid the coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered athletics and entertainment around the globe in just a matter of days.
It was the first time in the marathon's 124-year history that the race had to be delayed, according to ESPN.
At a City Hall press conference, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the race, had been scheduled for Monday, April 20, will now be pushed back to Monday September 14, saying “we want to make sure that we keep people safe.”
Walsh also warned anyone from running the course before the new planned date.
“I know that runners had their training plan set for that date but the roads will not be closed for crowds, first responders will not have the ability to be working on those routes,” he said at the press conference, which was carried live on YouTube.
Previously, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency Wednesday and Walsh also canceled the St. Patricks Day Parade in South Boston as a precaution.
Massachusetts has about 108 cases of the virus, including 82 connected to a recent Biogen conference from late February in Boston, according to reports. Many schools have shut down or moved to online-only classes.
The Boston Marathon is arguably the world's most recognized 26.2-mile race, which generally draws more than 30,000 runners from all over the world. It has been run since 1897.
Canceling the race outright would have cost the city more than $200 million in revenue and about $36 million for the city's charities, Walsh said.
The Masters Tournament was also postponed Friday, ESPN reported.
Earlier this week, the NBA, NCAA, Major League Baseball, NHL, PGA and professional soccer teams suspended all upcoming games and tournaments due to the outbreak.
— This is a developing story. Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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