Maritime race weekend cancelled for second year in a row

Nova Scotia’s Maritime Race Weekend has been cancelled again for the second consecutive year. Race director Michelle Kempton made the announcement in a video posted to the race’s Facebook page on Friday, in which she cited the province’s third wave of COVID-19 as the reason behind the cancellation. The race was scheduled for this September but has now been postponed for one more year, to Sept. 16 and 17, 2022.

RELATED: 2019 Golden Shoe Awards: Race of the Year — Maritime Race Weekend

In the video, Kempton explained that after much deliberation, the board decided they didn’t feel they could safely host the event, and that many of their staff and volunteers still do not feel comfortable in crowds. Additionally, they decided they wouldn’t be able to host the event the way they normally do (and the way they want to).

‘We respect the health authority restrictions,” they said in the video, “but if we did the event this year, pirates couldn’t hand out medals, we couldn’t have high-five stations, we wouldn’t have our charity water stops, we wouldn’t have our awesome captain’s bell for you to ring when you set a personal best. There would be no freshly-toasted bagels, no freezies, no sponsor giveaways, no beer, and this sounds pretty lame compared to what you’re used to.”

On top of that, they explained many of their sponsors are local businesses, all of whom have taken a hit over this past year, and they cannot ask them to provide financial support for the event this year. For all these reasons and more, organizers have opted not to host the event this year. Registration for next year’s race will open in a few months, and with the 2022 event being the 10th anniversary, organizers are assuring runners it will be “legendary.” If you’ve already registered for the 2020 or 2021 event, your registration will be automatically carried forward to 2022, or you have the option to defer to a future year, with no expiry date. They are unable to offer refunds, however you can transfer your registration to someone else, or you can choose to run it virtually next year if you’re unable to travel to the in-person event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEklCATnIsK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

While Canadians everywhere will certainly be disappointed they won’t be able to participate in one of the country’s best running events again this year, organizers are confident that the 2022 event will be even more memorable than in years past. For more information, visit the Maritime Race Weekend’s Facebook page or website.

RELATED: Budget cuts force Quebec City Marathon cancellation