Newport News marathon to be held virtually in 2021
Annual One City event change due to pandemic
“We didn’t take this decision lightly, and we know how disappointing this news will be for so many. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we do our best under these circumstances.”
— One City Marathon website
Runners: on your mark, get set — Newport News opened registration Monday for the annual One City Marathon, which will be held as an all-virtual event in 2021.
“We didn’t take this decision lightly, and we know how disappointing this news will be for so many. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we do our best under these circumstances,” the race website says.
Similar to years past, the races will include a marathon, half-marathon, 8K and mile run. Registration for the upcoming event does not include a marathon relay, which has been offered in previous years, but it introduces a new multirace challenge.
Runners who try the new challenge will complete up to three races — the marathon, half marathon and 8K — in any order, within a specified time frame. Details about the specific time frame were not available Monday, but the city said participants in all of the races will use the One City Marathon app to submit their race times from March 5–14.
Information about the app will be released in the upcoming weeks, according to the city.
Many of the sponsors from previous years have agreed to return for the race’s seventh year, including the marathon’s presenting sponsor — Newport News Shipbuilding. Other sponsors for the races include BayPort Credit Union, Optima, Riverside Health Systems, TowneBank and Liebherr.
About 2,700 people registered for the One City races that were held in-person in March 2020 shortly before the state started to see closures and restrictions because of the coronavirus.
Participants in the 2021 event will receive race shirts, medals and personalized bibs.
Registration for the races is available at www.onecitymarathon.com.