Following swiftly on the heels of new coaching and running group guidance from England Athletics announced last week, the body responsible for issuing race licenses in England has provided comprehensive COVID-19 (Coronavirus) instructions for road race and multi-terrain event organisers in England.

runbritain is the UK Athletics body for non-stadia, mass participation events throughout the UK but the 13-page document published this week stresses: “This guidance at this stage applies to English races only”. The document can be found via this link to the announcement.

According to the new guidance, licensed road and multi-terrain races can resume from Saturday 1st August, subject to a number of additional requirements to ensure there is a COVID-secure environment for all involved (competitors, staff, volunteers, officials, contractors, tradespeople and supporters).

The detailed guidelines state the requirements for social distancing; medical considerations; hygiene; communication and practical considerations regarding different venues and facilities. The guidance document covers all categories from local races to mass participation events. There are special provisions for elite athletes travelling from abroad, including providing “bio-secure areas” for their accommodation, training and travel to the venue, as seen in other sports.

All this detail is being urgently digested by race organisers throughout the nation and will have a huge impact on the resumption of the sport we love. Some will be able to adapt and comply fairly simply; many others will find the requirements too onerous and will have to postpone or cancel their events.

Rest assured that runABC will be monitoring events closely and we look forward to reporting once again from live-action races soon. Meanwhile, we can take a quick hop across the Irish Sea for our first (mini) race report for some time...  

Northern Ireland is up and running and one of the first events to be held in the UK post lockdown was Down Royal Races at Lisburn Racecourse on Saturday 18 July. Just over 300 competed in four races, with staggered starts and fully electronic timing, and the elite 10K was won by Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers, 29:13) and Ann Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC, 32:43). 

Image courtesy Miguel Amutio on Unsplash