FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks cross a street in Beijing, following outbreaks of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China, October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
The Beijing Marathon has been postponed indefinitely after Sunday’s race was called off amid rising COVID-19 cases in China, the BBC quoted organizers as saying.
Organizers said they were canceling next weekend’s race “in order to prevent the risk of the epidemic spreading (and) effectively protect the health and safety of the majority of runners, staff and residents,” the BBC reported.
The marathon was set to return this year after it was suspended in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The Wuhan Marathon, which was due to be held last Sunday, was also called off with a new date yet to be determined.
China reported 43 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, up from 39 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Tuesday.
Confirmed cases in mainland China now total 96,840, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,636.