When the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to close and large gatherings to halt, the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon was one off the biggest events to be cancelled. The marathon was officially called off in June, to be replaced with a virtual event in which runners would compete on their own between October 17th and November 1st.
But in-person races could be coming back as soon as October, as the New York Road Runners explores new protocols they hope will allow events to happen safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 200 runners competed in a pilot program over the weekend in Central Park–with temperature checks, mandatory masks, and staggered start times with 50 people each, ABC7 reports. Two runners started every 10 seconds, with a maximum of 50 every half hour, no spectators were allowed, and the bibs with each athlete's number were mailed before the race to avoid crowding, according to NYRR. The runners who participated in the four mile race will give advice to the non-profit on future protocols.
“Runners that participated in the NYRR Return to Racing Pilot 4m provided key input on their experience to assist NYRR in establishing appropriate protocols for future races,” an NYRR spokesperson, Trina Singian, told Gothamist. “NYRR is looking to announce the next race in the days ahead.”
“Our last race, we started 5,000 people. We saw 200 people today,” senior vice president of event development and production at NYRR Jim Heim told ABC7. “But it’s okay. You gotta start somewhere.”
New York's coronavirus restrictions currently prohibit gatherings larger than 50 people. Religious observance held indoors must be kept at 33 percent capacity.
NYRR says a race will be held in October, with details expected in the coming days. The plans for a in-person race comes as NYC works to contain an uptick of coronavirus infections in hotspots in Brooklyn and Queens.
With NYRR events cancelled due to COVID-19, the non-profit had to lay off 26 people and furlough another 65 (11% and 28% of its workforce, respectively) earlier this summer, according to Runner’s World.
The TCS New York City Marathon this fall is technically its third annual virtual race.
“Although the coronavirus pandemic has forced a cancellation of this year’s in-person race through the five boroughs of New York City, we’re excited to continue taking the marathon journey with runners who will be challenging themselves on 26.2-mile courses around the world,” NYRR president Michael Capiraso said in a July statement.
