Sunderland City Runs postponed due to coronavirus outbreak - this is when they will take place instead

The organisers of Sunderland City Runs have announced that the annual festival of running has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
By Sophie Brownson
Published 16th Mar 2020, 14:15 BST
Updated 16th Mar 2020, 15:37 BST
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Events of the North has announced that, due to the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, this year’s Sunderland City Runs event will be postponed.

Following developments over the weekend and after consultation with Sunderland City Council and other event partners, the Sunderland City 5K, Saucony Spire 5K, Sunderland City 10K, Sunderland City Half Marathon and Active Sunderland BIG 3K will all take place on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27.

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The races were originally scheduled for the weekend of May 9 and May 10.

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The team at the launch of the 10th Sunderland City Runs events.The team at the launch of the 10th Sunderland City Runs events.
The team at the launch of the 10th Sunderland City Runs events.

Entries for the Sunderland City Runs will now remain open until midnight on Wednesday, September 23.

All entries submitted up to this point will be valid for the new date.

The regular Start Me Up For Sunderland coaching events have also been postponed until further notice.

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It comes just days after event organisers had said that the events were due to go ahead as planned.

Steve Cram has spoken out about the events' postponement.Steve Cram has spoken out about the events' postponement.
Steve Cram has spoken out about the events' postponement.

Organisers had said they were monitoring the situation and had initially expressed hopes that the situation would not escalate to the point where they have to cancel their events.

But as the number of confirmed cases in the UK continues to rise, event organisers have made the decision to postpone the event.

Event founder Steve Cram said: “We realise that this is disappointing news, but ultimately the wellbeing of our participants, volunteers, event staff and members of the public are our priority.

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“This is the responsible decision and we are very pleased that we have been able to work with Sunderland City Council and other partners to reschedule this year’s Sunderland City Runs.

“Making this call now takes away any uncertainty and allows everyone to focus on the most important task of looking after themselves and their communities in these troubling times.”

For the latest updates from the Sunderland City Runs team, visit www.sunderlandcity10k.com and follow @sunderland10k on Twitter and @sunderlandcityrun on Instagram.

If anyone has any queries, they should send them by email to [email protected], and the team will respond as soon as they can.

Related topics:OrganisersSunderland City CouncilNorth