The 2020 London Marathon was originally scheduled for April 26, but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. When this year's rescheduled London Marathon takes place on Oct. 4, there will be a different route and only elite runners will be participating.
The race normally begins in Greenwich in East London, but the 2020 installment will be a looped 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) race around St. James' Park, near Buckingham Palace, within a bubble that won't have spectators present.
Some of the elite racers are expected to be marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele in the men's race. On the other hand, the women's field will have runners like 2019 London Marathon winner Brigid Kosgei.
Even though the race will be altered, the race times will still be eligible for qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics taking place next year in Tokyo. The Olympics were scheduled for later this month, but were postponed following the coronavirus pandemic.
"The biggest challenges were not those involving participants," London Marathon event director Hugh Brasher told the Associated Press. "But the multiple issues of managing spectators, ensuring the emergency services had access across London with the recent changes to the roadscape, the increased likelihood of a second spike that has led to the recent cancellation of spectator trials at major events and the ongoing concern about the pressure even a reduced size mass participation marathon might put on the NHS (National Health Service).
"Despite all our efforts, the fantastic support from all of our partners and the progress that has been made on planning for the return of smaller mass participation events that are not on the roads, it has not been possible to go ahead with a mass socially distanced walk or run."
Several major marathons have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic so far this year. The Boston and New York City Marathons were already canceled in 2020.
