Valencia’s 40th anniversary marathon cancelled due to Covid-19

Organisers have been forced to cancel the 40th Anniversary Valencia Marathon due to the coronavirus health crisis.
THE Trinidad Alfonso EDP Valencia Marathon Organisation, run by SD Correcaminos and the Valencia City Council, said in an official statement, it “regrets having to make the decision to cancel the 40th edition of the popular race, scheduled for December 6.
“The organisation tried to exhaust all options in order to hold the event in a safe way for all runners, but the development of the health situation due to Covid-19 and the uncertainty of the near future are forcing us to forgo hosting the 30,000 participants that bought bibs for the 2020 edition.”
The Valencia Marathon wants to ensure “the best guarantees for the participants, companions, public and volunteers taking part in the event, as well as for the organisational team,” which it said is not feasible right now with such a high number of participants.
For this reason, as happened with the Trinidad Alfonso EDP Half Marathon a few weeks ago, the registered runners will be contacted in the next few days to start the process of choosing, from September 15, the options regarding their entry:
*Exchanging their entry for a place on the 2021 edition (December 5, 2021).
*Requesting a full refund of the cost of their entry (excluding the voluntary charitable donation, which was paid to Save the Children, this year’s charity, as planned).
*Renouncing refund of the entry fee for the event as a token of support to the Organisation, while enjoying preferential registration at the price set for the first tranche of entries available for 2021.
*Participating in a virtual way by running the 4.0 Valencia Marathon where desired, receiving the Luanvi shirt and a medal for this edition among other gifts and surprises (all details to be announced soon).
“Three months before the scheduled date for the event, we started the cancellation process to respond to the concerns of all participants and not to make things worse for those runners who had to schedule their trip and accommodation in Valencia,” said the organisation.
“We will keep working to celebrate our next edition together in 2021, in the hope that the next few months will bring us a more certain and safer scenario than the one we are experiencing now. It will be a difficult goal, but it will be worth it.”
Paco Borao, race director and president of SD Correcaminos, pointed out that “three months is the minimum time in advance that runners of the Valencia Marathon deserve to be announced that the popular event will not take place in 2020.
“Participants will have the same options to choose regarding their entry as for the Half Marathon, now adding the option to take part in a virtual edition of the 4.0 Valencia Marathon to join us on our 40th Anniversary. This is a compulsory stop, but we are going to work hard so that 2021 comprises all we wanted to do this year and even more.”
On behalf of Valencia City Council, Pilar Bernabé, added: “We have been working until the very last day, trying to make the circumstances different and favourable for us to hold the popular race, which we longed for so fondly especially in 2020, for our 40th anniversary.
“However, it was not possible and we understand that the event must be cancelled. But sport has fundamental values ​​such as the spirit of achievement to overcome difficult situations, so we must now join our efforts to overcome this pandemic. We will return with much greater vigour in 2021.”