BATH HALF ROUND-UP: Pictures and results
Thousands of runners took part in the Bath Half Marathon despite concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
Organisers faced calls to postpone or cancel the event, including from Bath’s MP, but they said it would go ahead as planned.
A total of 6,200 runners took part in the 13.1-mile race, about half the number expected.
Almost 1,000 people joined a “Virtual Bath Half” group on Facebook instead – running the distance in their own communities and posting about it online.
They have asked for organisers of the Bath Half to send medals to those able to prove they completed the 13.1 miles.
The London Marathon, which was due to take place in April, has been postponed.
Speaking before the event, Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said it was “simply not worth the risk” and that serious concern about it had “risen very dramatically” among residents of the city.
She said: “I understand how disappointing the cancellation would be for all those who have been preparing for weeks and months.
“However this is a public safety concern, and I believe that cancelling the event to protect the most vulnerable in our city from a further spread of the infection must be the priority.”
Organisers said they had “carefully considered, listened and consulted” before deciding that the race would continue as planned.
They said the risk of infection from outdoor events remained low and there was “no epidemiological or medical evidence” to suggest it should currently be restricted.
“It is now too late for us to cancel or postpone the event,” they said.
“The venue is built, the infrastructure is in place, the site and our contractors are ready. Runners are already arriving in the city, keen for the race to go ahead.
“Even if we were to cancel at this late stage on the eve of the event, we anticipate that thousands of runners would still turn up to run the route, and we feel we would owe a duty of care to those runners, given that our resources are ready and waiting to support them.”
Bath Rugby Foundation announced it was to withdraw from the Bath Half Marathon on Saturday, citing growing concerns about coronavirus and runners’ safety.
The charity said it had been “in discussion for days” and confirmed the decision less than 24 hours before the start of the race.
A foundation spokesman said the spread of Covid-19 and a number of mass participation events being cancelled had influenced its decision.
A statement added they “do not want to put any of our supporters or their loved ones at risk” but thanked everyone who was due to run or volunteer for Bath Rugby Foundation.
Bath’s RUH Hospital charity also pulled out of the race due to concerns over the coronavirus. The Forever Friends Appeal head of fundraising Rhyannon Boyd and her deputy Richard Gyde said on Friday the decision was made with a “heavy heart”.
The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity has shared how it agonised over its decision about whether to attend the Bath Half Marathon in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The charity leadership said they were “disappointed” by the organisers’ decision to go ahead.
But in the end three members of the charity attended because they didn’t feel they could “abandon” their runners.
Although the half marathon is a significant fundraiser for the charity, it advised its runners not to attend.
Charity chief executive Anna Perry said: “We agonised over the decision. We were very close to not coming.
“I emailed the organisers saying I was disappointed they have carried on. It should have been cancelled.
“We advised our runners not to come – I told our volunteers not to come,” she continued.
“But people have come very far, trained hard and raised money so in the end we came to support them.”