Another Boston Marathon postponed until September

The Boston Marathon (no, the other one) has been pushed to the fall

Ben Snider-McGrath March 19, 2020

The Boston Marathon in Massachusetts was set to be run on April 20, but the 124th edition of the race has been postponed until September 14 following the coronavirus outbreak, continuing its tradition of a Monday race. The Boston Marathon in the U.K., which is run a day before the World Major Boston Marathon every year, has also been moved, following its American counterpart to the fall and a September 13 race day.

Aerial shot of the start of the 2019 Boston Marathon in Boston, U.K. Photo: Twitter/bostonukmaraton

The race, which was scheduled for April 19, takes place in Boston, U.K., a small town of 35,000 people three hours away from London, and 2020 will be its fifth year of running. The event features three races: a marathon, a half-marathon and a fun run. In 2019, the marathon had just over 600 participants (compared to 30,000 runners at the U.S. Boston Marathon).

The race website says it has “the flattest marathon course in the country,” and although much more modest than the American race, the event offer cash prizes of £300, £200 and £100 to the top three men’s and women’s finishers.

2019 Boston Marathon (the American one) finish area. Photo: Canadian Running

The U.K. Boston Marathon is one of hundreds of race cancellations across the globe, and its nearby race, the London Marathon, has also had to reschedule. Originally, the London Marathon was set for April 26, just a week after the Boston, U.K., race. Race organizers announced last week, however, that the event will be postponed until October 4.

Medals are here #bostonukmarathon #ukrunchat #marathon #medals pic.twitter.com/dUQ2pYRgwj

— Boston UK Marathon (@bostonukmaraton) March 11, 2019

The postponements of the Boston and London marathons added to an already jam-packed fall racing calendar. It’s going to be a hectic time on the marathon scene. If you want a relaxed event with minimal stress, though, maybe the smaller Boston Marathon is the race for you. No qualification system, no crowds of thousands of people, just you and a few hundred other runners having a great time. Plus, you can still say, “I ran the Boston Marathon” if you want. It’ll be the truth, after all.

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