The Mount Marathon Race Committee announced Friday that the 2021 edition of the race has been rescheduled from July 4 to July 7.
According to a press release, the race has been shifted from a Sunday to a Wednesday due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
“The crowds will be much smaller on a Wednesday and that is important for holding a race as popular as Mount Marathon during COVID-19,” Matias Saari, race director, said in a released statement.
In 2020, the Mount Marathon Race was canceled for the first time since 1942.
According to the press release, there is no guarantee the race will be held this year. The final decision on the race’s status will be announced June 4. If the race is held, the press release said extensive COVID-19 mitigation will be in place.
“Our mission is to make the event as safe as possible for racers, volunteers, officials, sponsors, spectators and the residents of Seward,” Saari said in the released statement.
In a Feb. 5 meeting, the race committee also decided the following:
• Between March 1 and 15, those on the 2020 roster must reconfirm they will participate in 2021, defer to 2022 or decline their spot.
• There will be no lottery to get into the race for men or women in 2021.
• There will be a youth lottery. Applications will be accepted March 1 to 15.
• There will still be an auction for 10 men’s and women’s spots, but that auction will happen online on a date yet to be determined.
• The updated roster will be announced in mid-April.
