Organizers of the 2022 Charleston Marathon announced that the event, which was scheduled to be held on January 15th, has been canceled due to effects from the recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases.
Race organizers released a statement regarding the decision, which reads in part:
“We didn't think we'd have to be the bearer of bad news once again, but here we are. After consulting with all agencies affiliated with the production of the 2022 Charleston Marathon, we have made the decision to cancel this year's event.
The race requires an immense amount of manpower and coordination between different agencies, including event staff and volunteers, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Charleston County EMS, Charleston & North Charleston Police Departments, Charleston & North Charleston Fire Departments and others.
These agencies are vital not just for the safety of our runners, but for the greater Charleston and North Charleston communities as a whole. The current and unprecedented surge in positive COVID-19 cases has left our police and emergency response resources understaffed. It's also left our hospital partner's resources approaching their limit. Not to mention we have already seen numerous positive cases among our race staff and volunteers.
This strain on resources means that the safety of our runners would be put in unacceptable jeopardy were the race to continue as planned. Just as importantly, it means that any resources allocated to our event would be resources that are no longer available to the community at large as we battle against this current wave of infection.
Endangering our runners and our Charleston and North Charleston communities by stretching already thin emergency response resources is not something we are willing to do. This decision was difficult and heartbreaking to make, but given the totality of the facts and circumstances, it was easy to determine that this was our only acceptable course of action.
We know you are disappointed – we are, too. You've been training hard to get back to racing with us and we want to honor your commitment. While we won't be able to produce the in-person race this year, we are giving you options so that you can make the decision that's right for you.”
You can get more information and see the full statement here.
