London Marathon Postponed Until October Because of Coronavirus

The 2020 London Marathon has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic and has been rescheduled for later in the year. 

The event was set to take place on April 26, but will now be run on October 4 in the capital:

Hugh Brasher, the event director, said health and safety remain the primary concern of the organisers, per the race's official website:

"The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19 and public health is everyone's priority. We know how disappointing this news will be for so many – the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year."

This year was set to be a milestone for the event, with the 40th running of the London Marathon.

The Boston Marathon also announced it would be postponing their race until September 14 due to the coronavirus.

Eliud Kipchoge was set to defend his London crown, with the 35-year-old hunting a fifth victory at the event. The Kenyan broke the course record in 2019.

Kenenisa Bekele was ready to challenge the champion for this year's title. The duo have previously recorded the two fastest marathon times in history.