Despite the recent cancellations of two marathons in the state, the Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon will be held, as scheduled, on Oct. 3, officials announced Wednesday.
“This is huge news,” said race director Bob Dunfey. “We feel very fortunate and grateful.”
Dunfey said the event, which includes a marathon, half-marathon and relay, has assembled a team of 75 local healthcare officials, along with medical resources from Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth – the four communities the race runs through – to ensure proper medical coverage of the event, even as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Maine.
The Maine Marathon was held as a virtual event last year.
“There is just a feeling of gratefulness that we have such an abundance for health care workers in the community who have already stepped up to provide us the resources we need to put on the event,” said Dunfey. “We thought it was important to let the community know we have everything we need to put on the event.”
In the past week, the Mount Desert Island Marathon, scheduled for Oct. 17, and the Caribou Marathon, scheduled for this weekend, were both canceled because, race organizers noted, the surge of COVID-19 cases in their areas has left local health care officials unable to adequately cover the race.
Dunfey said about 3,300 runners have already registered for the event and expects “another 500 to 900 runners.”
Dunfey said the race will follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines established by state officials, the Maine CDC, the city of Portland and the University of Southern Maine.
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