Boston Marathon bans athletes from Russia, Belarus

BOSTON – Athletes from Russia and Belarus previously accepted to compete this year Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon Association announced Wednesday.

The exclusion from the world’s oldest annual marathon also extends to athletes who have previously been accepted into the BAA’s 5K event. However, it does not affect Russian or Belarusian athletes registered for the event who are not residents of these countries. They will be allowed to compete but will not be able to run under their flag.

“Like so many people around the world, we are appalled and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the report in Ukraine,” BAA President and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. Father. “We believe that running is a global sport and as such, we must do what we can to show our support for the Ukrainian people.”

The BAA said it would not recognize affiliated countries or flags of Russia and Belarus until further notice. This year’s Boston Marathon, 5K and Invitational Mile did not feature any professional or invited runners from those countries.

The organizers said they will make reasonable efforts to refund entry fees to athletes who are no longer able to participate.

The BAA will also offer all Ukrainians who signed up for a marathon or 5K and are unable to compete with a refund or the option to defer it for a year in the future.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here