McCann disappointed by cancellation of Tokyo marathon

DROMORE runner John McCann said he was hugely disappointed that the Tokyo mass marathon has become the latest sporting casuality of the coronavirus.

 

McCann had signed up for the  long distance challenge in the Japanese capital for the first time as part of the Abbotts World Marathon Majors and was looking forward to conquering the course which is to be used for the Olympics Games later in the year.

 

On Monday a statement from organisers of the March 1 event confirmed that the mass participation of some 38,000 runners had been shelved and that the Olympic Games warm-up race was limited to 176 athletes and 30 wheelchair athletics.

 

“We have been preparing for the Tokyo marathon 2020 while implementing preventive safety measures, however, now that a case of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been confirmed within Tokyo, we cannot continue to launch the event within the scale we originally anticipated,” said a spokesman.

 

That decision has disrupted the best laid plans of serial marathon competitor McCann, who was scheduled to jet off to Tokyo on Wednesday, six days ahead of the race, before flying onward to Perth to spend a few weeks with his son Johnathan.

 

“The news was unexpected to me, as I had done 15 miles in the rain and the wind on Sunday,” said John, who has completed more than 120 marathons.

 

“It was very disappointing because I have to now cancel and change my travel arrangements, not to mention the fact that I won’t get the opportunity to run the course which is being used for the forthcoming Olympic Games.”

 

John and Tattyreagh man Malachy Mullan had planned to travel as part of a group of 62 athletes signed up with Sports Travel International.

 

For John his participation was a key component of the Abbott World Six Majors challenge which also includes the marathons in London, Berlin, New York, Boston and Chicago.

 

“There is special recognition for this because you get six medals engraved in the one medal,” continued John.

 

“These are considered the six majors and this was my first time to do Tokyo. I suppose I’ll just have to wait until next year now.”

 

The cancellation will add to the speculation that the forthcoming Olympics which are due to start on July 24 could be in some

doubt.

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