Boston Marathon Rescheduled To New Date Over Coronavirus

BOSTON — The Boston Marathon has been rescheduled to Sept. 14 due to the new coronavirus, marking the first postponement in the race’s 124-year history. The Marathon had been scheduled for April 20.

“We want to make sure we keep people safe,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Friday morning.

Legislators will aim to make Sept. 14, a Monday, the tail end of a long weekend by creating a special holiday for it — such as Patriots Day, which is the third Monday of April. Walsh said the idea was to provide a boost for local businesses that weekend.

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The world’s oldest annual marathon brings thousands of runners from across the globe. The April 20 date would have fallen just outside the 30-day European travel ban President Donald Trump declared this week.

The marathon hasn’t been canceled since it began in 1897. It did shift dramatically in 1918, when an influenza pandemic and the end of World War I forced race officials to turn it into a relay race.

Organizers were hesitant to make a decision on the marathon, even as major sporting events across the globe were canceled and postponed. Walsh said earlier in the week the marathon infuses more than $200 million into the local economy and millions more to charities.

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The marathon was one of the last major sporting events still scheduled in Boston. The Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins are in a holding pattern as their respective leagues decided over the past two days to suspend operations.

Other major national sporting events, including the NCAA’s March Madness tournament and PGA’s The Masters, have also been canceled.