By Ørsted Great Grimsby 10K cancelled for 2020
It has been announced that the organisers of the Ørsted Great Grimsby 10K have cancelled this year’s race.
This follows advice from the North East Lincolnshire Event Safety Advisory Group, and is due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The race was originally due to take place on Sunday 19 July, before being postponed to Sunday 18 October.
The event has taken place every year since it begun in 2015.
Organisers have now reconfigured the event so that it can take place virtually.
Race directors Neil and Nicola Pattison said:
“The safety of the runners, spectators and local people is our top priority, we need people to stay safe.
“We’ve consistently assessed the ongoing situation and on the advice of ESAG, cancelling this year’s race is the right thing to do in these uncertain times.
“It’s disappointing for everyone involved, but we’ve had loads of support for our virtual races as a way for us to encourage people to get up and move more.
“We have contacted everyone who has already entered the race to explain the decision and give them the option to enter the virtual race or defer until next year.”
Emma Toulson, Lead Stakeholder Advisor at Ørsted, added:
“While it’s a great shame that this year’s event has been cancelled, we understand it has been for absolutely the right reasons with community safety and health taking top priority.
“Many of the local charities and organisations who benefit from the event have been hit by the pandemic, so we’re delighted that many runners, including the Ørsted Team, have decided to take part in the virtual race to raise funds in a safe way.
“For those that can’t take part this year, we look forward to seeing you all in 2021.”
The virtual race will start at a set location, and will require participants to measure their own distances and speeds over the course of three weekends.
It will begin at 9am on October 17.
Stephen Pintus, director of Public Health for North East Lincolnshire, said:
“The Ørsted Great Grimsby 10K is a highly valued and hugely popular event for the area, but regrettably, the prevailing COVID-19 position and Public Health advice means that the Event Safety Advisory Group could not support the race happening this year.
“We’ve been fortunate in North East Lincolnshire in that we’ve experienced very low numbers of coronavirus cases in the area and we must do everything we can to keep it that way, especially as the autumn approaches.”
People can apply to take place here.
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