Edinburgh Marathon postponed due to coronavirus

The Edinburgh Marathon has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, the race director confirmed.

The race – the UK’s second-largest marathon behind London – was due to take place on Sunday May 24, but organisers have announced it will be postponed.

A new date for the marathon is expected to be revealed on Monday, race director Neil Kilgour said.

In a statement on the race’s website, Mr Kilgour said: “We are devastated to have to make this decision but we believe that this course of action is in the best interests of our participants, our affiliate charities, the event team who deliver the event and the emergency services who support the event.

“We are continuing to work closely with the local authorities in Edinburgh and East Lothian, the emergency service teams and our other delivery partners over the coming hours to secure and communicate a new date for the event which we expect to do on Monday.

“We understand the training and planning that is required by participants to undertake a very personal challenge such as this, and this has been taken into account when securing a new date.

“We expect to communicate with participants and partners directly on Monday with full details of the new date.”

Last year more than 35,000 runners competed at various lengths over a two-day marathon festival in the Scottish capital.

The women’s race was won by England’s Melanie Wilkins, with a time of two hours 42 minutes and 56 seconds, while Kenyan Dan Tanui won the men’s race last year, completing the course in two hours, 30 minutes and 13 seconds.