No Better Way to Spread Coronavirus than the Boston Marathon

No way it gets run

Averages a million spectators every year

Too much togetherness

I would put money on it, too!

Better call

My bookie

24309kjasdklm wrote:

not only that, but everyone's immune system is going to be shot at the end of a hard marathon effort.

it sounds suicidal to me.

This^

The end of a major marathon can feel like a war zone. Especially when the weather is rough. It’s not sitting in a stadium, eating hot dogs, and drinking beer.

yippee wrote:

24309kjasdklm wrote:

not only that, but everyone's immune system is going to be shot at the end of a hard marathon effort.

it sounds suicidal to me.

This^

The end of a major marathon can feel like a war zone. Especially when the weather is rough. It’s not sitting in a stadium, eating hot dogs, and drinking beer.

This.

Studies show the immune system is suppressed for up to three days after a marathon. Upper respiratory illnesses are far more likely with the studies I saw showing 25% to 33% of participants having symptoms within a few days after running a marathon.

The risk, as I see it, is that some people have such mild symptoms that they can become unsuspecting carriers to everyone else, especially the 60+ cohort. A 60-ish woman cyclist on the Diamond Princess tested positive with almost zero symptoms... a 3-hour spike in temperature to less than 100 degrees. And she returned to training immediately when she got home. That's great for her, but imagine how many people she could have unknowingly infected.

old and slower wrote:

Need to delay the spread as best as we can. They should start having baseball games and hockey and basketball games without crowds too.

...

I think that hockey (and to lesser extent baseball) are already taking care of lower attendance as a result of the game itself.

For example, NY Islanders have average attendance of only 12K people. In baseball, Miami has average attendance of 10k people.

Boston Marathon will be cancelled.

Seattle about to enact ban on gatherings of 250 people or more. Mariners home games could be in front of empty seats for a while. MLB, NBA, NHL will be under a lot of pressure to have fan-less games for a bit.

Until then I don't care. wrote:

Let me know when a single NBA, MLB, or MLS game gets cancelled.

Here you go boss... Make sure you read the second paragraph of the article, where the local health official says it's not a matter of "if but when" sports events, including the NBA, get cancelled.

Aint Happenin wrote:

Think about it, the whole process presents a multitude of ways to spread this thing. Start with taking subway to the Common, where everyone then crams onto school buses. Then pack in like sardines under the tents at the village. Stand shoulder to shoulder in corral. Sweat, spit and snot everywhere while running the race. Thousands of volunteers interacting with racers pre, during and post race. Fans all along the course. Port a Johns by the thousands.

No way health officials are going to green light the Boston Marathon. The only delay in making an announcement is figuring out whether to reschedule or cancel and future options for people who are currently entered.

you left out the part where everyone waits in line to defecate in the same 20 porta potties covered in excrement.

What may spread the virus maybe the airplane travel of so many people to and from the marathon, the expo, and not so much the actual race outside. I think we don't know if a person could contract the virus on an airplane to Boston, run the race, the spread it on another airplane home. Can it spread that quickly and perhaps without the runner showing symptoms?

The marathon was cancelled in 1918 and replaced by a feckless military relay to show patriotism and sell war bonds, not the "Spanish" flu of the time.

That story is in my book that of course everyone one on Let's Run has already read.

Tom

Gondola lifts in ski destinations in Northern Italy have been quite effective when it comes to spreading the virus. Most Europeans who have the virus tell that they were skiing in Italy.

It sucks because you're more than likely right. I'm registered to run and in the middle of training now so I am trying to accept the inevitable so it's a little less crushing when it's official. I'm sure I'll get tons of flack for expressing how bummed I personally am to not be able to race it, but oh well. It's one of those things you have marked on your calendar for so long (this goes with any race for me, but obviously Boston holds a little more significance for us non-veterans), so it is definitely a tough pill to swallow after picturing this one morning, day, etc for so long slugging along at 4 AM before work each morning and then it's just poof, not happening. On my run this morning it was definitely something I thought about a lot, like "why am I still busting my tail out here right now? what am I even going to do?" That's the breaks!

I'm all for the Boston Marathon being run but this alone has officials in New England on edge:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/11/nation/how-biogen-leadership-conference-boston-spread-coronavirus/

99% certain this race will not be starting.

I'm thinking it won't happen either. I'm also quite certain they'll postpone it to September/October when I have zero chances to run it. They probably won't offer deferral either so I'm SOL for this year and just have to qualify again.

They should defer it to 2021. Then they can run this one on Sunday and the regular marathon on Monday.

NErunnr wrote:

I'm all for the Boston Marathon being run but this alone has officials in New England on edge:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/11/nation/how-biogen-leadership-conference-boston-spread-coronavirus/

99% certain this race will not be starting.

Yeah it's all just really unfortunate timing for everyone, including those actually affected by the illness. I have no doubts I can qualify again, it's just all the logistics in trying to find another race around the same time frame just so I don't feel like it was all for nothing, mostly flights since we got non-refundable tickets but I know a lot of airlines are helping people out so I really just wish they'd announce it sooner rather than later so people like me can try and make moves.

With NYC Half cancellation, it's a done deal now. No way Boston will go on.

Clock is ticking BAA. Need to make an announcement, even if the final details aren't worked out for current registrants. Of which I'm one.

I wonder if there will be any smaller marathons that actually do go on in the next few months? Was looking at Akron and Delaware Marathons as alternatives.

If the virus can spread on airplanes it will also spread on the buses, in the packed starting corals and also in the tents at the HS in Hopkinton, if the weather is bad. Airplane air filters are much better than anything you'd find a local bus.

I'm afraid they'll announce it later rather than sooner just to see if things improve. On the other hand, deferral might be available as people trying to qualify this year have already been screwed over with their races being cancelled. I think we'll see in four weeks.

If the Boston Marathon field has the same infection rate that China currently has there will be 2-3 entered runners in the field with the virus. Hopefully they would stay home.

122,237 Chinese cases/1.438 billion people*30,000 BM entrants = 2.55

At Boston, you are packed next to people pretty much constantly from 6am until you finish at noon. That's a long time.