Due to the coronavirus, the Prague Half Marathon will not run even in September
Updates: 07/22/2021 17:57
Released: 22.07.2021, 17:57
Prague – Due to the coronavirus, the Prague Half Marathon will not run even in the new September date, where it was moved in January from the traditional date at the end of March. The organizers of the RunCzech series informed about this in a press release, who decided to cancel all the Prague races planned for August and September. However, the organizers continue to prepare for other regional competitions.
“Due to the fact that a number of restrictions and strict rules for their participation still apply to events with mass participation, and also due to all the uncertainties and threats that come with new waves of virus mutations, RunCzech has decided to cancel its very popular Sportisimo 1 / 2Marathon Prague and Birell Grand Prix Prague, originally planned for September 4 and 5, 2021, as well as the Prague Relay scheduled for August 25, 2021, “said the organizers.
A complication for the preparation of the Prague races is, among other things, the need to spread the runners’ starts into a large number of waves, which would extend for several hours. As a result, street closures would be necessary for much longer than usual. According to Carl Capalb, president of the RunCzech organizing committee, such an approach would not be bearable for the people of Prague. “They are celebrating with us, cheering on the streets, acknowledging the economic benefits of the race. But closing the city for the whole weekend and blocking the city center would be unfair to runners and locals alike.”
On the other hand, preparations for the Generali Czech Red Run races in Nové Město na Moravě (July 24) and the Mattoni Half Marathon Olomouc (August 14) continue. The fate of the Volkswagen Prague Marathon and the Mattoni races in Ústí nad Labem, Liberec and České Budějovice has not yet been decided.
All registered runners who have already paid the entry fee for the canceled races can transfer their registration to next year.