The Two Oceans Marathon scheduled for the 8th to the 11th of April in Cape Town has been cancelled due to concerns about the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19.)
Organisers say an emergency meeting has been held with the Two Oceans Marathon NPC board on Saturday. In a statement issued on the event’s website, Race Director Debra Barnes says they have consulted with public health experts and authorities before arriving at their decision.
She says the safety of competitors, staff, sponsors and the global community are important.
UPDATE: Two Oceans Marathon NPC has decided to cancel #TOM2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Runner safety remains our primary concern and that cannot be guaranteed at this time. #KeepMoving #QhubekekaDeUfike https://t.co/xXTKrpjp89
— Two Oceans Marathon (@2OceansMarathon) March 15, 2020
Over-50s Cricket World Cup Cancelled
The Over-50s Cricket World Cup being staged in and around Cape Town has also been cancelled with immediate effect because of COVID-19. The organising committee took the decision during the course of the third round of matches which were then abandoned after the first innings.
They say the decision was taken to protect the players given their age demographic. Seven of the 11 visiting teams have been staying in the same Cape Town hotel. Organisers say appropriate precautions have been taken and they will remain there until arrangements can be made for their repatriation.
Meanwhile, England’s cricket players were heading home after their tour of Sri Lanka was called off.
Coronavirus timeline in South Africa:
Other cancelled sporting codes
Golf’s jewel in the crown The Masters and English soccer’s Premier League joined the lengthening list of elite sporting events to fall foul of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday.
England’s hugely-popular Premier League announced it was suspending matches until April 4, while soccer’s European governing body UEFA said that next week’s matches in the Champions League and Europa League would not be played.
The unprecedented shutdown of world sport in response to the coronavirus spread that has infected 138,000 people and killed more than 5,000 also prompted FIFA to recommended that all international matches scheduled to be played in March and April be postponed.
Soccer’s world governing body said that clubs would not be obliged to release players for any games that go ahead.
Organisers also postponed two of the biggest running events on the calendar, the marathons in Boston and London, which regularly draw tens of thousands of participants, including some of the world’s top athletes.
This weekend’s Grand Prix season opener in Australia was also cancelled hours before the first practice session.
This weekend’s Six Nations rugby match between Wales and Scotland was postponed.
France’s Top 14, the richest rugby union league in the world, was also suspended.
In the video below is a discussion on sports impacted by restrictions becaues of coronavirus:
