What To Do When Your Marathon Is Cancelled

When COVID-19 forced the cancellation of most marathons, a lot of runners felt genuine disappointment and frustration — marathon training demands real mental and physical commitment, and that's a valid thing to grieve.

First, keep running safely: stay alert to your surroundings and keep your distance from others on your route.

Second, adjust your training plan rather than abandoning it — use the time to build an aerobic base with easier runs and shorter speed sessions, ready for whenever rescheduled races (like an October London Marathon) come back around.

Third, reconnect with why you run in the first place. Running serves a different purpose for each person, whether that's mental health, stress relief or personal challenge. You don't have to run a marathon to prove that you're a runner. If you run, you're a runner — and this uncertain period is a chance to build resilience and rediscover why you love being outdoors.