Corona Virus: Over 70 Swiss running events canceled

The coronavirus has forced the cancellation of over 70 running events to date. Over 100,000 participants are affected. The organizers expect losses in the millions and face an uncertain future.

In the period from February 29 to April 19/30, more than 70 running events have to be cancelled. These include very large events such as the Kerzerslauf (9,000 participants),
Lucerne city run (14,000 participants) or the 20km Lausanne (over 20,000 participants) as well as the Bieler Lauftage from June 4 - 6, 2020. But also smaller events like
for example the Rotseelauf Ebikon with about 900 participants had to be cancelled.

All race organizers must fear losses totaling several million francs. The loss of income will hit the organizers hard in the core and the future staging
endanger. In the case of smaller events, it is mostly sports clubs with volunteer organizing committees that are behind the running event, which provides them with a source of income for the
annual association life have built up. The loss of this income endangers the entire life of the association. Larger events have paid employees to take care of the organization.
to be able to cope with the situation. In many cases, short-time work has to be announced for staff. Events without a certain financial reserve will be threatened in their economic
Existence be endangered.

As the umbrella organization of Swiss running, Swiss Running will lobby the Federal Council to ensure that mass sports also benefit from the financial support that has been promised.
can profit. But that will not be enough. Swiss Running appeals to the solidarity of runners to support the organizers. These have been waiting in vain for the
They have prepared the event, invested time, money and enthusiasm and are now facing a shambles. The donation of the entry fee would be a great help for them, as very few organizers are insured against cancellations through no fault of their own and may now be facing the end. This must be prevented in the interest of all running enthusiasts.
Every year, around 500 running events take place in Switzerland, with over 500,000 runners lining up at the starting line. In this way, the running organizers make a major
contribution to the health of the Swiss population. Swiss Running understands the measures taken by the Federal Council in this exceptional situation and calls on all organizers, but also runners, to follow the guidelines of the Federal Council and the behavioral tips of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in connection with the coronavirus.

Top runners are also thinking of the organizers at this time: Fabienne Schlumpf (European Championship runner-up 3000 m Steeple) "For us runners, regardless of whether we are hobby or top athletes, the Swiss running events are very important and motivate us in our daily training. It would be extremely sad if organizers would lose their existence because of the current crisis. I'm always happy to be at the start of Swiss fun runs in a great atmosphere."

Adrian Lehmann (European Team Champion Half Marathon): "As a runner, I am inspired year after year by the versatility of the Swiss running scene. It's great how many professional
organized events we have in our country. This versatility must live on. That is why I appeal to the solidarity of all to ensure the future of our Running-
events. It would be a great pity if these now came into existential hardship."

Swiss Running is a joint venture between Swiss Athletics and the Swiss Runners association. Swiss Running operates the online platform http://www.swiss-running.ch, where all the
News and information of the Swiss running sport can be found. Swiss Athletics is the professional association for athletics in Switzerland. It promotes and disseminates athletics and cultivates the reputation of this sport within the sport as a whole. In the interest of the sport, it cooperates with other organizations and institutions that practice athletics. Swiss Athletics promotes competitive and popular sports, including junior athletes and running.

The Swiss Runners association was founded in 1994. As an independent association, it promotes running in Switzerland and represents the interests of popular sports and running organizers.
The joint market development at home and abroad and the promotion of running is a central concern of the community of interests.