(WKBN) – The Boston Marathon is canceled for the first time in its 124-year history, ESPN reports.
The race had originally been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, organizers say they’ll hold a virtual event. ESPN reports that those who verify they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive a finisher’s medal.
The Boston Marathon has never been canceled outright since its first running in 1897, though there was a de facto cancellation in 1918, when the end of World War I and a global influenza pandemic prompted organizers to switch to a relay race format.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.