Mount Marathon postponed

July 4 will be quieter than usual in Seward this summer.

Mount Marathon has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, race director Matias Saari announced Tuesday. Saari said in a release to media that the race committee will make a final decision by June 1. Options include rescheduling the race for Sept. 6, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, or not hosting a race in 2020.

“The postponement, done foremost to protect the public’s health is a great disappointment. However, it is in the best interest of the racers, the city of Seward, and the events, volunteers, officials, spectators and sponsors,” committee members said in the release. “Postponement is necessary given the statewide restrictions on nonessential travel and group gatherings. Also, racers would soon have begun training in Seward in increasingly large numbers.”

The 2020 race would be the 93rd running of Alaska’s historic mountain race typically held annually on July 4. Each year, runners hit the Mount Marathon course that has 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The race typically attracts about 1,000 runners and as many as 10,000 spectators.

The race committee will announce the race roster on April 15.

“Roster spots will be guaranteed for whenever the 93rd running is held,” race officials said.

Contact the Frontiersman at news@frontiersman.com.