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2021 Saga Sakura Marathon Canceled

Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the 2021 Saga Sakura Marathon scheduled for Mar. 21 next year will not be held as usual and will instead be held as on online event. It will come as a disappointment to those who look forward to the pleasures of Hizenji in the spring that the race has been canceled for the second year in a row, but we ask for your understanding. With our regular race serving as an important stimulus to the local area, we had examined every option for how to go through with the race in the midst of the ravages of the pandemic. Despite the measures we had planned to minimize the risk of spreading the infection, in the end we decided that it was too difficult to ensure that everyone involved in the race, runners, volunteers, medical, rescue and transportation staff, and those cheering along the course, to do so in a safe and secure environment. 

Those who had been given priority entry to the 2021 race as a consequence of the cancelation of the 2020 event will have that carried over to the following year's race. The online race, which will make use of a smart phone app, will take place over two weeks in mid-March. We are planning a variety of prizes and thank you gifts that will help online participants feel all the warmth of Saga, and we plan to stage a special memorial event at the time the race was originally planned. Full details will be announced by the beginning of November. 

The future course of the coronavirus crisis remains uncertain for all of us. We look forward to welcoming back all the runners who are out there putting in their training every day, and everyone who helps make our event possible every year, and we will be working hard to once again put on an event that will make that possible.

Organizing Committee, 2021 Saga Sakura Marathon

Translator's note: Also scheduled for Mar. 21, the Itabashi City Marathon in Tokyo, 13,310 finishers in 2019, announced the cancelation of its 2021 race and plans to hold a virtual race instead. Major Japanese marathons still scheduled to happen in 2020 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) - postponed to October 17
Mar. 14 - Shizuoka Marathon (9,802) - canceled
Mar. 14 - Nagoya Women's Marathon (96) - scheduled with limited field size
Mar. 21 - Itabashi City Marathon (13,310) - canceled
Mar. 21 - Koga Hanamomo Marathon (8,766) - canceled
Mar. 21 - Saga Sakura Marathon (8.509) - canceled
Mar. 28 - Tokushima Marathon (11,010) - decision in early November
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/34UBqZ1
translated by Brett Larner

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