PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philly Marathon & Half Marathon runners will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and those are not the only changes.
"This is a diffuclt time and we just want the support of our community and we just ask for compassion and patience, understanding," said AACR Philadelphia Marathon Race Director Kathleen Titus.
At first it was annoucned Monday that the marathon weekend would be scaled back, but the main event, the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon and the Rothman Orthopaedics run will go on with the coronavirus vaccine requirement in place.
"With the spike in the COVID-19 [pandemic], we are trying to keep everyone safe, being that the health department’s outdoor event policy over 1,000 people need to be vaccinated if they are unmasked."
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Volunteers and staff must wear masks, but not participants.
"Runners can't run or participate in an athletic event masked, so we thought it best that everyone be vaccinated to reduce spreading," said Titus.
The marathon race field was already cut in half, as normally around 30,000 runners take part.
"We want to put on the best race and we want everyone to get to the start line, we want everyone to finish," said Titus.
