Two Oceans Cancelled
Organisers of the Two Oceans Marathon have decided to officially cancel the 2021 edition of the iconic race. Acting on the advice of their by their medical team, organisers have concluded that it would be too risky to host a mass participation event while South Africa remains in the grip of Covid-19.
"The health and safety of all competitors, stakeholders, and running community as a whole, is paramount, and given the current pandemic climate, the health risks around hosting the TOM mass participation event are far too significant for the event to proceed safely," said Two Oceans Marathon chief medical officer Dr. Adrian Rotunno in a statement released this morning.
Earlier this week, #TheTopRunner reported that organisers were close to making a decision on the future of the 2021 race. The cancellation of a mass participation gathering does not however mean that there won't be any activity on the 3rd of April. Organisers say they are planning other events which will be announced soon.
"The race will go ahead whether virtual or elite invitation. And the elite athlete invitation race will make us to stretch our pocket a bit but it's one of the proposed plans we included in the report we submitted to the medical team," Two Oceans race Director Debra Barnes told The Top Runner. Although this leaves the door open for an elite-only race, some Top Runners have suggested that with less than 60 days to go there isn't sufficient time to get ready to race an ultra marathon.