Mumbai Marathon rescheduled, new date to be announced

The organisers of Mumbai Marathon on Saturday announced that the 17th edition of the event, which was to take place on May 30, has been rescheduled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The new date will be announced in due course after consultations with the Government of Maharashtra and relevant athletic bodies," a media release stated.

"As we navigate these challenging times, we want you to know that we are leaving no stone unturned to make the marathon possible this year.

"The Government of Maharashtra and our partners have been extremely supportive to ensure that we have the best possible option, keeping in mind the safety and security for all involved," Procam International's Vivek Singh was quoted as saying in the release.

While the pandemic has not left any place untouched, Maharashtra is one of the worst affected states. "By shifting our focus to a new date, we will continue to work closely with the state, national and international athletic bodies to identify a suitable date for the event, which is conducive to the safe conduct of the event for all stakeholders," he added.

The marathon is always held in January but due to the pandemic it was shifted to May 30. Mumbai has reported 8839 new cases on Friday, pushing the total to 5.6 lakh, of which 85,226 are active cases, as per the BMC.