This month’s Hong Kong Marathon was cancelled and the organizers of the Tokyo Marathon, which runs this Sunday, decided earlier this month to close the race to everyone but elite/professional runners. Meanwhile, those in charge of April’s London Marathon say they’re monitoring the spread of the virus and will decide later whether to follow the same guidance as Tokyo.
Interesting times indeed. I’m an infection Prevention/ epidemiologist at a large hospital in Utah. My days for the past three or four weeks have been long and draining in preparation- we hope for the best but prep for the worst. I’m so exhausted at the days end it’s a real effort to get out and run. But those wonderful doggos of mine make sure I at least get a mile or two in - keeps all of us calm and sane ☺️
Bird flu, swine flu, Ebola, rising seas. It’s all alarmist. I travel all the time. If we believed the media, we’d sleep in a bubble. My wife is more sensitive, making me immediately remove all clothes that touched public spaces when I get home, but she’s the boss. Also, sweat is part of our immune systems. I trust my sweat to kill most nasty stuff.
I'm still planning to run the Ogden half in Utah, which scheduled in May. My husband and I just bought tickets to go to Europe this summer. (My husband got travel insurance as well.) I hope this spread will slow down by then. My friend canceled her trip to Japan in June. She has 2 young kids, so she said she wouldn't take risks.
My bio family lives in Tokyo. I am especially worried about my aging mother....
May be a testament to the taper crazies but the Hong Kong Marathon story you links brought me to the brink of tears. I’ve never had a marathon canceled but I’m a week away from my 3rd and felt all the feels of “what if...”
Will be running The Woodlands full on March 7, then taking a cruise (another nice Coronavirus vector), then returning to start training for SF and Chicago Marathons, with full awareness that one or both might not happen. (Shrug) Running is what I do for fun, for relaxation. It will still do those things even if In the end I’m designing my own neighborhood marathon and wearing a “Please cheer” sign.
Well, the bottom line is containment probably won’t last forever. Do what does that mean? It means do the things your mom taught you- wash your hand, cough and sneeze into your elbow, stay home if you’re sick. It appears there’s a really broad spectrum of severity and the message id like to get out is that if you’ve got mild illness, stay home. Call your provider if you develop chest pains or difficulty breathing. Since there’s no cure, home self care will be really important. Don’t panic but do be prepared for possible disruptions in daily life, right? What’s your backup if schools or day care center close- thing like that.
My husband, myself, and a friend were selected in the Berlin Marathon lottery. I have booked hotel, airfare, and a post marathon Oktoberfest package in Munich. The three of us are so excited about going to Germany and we are a bit nervous about this virus outbreak. The marathon isn't until the end of September and I am hoping that COVID-19 will have run its course by then, or its spread will be slowed in the norther hemisphere once summer arrives.
I was supposed to run Tokyo and had to cancel my travel plans. As an alternative, I will be running the Modesto Marathon on 3/29. It's not quite the World Major I'm used to running, but it fits in the right spot in my yearly training schedule.
I'm planning to run the Boston Marathon again in 7 weeks. So far, the news has been good. In years past, everyone's obsession about the race has always been about the weather. Will it be cold? Will it be hot? Rain? Sleet? This year, it's all about whether they'll hold the race. That'd disheartening, but I'm confident that the organizers will do what's best for everyone.
I had been contemplating this over the weekend and wondering about the NYC marathon in November. I decided that I’ll proceed as planned, just go with the flow and if I need to make changes closer to the time, then I’ll do that. I know it can be hard to put time, money and effort into achieving something and then, wham! Something happens to throw everything off course. But that’s life! Nothing is ever guaranteed. For now, I will still focus and put my plans in place for the marathon.
I was going to sign up for the Snowdonia Half in Wales in May as we have tickets to the UK at that time, but I'm now holding off just in case we don't end up going at all! Fingers crossed we will still get to go on our trip and that we (globally) can work together to contain this outbreak.
Nope. This whole coronavirus thing is being blown out of proportion. Simple common sense will go a long way to prevent the spread. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Stay home if you don't feel well. And WASH YOUR @#&##!!#@!!#@# HANDS.
I saw that a lot of people have signed up for races and put down a lot of money for hotels and air fares... Someone mentioned INSURANCE... I don't think I'd make plans now without it...
For now, domestic air travel is still low risk. Flu is a bigger risk here right now. I would not do any international travel until this is over, as Europe and Asia are now fully involved. The only long travel race I had planned in the near future is Revel Rockies near Denver in June. I will wait and see how things look as that gets closer.
I'm running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in Washington DC in April. Still planning on going at this point but in the back of my mind trying to decide what would be the signal to pull the plug on the airplane travel....
The epidemic should not affect my race plans. I believe exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy immune system and it is important to keep moving. However, I can definitely understand why some races might be canceled. Bodily fluids are definitely prevalent during these races as runners sweat, cough, and sometimes engage in other activities. I am sure the rest stations alone are full of germs. However, I hope that some basic precautions will allow us all to keep racing.
Right now, We are traveling to Florida in April so we are not changing our plans. Still looking forward to beach and boardwalk runs each morning. My end of April half in local, so no change right now. The risk is still low, but it is something to keep in the back of my mind. Doing some common sense prepping at home ( Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Water, etc... which we need for a flu outbreak anyway). and Trying not to watch the news because its all Doom and Gloom!
We are going where we go and doing what we do. If i need to run with a mask it won't be the first time. wash hand and sneeze or cough in elbow. Going to the DR in April and that was all the rage last year.
We were looking at doing the 3 Country Marathon which goes through Germany, Switzerland and Austria. We have not signed up yet but booked a room near the run start line. Traveling from Canada takes a bit of planning. We will keep an eye on this and see what happens. The run is not until October 4
I work in emergency preparedness and response, so this pulls at my heart string. I also travel (alot) for work and pleasure. No plans to change any of that at this time.
I’m signed up for the Paris Marathon on April 5th and have no plans of making any changes to my travel plans. It’ll be very disappointing if the race gets cancelled but I’ve resolved myself to the fact that it’s out of my hands so I’m going to keep training until I hear something!
I plan to run in Wroclaw, Poland, in June. The media hype on the coronavirus is crazy. It has people whipped into semi-hysteria (look at the stock market). Yet the same people that that are hyper concerned about the coronavirus do not take any action regarding the flu. According to the World Health Organization. the flu causes up to 5 million cases of severe illness globally and kills up to 650,000 people annually. The CDC estimates that there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses for the 2019-2020 season, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths in the U.S. Yet this thread would not have been started about the flu because it doesn't have the media's focus.
Not changing my plans. I have a half in St. George, Utah, at the end of March. It’s close to me (I’m in Vegas) & I’m not worried. Hoping this whole thing blows over soon. I’d like to run a half this summer somewhere fun & away from the desert heat!
I am still planning to run in Como Italy in May... I am not worried and I'll go.
The same hype with H1N1 in 2009... back then I lived close to the Mexico border... the media makes this so much worse...
If they would report every single flu death there would be panic as well...
I trust my immune system.
Interesting times indeed. I’m an infection Prevention/ epidemiologist at a large hospital in Utah. My days for the past three or four weeks have been long and draining in preparation- we hope for the best but prep for the worst. I’m so exhausted at the days end it’s a real effort to get out and run. But those wonderful doggos of mine make sure I at least get a mile or two in - keeps all of us calm and sane ☺️
Bird flu, swine flu, Ebola, rising seas. It’s all alarmist. I travel all the time. If we believed the media, we’d sleep in a bubble. My wife is more sensitive, making me immediately remove all clothes that touched public spaces when I get home, but she’s the boss. Also, sweat is part of our immune systems. I trust my sweat to kill most nasty stuff.
I'm still planning to run the Ogden half in Utah, which scheduled in May. My husband and I just bought tickets to go to Europe this summer. (My husband got travel insurance as well.) I hope this spread will slow down by then. My friend canceled her trip to Japan in June. She has 2 young kids, so she said she wouldn't take risks.
My bio family lives in Tokyo. I am especially worried about my aging mother....
May be a testament to the taper crazies but the Hong Kong Marathon story you links brought me to the brink of tears. I’ve never had a marathon canceled but I’m a week away from my 3rd and felt all the feels of “what if...”
Will be running The Woodlands full on March 7, then taking a cruise (another nice Coronavirus vector), then returning to start training for SF and Chicago Marathons, with full awareness that one or both might not happen. (Shrug) Running is what I do for fun, for relaxation. It will still do those things even if In the end I’m designing my own neighborhood marathon and wearing a “Please cheer” sign.
Well, the bottom line is containment probably won’t last forever. Do what does that mean? It means do the things your mom taught you- wash your hand, cough and sneeze into your elbow, stay home if you’re sick. It appears there’s a really broad spectrum of severity and the message id like to get out is that if you’ve got mild illness, stay home. Call your provider if you develop chest pains or difficulty breathing. Since there’s no cure, home self care will be really important. Don’t panic but do be prepared for possible disruptions in daily life, right? What’s your backup if schools or day care center close- thing like that.
And then wash your hands again. Really ☺️
My husband, myself, and a friend were selected in the Berlin Marathon lottery. I have booked hotel, airfare, and a post marathon Oktoberfest package in Munich. The three of us are so excited about going to Germany and we are a bit nervous about this virus outbreak. The marathon isn't until the end of September and I am hoping that COVID-19 will have run its course by then, or its spread will be slowed in the norther hemisphere once summer arrives.
I was supposed to run Tokyo and had to cancel my travel plans. As an alternative, I will be running the Modesto Marathon on 3/29. It's not quite the World Major I'm used to running, but it fits in the right spot in my yearly training schedule.
I'm not making any changes as this time. I'm flying in two weeks for a race with no changes. If things get worse I'll modify my plans.
I'm planning to run the Boston Marathon again in 7 weeks. So far, the news has been good. In years past, everyone's obsession about the race has always been about the weather. Will it be cold? Will it be hot? Rain? Sleet? This year, it's all about whether they'll hold the race. That'd disheartening, but I'm confident that the organizers will do what's best for everyone.
I had been contemplating this over the weekend and wondering about the NYC marathon in November. I decided that I’ll proceed as planned, just go with the flow and if I need to make changes closer to the time, then I’ll do that. I know it can be hard to put time, money and effort into achieving something and then, wham! Something happens to throw everything off course. But that’s life! Nothing is ever guaranteed. For now, I will still focus and put my plans in place for the marathon.
I'll keep to my planned races as well. Have fun watching the marathon trials tomorrow Terrell in your hometown of Atlanta.
I was going to sign up for the Snowdonia Half in Wales in May as we have tickets to the UK at that time, but I'm now holding off just in case we don't end up going at all! Fingers crossed we will still get to go on our trip and that we (globally) can work together to contain this outbreak.
Nope. This whole coronavirus thing is being blown out of proportion. Simple common sense will go a long way to prevent the spread. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Stay home if you don't feel well. And WASH YOUR @#&##!!#@!!#@# HANDS.
Worry more about influenza than coronavirus.
I saw that a lot of people have signed up for races and put down a lot of money for hotels and air fares... Someone mentioned INSURANCE... I don't think I'd make plans now without it...
Just my opinion...
For now, domestic air travel is still low risk. Flu is a bigger risk here right now. I would not do any international travel until this is over, as Europe and Asia are now fully involved. The only long travel race I had planned in the near future is Revel Rockies near Denver in June. I will wait and see how things look as that gets closer.
I am at the airport now, headed from RI to Atlanta for the Run the Reagan half marathon tomorrow!
I'm running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in Washington DC in April. Still planning on going at this point but in the back of my mind trying to decide what would be the signal to pull the plug on the airplane travel....
The epidemic should not affect my race plans. I believe exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy immune system and it is important to keep moving. However, I can definitely understand why some races might be canceled. Bodily fluids are definitely prevalent during these races as runners sweat, cough, and sometimes engage in other activities. I am sure the rest stations alone are full of germs. However, I hope that some basic precautions will allow us all to keep racing.
Right now, We are traveling to Florida in April so we are not changing our plans. Still looking forward to beach and boardwalk runs each morning. My end of April half in local, so no change right now. The risk is still low, but it is something to keep in the back of my mind. Doing some common sense prepping at home ( Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Water, etc... which we need for a flu outbreak anyway). and Trying not to watch the news because its all Doom and Gloom!
i don't have any flight plans so no effect for me. that is until it becomes so common that it doesn't matter where you are to catch it.
We are going where we go and doing what we do. If i need to run with a mask it won't be the first time. wash hand and sneeze or cough in elbow. Going to the DR in April and that was all the rage last year.
We were looking at doing the 3 Country Marathon which goes through Germany, Switzerland and Austria. We have not signed up yet but booked a room near the run start line. Traveling from Canada takes a bit of planning. We will keep an eye on this and see what happens. The run is not until October 4
I work in emergency preparedness and response, so this pulls at my heart string. I also travel (alot) for work and pleasure. No plans to change any of that at this time.
Sharing CDC Travel Guidance- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
and a Johns Hopkins real time GIS Coronavirus tracker- https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
I’m signed up for the Paris Marathon on April 5th and have no plans of making any changes to my travel plans. It’ll be very disappointing if the race gets cancelled but I’ve resolved myself to the fact that it’s out of my hands so I’m going to keep training until I hear something!
Great to keep people informed. I only run half marathons in Texas.
I plan to run in Wroclaw, Poland, in June. The media hype on the coronavirus is crazy. It has people whipped into semi-hysteria (look at the stock market). Yet the same people that that are hyper concerned about the coronavirus do not take any action regarding the flu. According to the World Health Organization. the flu causes up to 5 million cases of severe illness globally and kills up to 650,000 people annually. The CDC estimates that there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses for the 2019-2020 season, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths in the U.S. Yet this thread would not have been started about the flu because it doesn't have the media's focus.
I’m am continuing to book races, most of which require travel.
Running the Alamo 13.1 on March 8 and hoping everything stays calm!
Viruses are tiny- ain’t got no legs, they cannot pay the entry registration fee, and they certainly cannot catch me. 😀
No change. We’ve all faced bigger hurdles than a new strain of flu. I am all in until the health situation changes drastically.
If race directors cancel events I respect them for their choice given local concerns that confront them.
Not changing my plans. I have a half in St. George, Utah, at the end of March. It’s close to me (I’m in Vegas) & I’m not worried. Hoping this whole thing blows over soon. I’d like to run a half this summer somewhere fun & away from the desert heat!
Nope.