What Coronavirus Means For The Boston Marathon

BOSTON — Now that the World Health Organization has officially called the new coronavirus a pandemic and the Massachusetts governor has announced a state of emergency, recommending people at high risk for the disease stay away from large gatherings, many are wondering what it means for one of Boston's largest gathering; The Boston Marathon set for Patriot's Day on April 20.

The short answer? Officials are talking with health experts and with the towns and cities along the route to figure out next steps. Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday he expects a decision will be made shortly by the Boston Athletic Association, which runs the 124 year old annual event. As of Thursday it was looking increasingly likely it would be postponed until the fall.

But as of Thursday, March 12, Boston is still on for April 20.

UPDATE>> Boston Marathon Has Been Postponed Til Fall

Officials are no doubt looking at what's happening elsewhere. A number of large running events around the world, including the New York Half marathon, have been canceled, postponed or adjusted because of the new coronavirus.

In Boston, officials canceled the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, which draws almost a million people each year, according to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Several local colleges, from Harvard to Wellesley have decided to cancel in-person classes, opting for an online model to prevent the spread of the disease. And schools, cities and towns are curbing public events.

The BAA said in a statement March 2 that said the Boston Marathon is “proceeding as planned,” and in subsequent statements, the last on March 11 said they would continue to monitor the situation.

"The Boston Athletic Association continues to meet and work closely with city and state officials involved in the Boston Marathon," said the organization on its website Thursday. "Our collective priority is the health and safety of residents, participants, and all who come to Massachusetts for this worldwide event. As this situation is rapidly evolving, details will be forthcoming."

Some 31,000 runners from around the world are set to run, most of them raising money for charity along the way. The race itself brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars as people show up to cheer them on come rain or shine during the world's oldest annual marathon.

And then there's this context to consider: Since runners first ran it in 1897, the Boston Marathon has never been fully canceled.

The last time the Boston Marathon came close to cancelling, was in 1918, at the height of World War I and influenza pandemic that was sweeping the world. Instead of completely shutting down organizers had a military marathon relay in its place.

The race was stopped in 2013 when two bombs were detonated at the finish line, but that was hours after it had already started.

RELATED>> Gov. Charlie Baker Declares State Of Emergency For MA

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).