The Boston Marathon will not be held on its traditional Patriots Day date in 2021, the Boston Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
The organization is aiming to reschedule the race for later in the year, possibly in the fall, and plans to announce a new date by the end of 2020.
Organizers cited Massachusetts’s reopening plan, which prohibits road races until the state can enter Phase 4, as one of the reasons for the postponement. Earlier this month, state officials allowed some lower-risk communities to move to Phase 3, Step 2 of the plan.
“By shifting our focus to a fall date, we can continue to work with stakeholders to adjust the in-person experience for runners and supporters alike,” Tom Grilk, CEO of the BAA, said in a statement.
Part of the work of the BAA will be to determine if a fall 2021 date is even “feasible,” according to the release. Organizers are also exploring a weekend date or reduced field size.
More than 31,500 runners were expected to participate in the 2020 race before it was postponed in March.
In May, the BAA canceled the race for the first time in the event’s 124-year history.