London marathon = will it go ahead?

[Hairyfairy01]

So the London marathon is currently due to go ahead on April 26th. I believe it has around 43k runners (including lots of international runners), plus obviously all the spectators, Marshall’s etc. Rome and Paris have cancelled. Do people think the London marathon will go ahead?

Bath half is going ahead on Sunday and is a big race.

Brighton have said as it stands it’ll go ahead

No it won't go ahead. Would be ridiculous.

Very unlikely, I would say.
Even if the govt don't cancel large gatherings I think it might be hard to get enough marshals etc.

It really should be cancelled.

Bath half is going ahead on Sunday and is a big race So is the Fleet half which is about 3000 people. Both events are much smaller than the major marathons though.

Brighton have said as it stands it’ll go ahead

Hmmm. I think someone doesn't want to face reality. The only thing you can say about Brighton is it doesn't get the spectators London does. But even so I can't see it happening.

I’m due to run London, hoping it gets postponed till November. Smaller local races (ashby 20) also getting cancelled for Sunday at the moment. All very de motivating but hopefully for the best.

Bath half still going ahead apparently. Fortunately I'd already planned to be out of here for a few days anyway.

Ashby 20 is cancelled?

I am doing Manchester and have trained so hard. But, there is part of me that will be relieved as I'm a bit paranoid about getting the virus and missing it anyway.

Manchester said on the Facebook page that they wouldn't cancel unless the government told them to, and that they had far less international runners.

Yes maddieella announced this morning. I was v surprised at that one going!

I have a friend who's running Bath. Not sure if he's relieved or disappointed that he's going to have to run it!

Manchester said on the Facebook page that they wouldn't cancel unless the government told them to, and that they had far less international runners it's not about the international runners, there will be people from all parts of the UK running it and is encouraging lots of travel around the country a good idea in early April?

My running club organises a race and it has been cancelled. They were in a quandary about it but the venue made the decision for them.

I do run, but mainly obstacle course races. A couple of smaller local ones were cancelled today. I would be very surprised if London wasn’t cancelled (but then I’m very surprised by the government’s response, so who knows what will be decided 🤷‍♀️)

My daughter is doing London for the first time having never run before. I'm actually more concerned as if it is on I need to go down and I really don't want to travel.

It's all about the money (as ever). If the government cancel, insurers are forced to payout. If the organisers cancel, they have to cough up.

So dither and delay and hope the government blinks first.

Of course big business is balls deep into this government, so there will be no official decision. Just a mealy mouthed "We advise all event organisers to follow government advice".

@megletthesecond Parkruns across the world are cancelled.

But not the UK apparently!

I think it will be cancelled because it relies on hundreds of volunteers to be marshalls and clear up afterwards.

Despite the governments best efforts to get us all to roll the dice and take our chances with this virus, it seems the public are reluctant to be so blasé and are socially isolating themselves where possible.

Parkruns across the world are cancelled

They are cancelled in countries where large gatherings are banned.

So from Monday, they're banned in Scotland, so we'll have to see whether parkrun UK cancels all UK events or just the Scottish ones.

Channel Islands might be treated differently - although for parkrun purposes they come under the UK.

No chance whatsoever.

Parkrun have sent a mass email saying that parkrun closes across the whole country when there is a ban on outdoor gathering of N people, when N is lower than the typical attendance at the biggest parkrun.

They're taking the approach for clarity. So given that Bushy (and I think some others these days) regularly exceed 1000, I think that's the number to watch for in Govt guidelines.

Parkrun of course might change its view, so it's a case of checking each week. As it's now Friday afternoon, then I think we can be reasonably confident they will go ahead this weekend.

But check the cancellations page

www.parkrun.org.uk/cancellations/

as a number have been called off because of insufficient volunteers.

London marathon just been postponed until October.

Source here: www.athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/london-marathon-postponed-until-october-1039928676/

London marathon has been postponed until 4 October (just seen it on Guardian website).

I imagine this MIGHT prompt Bath to cancel. Though they had to cancel in 2018 due to snow. It is a big fundraiser for charities, so I can understand the reluctance.