Originally set for April 20, the Boston Marathon counts as one of the biggest omissions from the spring calendar. Postponed until September due to the coronavirus, the race will now be virtual. But it will still have its shot at setting the pace as a marquee event, as participants will receive their customary T-shirts, medals and race bibs even as they compete virtually.
The @BAA has announced that the 124th Boston Marathon will be held as a virtual event, following Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s cancellation of the marathon as a mass participation road running event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/tlIdvsU9sq
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) May 28, 2020
The Boston Athletic Association provided an update yesterday, noting that its late-summer gathering will enable runners to complete their 26.2-mile mission in six hours, with Sept. 7-14 as their timeframe. According to its Frequently Asked Questions section, “All athletes who complete the virtual race will receive an official Boston Marathon program, participant T-shirt, medal and runner’s bib,” a nice quartet of tokens to connect themselves with an event that would have covered Massachusetts’ capital city for the 124th-straight year.
We also liked seeing that the organizers, as a part of the virtual celebration that will occur over the aforementioned race completion period, will make available a downloadable Boston Marathon toolkit that will include a printable finish line and winner’s break tape.
Though all of these items will serve as solid connections to the race, there is obviously a sense of sadness when one thinks about how thousands of runners have lost their opportunity to be run the marathon in person. We certainly understand the severity of the matter, yet we lament that race-day promos, such as the cinch bag that Adidas has made a constant element of the endurance test.
We also feel a bit down that we will not be seeing any co-branded shoe creations, and that the banners and affiliated signage that also serve as staples of the Boston Marathon will not have their chance to tout the print world and celebrate someone’s achievements. As we saw in March, banners have proven a great addition to helping people ease the pain of enduring the pandemic’s effects. It’s just a shame that such items will not be doing their customary duties among Bostonians and their guests.
As far as the giveaways that the Boston Marathon will still distribute, we do expect for them, no matter their altered nature, to become proof that even though COVID-19 has delayed our enjoyment of life, it will not completely push us off the course toward living an abundant existence.
