Miami Marathon canceled (pandemic) for first time in history. Next one: January 2022
In 2020, the Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon was pushed back two weeks to prevent interfering with the Super Bowl. But at least it was run.
There will be no 2021 Miami Marathon.
The Miami Herald learned Monday that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers have canceled what was to be the next Miami Marathon, originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 31. That includes the entire slate of weekend events which encompass the marathon, half marathon, 5K and marathon health & fitness expo.
The 2022 marathon is still scheduled for Jan. 30, but this will be the first time since the event’s 2003 inception that a year will be skipped.
This year’s Miami Marathon was run Feb. 9 before the pandemic, with 22,000 registrants for the 26.2-mile main event and the 13.1-mile half marathon that starts at the same time (about 6 a.m.) in front of the AmericanAirlines Arena. The marathon traverses through Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove before winding its way back to the finish on Biscayne Boulevard adjacent to Bayfront Park.
“I’m extremely disappointed,’’ race director Frankie Ruiz told the Herald. “We made the decision to cancel instead of postponing due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and the fact that we’re a destination race and people have to make plans. We’re well aware of travel restrictions across the globe, varying quarantine requirements across the country and the nature of our event requiring such a long lead-up times.
“We thought it was best to start planning for 2022.’’
Ruiz said that more than 5,000 participants had already registered for the 2021 event, but that Life Time, which owns and produces the event, will offer refunds “in doing their best in making things as right as possible.’’
Those who already registered can also defer their entry to the 2022 event at no additional cost.
Organizers also are organizing a virtual marathon option, for which the details will be available in about a week, Ruiz said.
Ruiz, who serves as chief running officer for Life Time, said there would be some financial losses because of the cancellation, “but obviously being a private company we’re not going to share them, not to mention the hours that have already been put in. The planning for an event like this starts even before the last edition.’’
Miami is certainly not the first marathon to cancel in the midst of the pandemic. All the world’s major marathons, including New York, Boston, London, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago have canceled their latest editions. In Florida, the Disney World Marathon announced last month that it was canceling for January 2021.
The Miami Marathon draws a significant international field from dozens of countries, including about 1,500 runners from Colombia and plenty from Mexico, Canada, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
More than 10,000 from Florida registered for the last event, with New York the state with the next most participants.
The last event in February was won by Saidi Juma Makula, a former Olympian from Tanzania who finished in 2 hours 21 minutes 59 seconds.
The women’s field was won by Aydee Loayza Huaman of Peru, who finished in 2:46:52.
