UWI SPEC International Marathon 2020 called off

THERE WILL be no staging of the annual UWI SPEC (University of the West Indies) International Marathon, according to a media release from the UWI St Augustine campus on Friday.

The race, which takes place along the Priority Bus Route, from UWI St Augustine to La Resource Road in Arouca and back to the UWI SPEC, has been cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Professor Funso Aiyejina, head of the St Augustine Academy of Sport, said, “We understand the disappointment that the participants may feel having put many hours of training towards this event, but cancelling this year’s Half Marathon and 4x5k relay is necessary to protect all involved.

“The health and safety of all our stakeholders remain our number one priority,” Aiyejina continued. “We are hopeful that 2021 would present a much safer scenario than the one being faced now for us to return to the 17th edition of the race.”

Aiyejina expressed gratitude to the event’s chief sponsor, First Citizens, for their partnership and contribution to the success of the race over the years. He added that the organising committee will use this downtime to brainstorm and plan for a bigger and better return next year.