Boston and London will be cancelled - September does not work

Seeing events scheduled for July / August (not just running events) being cancelled already, has me doubting there will be any racing of note in 2020.

I'm holding out hope for the Turkey Trot season. Gobble Gobble!

I'm starting to agree. I think in Boston's case, the BAA will do everything to run the race in some form. They might do something like Tokyo did and allow only elites to run.

Wow what an original comment. Are you gonna ask about Yasso 800’s also? I guess the 7 threads on this weren’t enuff 4 u.

Social distancing measures are more likely to be employed in November than in September.

I'm actually not so sure. If the virus goes dormant during the warm weather months, say June or early July, by September we may be ready for larger public events.

Though to the contrary, I took yesterday's buyout offer from the BAA as a sign they are trying to cull the field for 2020, and potentially the number of runners they will have to defer into the 2021 race due to a 2020 cancellation

No1 Knows wrote:

I'm actually not so sure. If the virus goes dormant during the warm weather months, say June or early July, by September we may be ready for larger public events.

Though to the contrary, I took yesterday's buyout offer from the BAA as a sign they are trying to cull the field for 2020, and potentially the number of runners they will have to defer into the 2021 race due to a 2020 cancellation

They don’t have to defer anyone. And I hope they don’t. You don’t get to run the 2021 marathon because you ran a fast time in January 2019. You should requalify like normal. Use the refund to pay for 2021 race.

i'm sure that you, some random person on the internet, has a much better grasp on what it takes to put on one of these events than the race directors, who consult with health officials, local leaders, law enforcement, etc.

you're doing the lord's work, pal.

eagleeye wrote:

I'm starting to agree. I think in Boston's case, the BAA will do everything to run the race in some form. They might do something like Tokyo did and allow only elites to run.

I think London would be much more likely to do an elite race only than Boston.

But I was thinking about this the other day. Wouldn't a mass marathon be one of the last things to come back. Let's say we've reopened society. I could see doing sporting events with every other seat occupied. And even an elite m marathon. Maybe add a rule for the elite race that the elite pack must run side by side. That way everyone is breathing their own air.

But in a mass marathon, wouldn't everyone in the back is breathing the air that the people in front of them exhaled?

Disko Eric wrote:

No1 Knows wrote:

I'm actually not so sure. If the virus goes dormant during the warm weather months, say June or early July, by September we may be ready for larger public events.

Though to the contrary, I took yesterday's buyout offer from the BAA as a sign they are trying to cull the field for 2020, and potentially the number of runners they will have to defer into the 2021 race due to a 2020 cancellation

They don’t have to defer anyone. And I hope they don’t. You don’t get to run the 2021 marathon because you ran a fast time in January 2019. You should requalify like normal. Use the refund to pay for 2021 race.

You're right, they don't HAVE to defer anyone. But I'll guarantee you they do. Think about the thousands of charity bib runners who have already spent countless hours raising thousands of dollars for charity. Think they're going to tell those people they're out of luck and to just do it all again for 2021? Not a chance. And I'm sure you can imagine the outcry if they defer charity runners to 2021 but not qualifiers. My best guess is after they see how many people take the buyout, and then start begging and pleading with the towns along the course to allow a larger race for 2021. That's for BAA, I have no idea how London works.

So you too are assuming that come September there will be no school, church services will never have restarted, DMVs remained close, and there are no planes, busses, or subways?

Get an f’in clue.

The idea that the virus will subside in the summer/warmth is interesting, but Boston in an international event and it is always summer somewhere.

I think a possibility is citizens/domestic people only or other specific prohibitions on participants from certain places.

I get the overall point - that a mass marathon is an inherently difficult event to put on under social distancing measures - but I'm not sure if your idea to have the elites run side-by-side would work.

What is someone... falls behind?

rojo wrote:

eagleeye wrote:

I'm starting to agree. I think in Boston's case, the BAA will do everything to run the race in some form. They might do something like Tokyo did and allow only elites to run.

I think London would be much more likely to do an elite race only than Boston.

But I was thinking about this the other day. Wouldn't a mass marathon be one of the last things to come back. Let's say we've reopened society. I could see doing sporting events with every other seat occupied. And even an elite m marathon. Maybe add a rule for the elite race that the elite pack must run side by side. That way everyone is breathing their own air.

But in a mass marathon, wouldn't everyone in the back is breathing the air that the people in front of them exhaled?

None of the major city marathon mayors will have the balls to permit any kind of mass participation event absent an effective vaccine. Take that to the bank.

An elite only field is workable. 50 participants, maybe. Everyone gets tested. Everyone signs a waiver and understands that contracting the virus from other runners is a risk, but that everyone’s been tested. There would need to be control measures for water bottles and such.

Disko Eric do you realize how fucking stupid you sound about them not deferring any of the qualifiers for the 2021 race. Let me ask you a question, even if they wanted someone to re qualify for the 2021 race, there is virtually no marathon to run to re qualify because every single one is cancelled. How is someone even supposed to get into the 2021 race if there is no spring or fall marathons? It’s only logical that they defer the 2020 qualifiers to 2021 in the event that the race is cancelled.

still here? wrote:

An elite only field is workable. 50 participants, maybe. Everyone gets tested. Everyone signs a waiver and understands that contracting the virus from other runners is a risk, but that everyone’s been tested. There would need to be control measures for water bottles and such.

How are you going to tell the crowds to stay away? BAA always likes to say that at a minimum half a million spectators line the streets on Marathon Monday. If it's in September, weather will most likely be conducive for a large spectator crowd. And at that point, while larger events won't be happening, we most likely aren't going to be on lock down. So it'd be a complete logistical nightmare to close the roads, keep spectators off the course, just for 50 people to run. I don't see that happening. It's either the whole thing or bust.

still here? wrote:

None of the major city marathon mayors will have the balls to permit any kind of mass participation event absent an effective vaccine. Take that to the bank.

+1

I will take it a step further and say it's not even going to be just the major city marathons. It's going to be almost ALL marathons. No mayor, health department, etc is going to permit these mass participation events. You MIGHT see an uptick in trail marathons, but given most of these now have 200+ people, I doubt these will get approved, as well.

The only marathons you MIGHT see held will be with elites only..and one where they have quarantined the runners for the 14 days prior to the event.

With how this thing is spread thru the air and the fact that runners are literally spitting out droplets with every breath, good luck.

You're not going to see people in the stands/watching at concerts and sporting events for a while.

2020BostonQualifier wrote:

Disko Eric do you realize how fucking stupid you sound about them not deferring any of the qualifiers for the 2021 race. Let me ask you a question, even if they wanted someone to re qualify for the 2021 race, there is virtually no marathon to run to re qualify because every single one is cancelled. How is someone even supposed to get into the 2021 race if there is no spring or fall marathons? It’s only logical that they defer the 2020 qualifiers to 2021 in the event that the race is cancelled.

Suck it buttercup. Don’t be mad because you used a bib mule to qualify.