NEW YORK: The New York City Marathon, considered the world's largest and one of the most prestigious events in the running calendar, has been cancelled this year due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The marathon, sponsored by Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was set to take place on November 1 and the 2020 marathon would have been the 50th running of the iconic event.
New York Road Runners (NYRR), the event organiser, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of the City of New York, decided to cancel the world's largest marathon "due to coronavirus-related" health and safety concerns for runners, spectators, volunteers, staff, and the many partners and communities that support the event.
"While the marathon is an iconic and beloved event in our city, I applaud New York Road Runners for putting the health and safety of both spectators and runners first," said Mayor Bill de Blasio, adding that the 50th running of the marathon will be hosted in November 2021.
New York state had been the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the US, recording over 388,500 cases and more than 31,200 deaths so far.
The COVID-19 cases in the State and the city are declining, yet authorities have urged residents to continue wearing masks and take other precautions amid concerns that there could be a spike in infections if people lower their guard and do not follow social distancing guidelines.
President and CEO of New York Road Runners Michael Capiraso said in a statement that cancelling this year's TCS New York City Marathon was "incredibly disappointing" for everyone involved, but it was clearly the course that needed to be followed from a health and safety perspective.
This year's marathon was set to be the 50th running of the event, which began in 1970 and has grown to become the world's largest marathon with 53,640 finishers in 2019.
Runners registered for the 2020 TCS New York City Marathon and others from around the world can participate in the third annual TCS New York City Marathon, Virtual 26.2M taking place from October 17 through November 1.
The marathon has raised USD 350 million for charities since 2006.
The 26.2-mile marathon is the latest in a series of large-scale events that have been cancelled around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected over 9 million people worldwide, including 2.3 million in the US, and claimed over 478,200 lives, with 121,279 deaths in America, according to Johns Hopkins University estimates.