September's Scottish Half Marathon and Scottish 10K were cancelled on Friday – the same day that Scotland moved to ‘Phase 3’ of its roadmap to exit lockdown.

As of last Friday (10 July), up to 15 physically distanced people, from a maximum of five households, will be permitted to meet outdoors – a change that has paved the way for a return to some form of group training for many of Scotland's running clubs.

But the further easing of lockdown was not enough to save this year’s Scottish Half Marathon and 10K. The continued uncertainty surrounding road racing and large gatherings in a post-coronavirus world means that the Scottish Half Marathon and 10K, like this year’s Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Edinburgh Marathon Festival, will be writing 2020 off.

In an official statement, organisers GSi Events said: “It is outside of our control to say when events will be permitted to go ahead, and sadly there is insufficient information currently available to allow us to estimate when this will be. The nature of the event demands a considerable amount of preparation, not only from our team and our delivery partners, but from the participants.

“Their preparation for an event will involve training, sometimes meaning they are dedicating many hours away from their friends and family, which for many is understandably unpalatable or impossible with the demands of home working, childcare and schooling at this time. For others it requires the booking of accommodation or travel and we feel that it is unfair to ask for your and their continuing preparation if we cannot make a firm assurance that we will definitely be able to go ahead with the event on the planned date.”

Runners currently registered for the Scottish Half Marathon and Scottish 10K are being offered a range of options, open until 20 September, including automatic deferral of their entries to the 2021 event, to be held on Sunday, 19 September.

Entries for both the 2021 Scottish Half Marathon and Scottish 10K  are now open.

Image credit: GSi Events