Running is often considered a solitary sport. But for many, the thrill of running comes from the camaraderie of training with a pack and feeling the support of crowds lining the streets of major races like the Boston Marathon. Can digital innovations like virtual racing fill that void? NBCLX’s Noah Pransky and NBC Boston explore the future of running post-pandemic.
This year's running of the Boston Marathon is now scheduled for Oct. 11, but only if Massachusetts is allowing road races by then.
The Boston Athletic Association announced the new, tentative date for the 125th Boston Marathon on Tuesday, and said that the race will also have an option for those wishing to race virtually.
The 2021 marathon had already been postponed from its traditional date, Patriots Day in April, while the 2020 marathon was ultimately canceled in favor of a virtual race. It was the first time in the famed race's long history that it had been called off.
Road races are allowed in the fourth and final phase of Massachusetts' reopening plan, when the widespread use of vaccines or treatments enable a "new normal" in the Bay State. The state is currently in Phase 3, Step 1.
“Massachusetts continues to fight COVID-19 and distribute vaccines across the Commonwealth, and with brighter days ahead, we are looking forward to getting back to a new normal in 2021,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. “We will continue to work with local partners and the B.A.A. to monitor the situation and remain hopeful that the 125th Boston Marathon can take place this October.”
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BAA President and CEO Tom Gilk said the announcement of the new date comes with "cautious optimism" about the work being done to mitigate the pandemic.
“If we are able to hold an in-person race in October, the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members will be paramount,” he said in a statement.
Key details about the October race weren't announced Tuesday, like how many people will be allowed to run, safety measures that will be put in place, when the notoriously competitive registration process will open and more. The BAA said they will be announced later.
