The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered storefronts, canceled graduations and cast a shadow of uncertainty over nearly every aspect of everyday life in the county but it hasn\u2019t canceled the Long Beach Marathon. Yet.<\/p>\n
As the Oct. 3 race weekend approaches, race organizers remain optimistic that the event could occur with some modifications. But first, there would have to be a dramatic turnaround in the region’s transmission rates for them to be given the go-ahead to host the 36th iteration of the race.<\/p>\n
Though a marathon may look like a relatively, simple event, it requires a tremendous amount of logistical planning. Organizers started working on the 2020 event just about the time that the last runner crossed the finish line last October.<\/p>\n
In addition to street closures, there are a lot of moving parts involved in drawing and accomodating thousands of people to Long Beach\u2019s downtown: medals and t-shirts must be designed and ordered, sponsors and vendors have to be contracted, volunteers have to be recruited to help staff the race, handing out invaluable cups of water and Gatorade.<\/p>\n
And even if you get all that figured out, comes what might be the most daunting task for organizers: finding enough runners who are willing to run 26.2 miles, half-marathon or 5K while wearing a mask, a likely be a requirement if the race is allowed to happen.<\/p>\n
Dan Cruz, head of communications for the Long Beach Marathon, said that while it\u2019s looking less likely that the race will be able to take place, organizers are moving forward in the hopes that it will happen the first weekend of October.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hope is to be able to run the race, if not we will offer registered runners a series of options from virtual to a deferral next year,\u201d Cruz said in an email.<\/p>\n
Cruz said that race organizers are monitoring the situation and are in constant communication with local officials and community partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe fully support social distancing and all of the steps local officials are doing to ensure the safety of the community,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cWe will continue to follow the direction from the city and state and cooperate with whatever they want us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
In order for the marathon or any large public gathering like it to happen the state would have to be in the last stage of reopening which would allow concerts and professional sports to occur with fans. While Major League Soccer returned to the field last week and professional basketball and baseball players are ramping up for a return to competition, those games are largely expected to occur without an audience.<\/p>\n
The likelihood of that happening by October is slim. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered indoor dining to close once again just over a week ago as cases in the county and state continue to surge.<\/p>\n
The starting line of the marathon typically means thousands of people packed into corrals elbow-to-elbow with each other. Even with masks, runners would likely face the prospect of being in close quarters with others for at least the first few miles until the packs of runners thin out as they fall into their individual pace times.<\/p>\n
Tasha Day, manager of the city\u2019s Special Events and Filming Department, said that the race is currently not permitted to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cPer state orders, we cannot permit any special events right now,\u201d she said. \u201cWe’re not issuing permits to anyone because we can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Day said that most events have canceled due to the uncertainty of the virus but said that hosting a marathon isn\u2019t out of the question. If guidance were to change from the state in time for race organizers to coordinate with runners, vendors and volunteers, \u2028it could possibly happen. However, the crowds that typically surround the course likely would not be permitted.<\/p>\n
The latest that the city could issue a permit and have the race still happen under a city ordinance is 10 days, with that time allowing for residents to be alerted to road closures and potential parking impacts associated with the race. However, the point of no return for race organizers would likely come months before race weekend.<\/p>\n