The Covid-19 year 2020 has also thwarted renowned marathons in New York, Berlin, Paris, Frankfurt or Boston. Those runs, among others, have already been cancelled for this year.
The London Marathon on October 4 took a different path: Despite high infection rates in Great Britain, the run took place in the British capital - but as a pure elite run with star participation under hermetically sealed conditions around St James's Park. Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge took part, as did Brigid Kosgei, Manuela Schär and David Weir. For the British runners who wanted to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, no one less than Sir Mo Farah set the pace.
Although amateur runners were not allowed to run the London Marathon, they were able to participate virtually anywhere in the world: 45,000 runners have registered to run or jog the 42.195 kilometers on October 4 and share their impressions via social media and the event's official app, as well as receive a medal and a finisher shirt.
More virtual events took place on October 11 at the Munich Marathon, which was not held in the Bavarian capital as planned, and at the virtual Amsterdam Marathon from October 18 to 21.
As regular running events under corona hygiene conditions, the Athens Marathon (7/8 November), the Istanbul Marathon (8 November), the Fukuoka Marathon (6 December) and the Abu Dhabi Marathon (11 December) will be held in 2020.
- 18 to 21 October: Amsterdam Marathon (virtual)
- 7 and 8 November: Athens Marathon
- 8 November: Istanbul Marathon
- 6 December: Fukuoka Marathon
- 11 December 2020: Abu Dhabi Marathon
