Because of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarussian runners will not be able to compete in this year’s Boston Marathon, organizers announced on Wednesday.
The Boston Athletic Association announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes resident in their respective countries will be forbidden from competing in the event on April 18.
Citizens of Russia and Belarus who do not live in either country would be able to participate, but not under either country’s flag.
“We are appalled and disturbed, like so many others around the world, by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” Boston Athletic Association CEO Tom Grilk stated.
“We believe running is a global sport, and as such, we must do whatever we can to help the people of Ukraine,” Grilk said in a statement.
The statement did not specify how many Russian and Belarussian competitors competed in this year’s event.
The Boston Marathon, one of the world’s largest marathons, will resume its customary April date this year following the pandemic’s disruption.
The race was postponed in 2020 and rescheduled for October 2021, with a smaller field than normal.
In the most recent Boston Marathon not affected by the pandemic, 59 runners from Russia and Belarus competed in a field of more than 30,000.
Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly isolated in the sporting world.
Governing bodies of football Russia has been barred from all international competitions, including the World Cup, by FIFA and UEFA, and events in Russia have been canceled by organizations such as Formula One.
AFP