Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed to compete in this year's Boston Marathon, organizers announced Wednesday.
Runners who had previously been accepted to represent the countries in the 2022 Boston Marathon and currently live in either country will no longer qualify, the Boston Athletic Association said. The prohibition also applies to the 2022 BAA 5K.
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Citizens of Russia and Belarus who do not reside in either country will be allowed to compete, but cannot run under either country's flag.
"Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine," BAA President and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. "We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine."
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More on the war in Ukraine
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which neighboring Belarus has supported, has led to both countries' athletes being prohibited from competition in this year's World Cup and Paralympic Winter Games.
The flags of Russia and Belarus will not be recognized until further notice, the BAA said.
The BAA added that it will make reasonable attempts to refund athletes impacted by the ban and Ukrainian runners who registered but are unable to compete due to the war.
