2021 Beppu-Oita Marathon Canceled

With no end to the coronavirus crisis in sight, the organizing committee of the Beppu-Oita Manichi Marathon has made the decision to postpone the race's 70th running from its planned date of Feb. 7, 2021 to Feb. 6, 2022 in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus among athletes and others involved in the event. We look forward to holding a spectacular 70th edition that will bring together both elites and mass-participation runners to compete and celebrate together in the cities of Beppu and Oita. Thank you for your support and understanding.

In lieu of the 2021 race we will be organizing a virtual marathon. Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14, 2021, runners can complete a run of 42.195 km. Within the competition window, no matter where or when they run, as long as they complete 42.195 km they will be considered to have finished the race. It can be run it all at once, in two parts on the weekend, or even over the course of a week after work.

Even those who don't meet Beppu-Oita's usual qualification criteria of a sub-3:30 time on a JAAF-certified course will be able to take part, enabling people in all parts of the country to get the Beppu-Oita experience. All participants will receive a bib number and race t-shirt, and finishers will receive a finisher's certificate PDF and link to a commemorative video that shows what the time they ran would look like on the actual Beppu-Oita course.

Entry fees will be roughly 3,000 yen, with a field cap of 5,000 entrants. Among entrants who have run under 3:30 on a JAAF-certified course within the last three years, 50 people will be randomly selected to receive priority entry to the 70th running in 2022. More detailed information on the virtual race will be available in October.

Translator's note: Beppu-Oita is one of Japan's most historic elite marathons, with a small mass-participation field added relatively recently. Major 2020 marathons still scheduled to happen and 2021 marathon announcements to date:

Dec. 6: Fukuoka International Marathon (370) - scheduled with limited field size
Dec. 20: Hofu Marathon (2,724) - scheduled with limited field size

2021

Jan. 10 - Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon (10,954) - canceled
Jan. 31 - Katsuta Marathon (10,627) - canceled
Jan. 31 - Osaka International Women's Marathon (423) - TBA
Feb. 7 - Beppu-Oita Marathon (3,141) - canceled
Feb. 14 - Ehime Marathon (9,554) - canceled
Feb. 14 - Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon (536) - TBA
Feb. 21 - Kyoto Marathon (13,894) - canceled
Feb. 21 - Kochi Ryoma Marathon (10,924) - canceled
Feb. 21 - Kumamoto Castle Marathon (10,444) - canceled
Feb. 21 - Kitakyushu Marathon (9,485) - canceled
Feb. 21 - Okinawa Marathon (7,990) - canceled
Feb. 28 - Shonan International Marathon (16,821) - rescheduled from Dec. 6
Feb. 28 - Himeji Castle Marathon (6,938) - canceled
Feb. 28 - Iwaki Sunshine Marathon (5,259) - canceled
Feb. 28 - Lake Biwa Marathon (174) - TBA
Mar. 7 - Kagoshima Marathon (9.356) - TBA
Mar. 7 - Tokyo Marathon (151) - decision in October
Mar. 14 - Shizuoka Marathon (9,802) - canceled
Mar. 14 - Nagoya Women's Marathon (96) - scheduled with limited field size
Mar. 21 - Koga Hanamomo Marathon (8,766) - canceled
Mar. 21 - Saga Sakura Marathon (8.509) - registrations postponed
Mar. 28 - Sakura Marathon (5,614) - TBA
Apr. 18 - Kasumigaura Marathon (10,096) - decision by end of October
Apr. 18 - Nagano Marathon (8,082) - decision by end of October

source article:
https://bit.ly/3iYICZG
translated by Brett Larner

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