Racers devastated over cancellation
Runners getting ready to pack their bags for the Tokyo Marathon were crushed on Monday when they learned that race organizers will only allow a few hundred elite athletes to participate because of coronavirus concerns.
Local runner Zelia Magliozzi wrote on Facebook, “No words today (crying emoji, angry emoji). No 6 Star finisher this year for me! Tokyo marathon is cancelled for the general public and only Elites will run. Will try to focus on the positive stuff, finish my Boston marathon fundraising and go drown my sorrow with pistachio ice cream (crying emoji).”
Runner Paul Addicott wrote on Instagram that the news was “just gutting.”
“I was looking forward to taking part in #tokyomarathon as the first race for myself in many years. I was hoping to #BQ to get my 6th star in #bostonmarathon next year, and my training has been going well,” he wrote. “It wasn’t cheap, in fact I had to take a loan to afford the flights… my flights are non refundable.
“I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself right now, and I feel terrible for everyone else who was signed up for Tokyo, it’s just gutting,” he wrote. “The fact that you can still fly to Japan, and they are holding the event for elites, feels a little unfair.”
Runner Jenna McHugh posted on Instagram that she was left with an “unexpected feeling.”
“It’s a feeling of extreme gratefulness,” she wrote. “Gratitude that this is my biggest disappointment of my day. There are so many other people facing situations much worse than than this. My misfortune is minimal. My heart goes out to everyone effected by the Coronavirus. I think and pray about it every day.”
Other entrants in the field of 38,000 runners were taking the decision in stride, looking ahead to next year’s world marathon major in Japan.
Another local runner, Peter Riddle, wrote on Facebook, “This is very disappointing personally. But safety first.”
Some of Riddle’s friends wrote that they were sorry about the race getting canceled, but Riddle appeared to have a positive attitude, responding, “All good. 2021 will come fast… Like the race, it’s only in one direction. Forward.”