Breaking https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/28/nation/coronavirus-boston-massachusetts-may-28/
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Ugh…that means Ironman St George on the following weekend is likely doomed as well.
It’s going to be virtual:
https://www.baa.org/124th-boston-marathon-be-held-virtually
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“The Boston Athletic Association, with our input and support, has determined that traditional one-day running of the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year for public health reasons,†Walsh said. “There’s no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. And while our goal and hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on Sept. 14 or anytime this year."
I get that Ironman races are roughly a tenth (or less) the size but why do people think this is going to play out differently for triathlons?
Big shame. Though, Massachusetts is one of the mega corona dumpster fire states, so I guess it was inevitable. Just a hunch, but I doubt there will be much of anything in the NE states this year (NY and the hot surrounding states).
Big shame. Though, Massachusetts is one of the mega corona dumpster fire states, so I guess it was inevitable. Just a hunch, but I doubt there will be much of anything in the NE states this year (NY and the hot surrounding states).
No kidding. I think all the Tru/Duathlons in MA through July have been cancelled (I know all the races I registered for have been cancelled). CycloCross RD’s are already being forced to cancel and CX season doesn’t start until Sept 1.
not a shocker - all races are done in 2020 folks - including triathlons.
Bummer.
With the announcement that 2020 qualifying times can also qualify you for the 2021 marathon, it will be interesting to see how huge the cut-off will be for 2021. I’m sitting on a BQ -11:30, and I’m wondering if that will be enough!
Will also be interesting to see what the race fees are for the 2020 “virtual” marathon.
I guess my next step now is to start worrying about whether California International Marathon will be cancelled, too.
not a shocker - all races are done in 2020 folks - including triathlons.
I am not sure where you are based but races in the US will happen in 2020 and I am pretty sure I will be able to race in the UK in 2020. Races of the size of Boston are unrealistic in the current climate but its going to be super difficult to justify stopping the local winter cross country series given we everything else that will be reopened by December. So I think there will be plenty of cross country, duathlon and cyclocross events held in 2020 if not smaller road races and triathlons.
First Tom Brady, then Gronk, now this
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… but I doubt there will be much of anything in the states this year …
Fixed that for you.
“The Boston Athletic Association, with our input and support, has determined that traditional one-day running of the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year for public health reasons,†Walsh said. “There’s no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. And while our goal and hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on Sept. 14 or anytime this year."
I get that Ironman races are roughly a tenth (or less) the size but why do people think this is going to play out differently for triathlons?
I’m not one pushing for races to start sooner rather than later, but I could see an IM event <1000 happening at a rural race site in a state where the no. of deaths has been low in comparison to the rest of the country and the local politicians are eager to re-open businesses. I think a 70.3 is more likely because of the logistics of course set up (likely single loop, no out and backs) and a bit less of a need for aid stations. The IM event readiness protocols that are supposedly going to be released very soon should be interesting.
I feel for everyone who was registered for Boston this year. I hope you can qualify for next year with the time you used to qualify for this year’s race.
I was feeling good about my BQ -4:29 from LA 2020, but now I am not so sure. In reality it is more like the -9:29 from 2019, but still…
-11:30 has got to be good either way.
Edit: on the 2nd thought, it sounds like the field will be made of the qualifiers for 2020 plus anyone who has qualified between 09/2019 and 03/2020. It might not be that huge of a group because of the travel complications, people being more cautious with their travel plans, etc…
I live in Boston, was planning on running this year, and was definitely expecting this second cancellation, as were my other running friends.
I decided to run Boston solo a few weeks late this spring – great experience and quite satisfying, though so different from a normal race! Activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/3391500685. Will probably do the “virtual Boston marathon” in the fall if I get back to enough run volume… it’s been fun seeing people do all sorts of big workouts as quasi-race efforts that they normally wouldn’t do.
Don’t forget how this all got started … Kyrie 
First Tom Brady, then Gronk, now this
“The Boston Athletic Association, with our input and support, has determined that traditional one-day running of the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year for public health reasons,†Walsh said. “There’s no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. And while our goal and hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on Sept. 14 or anytime this year."
I get that Ironman races are roughly a tenth (or less) the size but why do people think this is going to play out differently for triathlons?
I’m not one pushing for races to start sooner rather than later, but I could see an IM event <1000 happening at a rural race site in a state where the no. of deaths has been low in comparison to the rest of the country and the local politicians are eager to re-open businesses. I think a 70.3 is more likely because of the logistics of course set up (likely single loop, no out and backs) and a bit less of a need for aid stations. The IM event readiness protocols that are supposedly going to be released very soon should be interesting.
I feel for everyone who was registered for Boston this year. I hope you can qualify for next year with the time you used to qualify for this year’s race.
I totally understand that reasoning but if I am one of those areas with little to no COVID cases/deaths there is no chance in hell I would want people coming to my small town from all over and possibly bringing the disease with them! I know that many of those places are in need of the money so it becomes a risk/reward situation but there are many places who are doing better than some and if I am one of them I would not want someone from a hotbed city to come to my town. But I know that cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. as Wu-Tang would say.
Now i’m curious that will be what will be the standards for 2021… does virtual race count, or they want to use the last 2 years or results?
not a shocker - all races are done in 2020 folks - including triathlons.
^this, in general.
I believe there is a possibility of some small events (up to 200-300 people), with modified protocols being run in late summer to early fall, however any ‘mega’ events (>500 people) are DOA in 2020. It’s not happening, just chill out, enjoy your summer doing fun bikes and runs and hopefully 2021 will be better.
And kudos to the Boston marathon leadership, for making a prudent call at this time instead of stringing people along like there is a possibility of an event in 2020.
I qualified in June of 2019 in M55 with a 3:17:36 and thus a bit more than 17 minutes under the qualifying standard. I had planned for Boston to my last longer road event, but I guess that will now have to wait another year. I however expected that as I could not see such an event happening in September or October.
Pretty amazing however what BA is doing. Money back and a virtual race, but I assume it is either / or. But to me even though I run virtually all the time and am in the middle of a 1000k virtual event as we speak, I surely will not do Boston virtually. My reason to qualify for Boston was to experience the whole deal in person.
But from the way it sounds I can use my 2019 qualifying standard to qualify for 2021. So yeah.
not a shocker - all races are done in 2020 folks - including triathlons.
I really do feel for many of you who are in the areas that are most impacted by the virus. But point of order, there absolutely will be racing in many parts of the country this year. (we can debate if that is responsible or not on another thread.).