Queens Marathon Postponed Until November

FLUSHING, QUEENS — The Queens Marathon, originally scheduled for March 22, will be postponed until this fall as a result of a state ban on gatherings of 500-plus people, meant to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Organizers tentatively rescheduled the 2020 Queens Marathon and the inaugural Queens Distance Runners half marathon for Sunday, Nov. 15, according to an announcement on the event's website.

The marathon was expected to draw 1,000 runners and more than 300 volunteers, organizers said.

"We were prepared to implement highly aggressive strategies in an effort to save the races, but ultimately could not guarantee a fully sterile environment for our runners, volunteers, and staff," organizers said in a statement.

To keep up to date with coronavirus developments in Queens, sign up for Patch's news alerts and newsletter.

Runners will not receive refunds for the fee they paid to participate but will be automatically registered as participants in the rescheduled marathon.

Any runners who wish to still run on March 22 may register for a "virtual run" option.