The St. Jude Marathon and Half Marathon in Memphis, Tennessee was cancelled earlier this evening by race directors due to safety concerns for runners, volunteers, and spectators after a nasty ice storm and cold temperatures invaded the area on Friday.
However, unlike with cancellations at other marathons, race directors are offering three options for runners to not be totally left out in the cold according to The Commercial Appeal:
“Runners have three options, and donating the registration fee is one of them. St. Jude will also refund the fee, or apply it to one of three upcoming marathons: P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and Half-Marathon in Phoenix Jan. 19; the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon and Half-Marathon Feb. 2 or the St. Jude Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon in Nashville April 26.”
So runners can 1. Donate the entry fee to St. Jude, 2. Refund the fee to the runner, or 3. apply it to either the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon/Half, Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon/Half, or St. Jude Country Music Marathon/Half.
“Registered participants will also get first dibs to sign up for the 2014 event, which will be on the first Saturday in December, during a special registration window that will be announced later.”
It sounds like race directors made the right call in canceling the race according to reports we are hearing from runners and residents in the area.
The Dallas Marathon was cancelled earlier in the day due to similar conditions and concerns.
