Boston Marathon delayed for five months
The Boston Marathon was postponed for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic, sacrificing the customary Patriots Day start in the hopes of preserving the uninterrupted 124-year tradition of the world's most prestigious long-distance run.
In delaying the marathon from April 20 to Sept. 14, the city avoids for now an event that draws more than 30,000 runners from around the world, packs them in buses and starting corrals and then sends them off on a 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston's Back Bay. An estimated 1 million people line the course as it winds through eight cities and towns, high-fiving, hugging and even kissing the runners along the way.
The Boston Marathon has never been canceled since the first edition in 1897, when 15 men drew a starting line in the dirt in Ashland and headed for the city to commemorate the first modern Olympic Games the previous year. In 1918, the format was modified to a relay race due to World War I; the 2013 race was stopped when two bombs exploded at the finish line, several hours after the winners had finished but while many runners were still on the course.
It is the first time that the race won't be held in April. For the first 49 years, the marathon was held on April 19, the anniversary of the first Revolutionary War battles in Lexington and Concord, or on the 20th if Patriots Day fell on a Sunday.
The state holiday was changed to the third Monday in April in 1969. The race has been on that day ever since – traditionally with the Red Sox playing in the morning so the baseball fans can wander over to Kenmore Square after the game to see the runners pass by with one mile to go.
“It won't look right on the calendar,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “But it's the right thing to do.”
Walsh said postponing the race was preferable to canceling, citing a estimated $211 million pumped into the city's economy each year. The B.A.A. and marathon runners also raise about $40 million for charity.
❚ The Milwaukee Marathon, set for April 11, is canceled because of a state ban on large gatherings, organizers said.
It will not be rescheduled, but organizers will give competitors a chance to run the race on their own and log their times online by April 30.
❚ The London Marathon scheduled for April 26 has been postponed to Oct. 4.
“We know how disappointing this news will be for so many – the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds, and the millions who watch the race every year,” event director Hugh Brasher said.
NHL
NHL Players' Association chief Don Fehr said that he expects teams will be cleared to open their training facilities to allow player workouts as early as next week.
In the meantime, Fehr says players have been asked to spend the weekend at home to avoid risk of being infected by the new coronavirus.
The additional time off over the weekend would also provide teams to cleanse their facilities.
NCAA
The NCAA will extend the eligibility of athletes on spring sports teams one year to make up for the season lost to coronavirus.
The decision comes after the NCAA announced Thursday that its winter and spring championships would be canceled as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus. Some but not all conferences have announced that their spring sports teams would not continue their regular seasons.
In addition, the NCAA has shut down all Division 2 and Division 3 sports – for the winter and spring – as well. That move has affected several Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams.
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team was scheduled to play Loras (Iowa) in the Elite Eight at 4 p.m. Friday in Holland, Mich.
The Titans finished in fourth place in the regular season but won the WIAC tournament title to secure the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team was scheduled to host an NCAA quarterfinal game on March 21. Eau Claire won the regular-season and tournament titles.
UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire were scheduled to meet Saturday in Eau Claire in the second round of the NCAA women's hockey tournament.
River Falls on Wednesday night defeated visiting Gustavus Adolphus, 4-1, in the opening round in front of an announced crowd of 608.
“They might have been one of the last schools to play an NCAA contest in front of a full crowd,” said Matt Stanek, WIAC assistant commissioner for media relations. “Because their crowd wasn't limited.”
AUTO RACING
NASCAR and IndyCar have each called off their races this weekend.
NASCAR was scheduled to run Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway without spectators but said it is calling off this weekend and next week's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
IndyCar was scheduled to open its season Sunday on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, but suspended it's season through the end of April. Four races are affected.
The Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix Formula One races have been postponed.
The Bahrain GP was scheduled to be held next week – at an empty track – and the inaugural Vietnamese GP was set to be held in Hanoi on April 5.
SOCCER
The English Premier League was suspended after three clubs put their entire playing squads in self-isolation because of coronavirus.
The league had expected to continue with a full schedule this weekend with fans, but later decided to suspend all matches until April 3 “at the earliest.”
In addition, UEFA postponed all Champions League and Europa League games.
SLIDING
Sliding season in the U.S. is over. USA Bobsled and Skeleton said that it is canceling its national championships, which were to take place later this month in Lake Placid, New York. New USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire says “we must exercise caution when it comes to the safety of the athletes” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
USA Luge also is delaying its open house for the team's new indoor refrigerated training center. It was to have been unveiled April 4.