byLarry EderRunBlogRun opines:
The COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting all aspects of our lives. In Italy, in the past 72 hours, the Prime Minister first announced schools and universities closed until March 15, now it is April 3. Then, he announced 1/3 of the Italian population would be in quarantine. In the last 24 hours, Prime Minister Giusseppe Conte announced the all of Italy will be quarantined, going from 16 million Italians to 60 million Italians. Cafes close at 6 pm. No large gatherings. The Catholic church halted daily mass in some parishes. The quarantine is the largest in Europe in a non wartime era.
New York is the media capital of the world. Eleven million people live in the metro areas. City services will be challenged with the COVID-19 coronavirus. The NYRR, after consulting with the city and state, came to the right conclusion. It is difficult, but they had to cancell the United NYC Half.
The release is below.
Kudos to the NYRR. This had to be a difficult decision. This writer asks readers to go back to Hurricane Katrina in 2012. The NYRR and Mayor Bloomberg told the already assembled marathoners that the race would go on. Then, it was cancelled. The NYRR recieved much negative comments in the media and it hurt the reputation of the club.
Kudos to the NYRR. When you have 25,000 people running and walking, many services that could be used to control the COVID-19 coronavirus, will be able to be used to control the coronavirus.
NYRR gets an A on this one!
NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS’ STATEMENT ON THE CANCELLATION OF THE NYC HALF
New York, March 10, 2020 – At New York Road Runners, the welfare of our running community is always our top priority. Due to the rapidly developing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the NYC Half, scheduled for Sunday, March 15, and the accompanying Rising New York Road Runners youth event, have been canceled. We appreciate the support of New York City officials through this complicated decision-making process.
We know this is a challenging time for everyone, and the cancellation of the NYC Half is disappointing news to many, but the resources necessary to organize an event with 25,000 runners on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan have become strained during this difficult period. Over the past week the NYRR team worked hard to adjust plans, implementing modifications and accommodations to alleviate crowding and facilitate social distancing. Unfortunately, it has become clear that we will be unable to proceed in the manner that our runners have come to expect at NYRR events, where the safety and security of our runners, volunteers, staff, partners, and spectators are our main concern.
Due to the scale of the race during this unprecedented time, runners who registered directly with NYRR will be contacted in the next few days with the option to select either a full refund of their entry fee or guaranteed non-complimentary entry to the 2021 NYC Half next March (exact date TBD). Runners who gained entry through a charity or tour operator should reach out directly to that organization for the options available to them.
For the latest updates from NYRR on race events, group training, community programing, and NYRR RUNCENTER classes and special events, visit nyrr.org.
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Contact: Chris Weiller (o): 212.320.4046 (c): 917.816.7900 (e): cweiller@nyrr.org
