The 41st edition of the 20 kilometres of Brussels, Belgium's most popular race with its 40,000 participants, cannot be organised this year due to the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
"It is with a heavy heart that we take this decision," said Carine Verstraeten of Bruxelles-Promotion, the organisation in charge of the event. "All the lights are red. Even with all the precautionary measures imaginable, the risks are too great. You can't run with masks on."
Originally scheduled for 31 May, the race had been postponed to September. "We had an agreement on a date. It should have been run on 27 September. The mayor of Brussels had told us to wait until September before making a final decision, but we can't organise such an event in one month.”
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“We must also set an example,” she said, and “remain optimistic and positive and think of all those affected by the virus."
The 41st edition is now scheduled for Sunday, 30 May, 2021.
The city's marathon and half marathon, originally scheduled for 4 October, had already been cancelled for the same reason.
The Brussels Times
