Nike Prefontaine Classic cancelled...
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| Action in the 2019 Nike Pre Classic (Howard Lao photo) |
EUGENE--The inevitable finally happened, as the Nike Prefontaine Classic, which was tentatively pushed to Sunday October 4th, was cancelled by meet organizers.
In a joint release from the Wanda Diamond League and the Pre Classic, the state of Oregon currently has a ban on large gatherings -- including sporting events -- and that restriction will be in place until at least the end of September. The ban, combined with the expected long term restrictions on international travel, make it impossible to host a world class track & field meet in front of the Historic Hayward Field faithful on October 4th.
The Prefontaine Classic will return in 2021 and provide the opportunity for the University of Oregon to properly introduce the new Hayward Field to track & field fans around the world.
Nike Prefontaine Classic meet director Tom Jordan told Ken Goe of the Oregonian, “Looking at all the factors, it became clear we would not be able to put on anything close to a high-level Prefontaine Classic without seriously jeopardizing the health of athletes, officials, volunteers, spectators, etc. It's not feasible.”
Wanda Diamond League organizers also announced the cancellation of the Meeting de Paris, which was provisionally scheduled for September 6th. Following the latest government announcements on the organization of major events in France amidst the state of the global COVID-19 pandemic, meeting organizers concluded that there is not enough time to organize a world-class international event in the French capital this year.
The Meeting de Paris will return in August 2021.
The cancellation of the Paris and Eugene Diamond League meets comes on the heels of the cancellation of both the BMW Berlin and TCS New York City marathons earlier this week. Berlin and New York are both part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit, consisting of six of the world's big city marathons, along with Chicago, Tokyo, Boston and London.
As of now, the Virgin Money London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday October 4th, while the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is scheduled for Sunday October 11th.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League, the Nike Prefontaine Classic, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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