Since the 17th March when it was announced that France would enter a state of ‘confinement’ it was clear to everyone that 2020 would be a very different year.
In order to comply with the new public health measures put in place following our President’s address to the nation on the 14th April, we were forced to cancel the June date for the Mont Blanc Marathon. Whilst we waited to hear the details of the plans for ending confinement (which were announced on the 30th April) we continued to explore options to reschedule the race later in the year. This led us to consider moving the event to September. As of today there are certain things we know for sure:
• Both the national and international calendars of events are full and our event would actually interfere with other events
• There are considerable financial risks to our organisation as many of our sponsors are unable to fulfil their contracts
• Many of you will not be able to travel for personal or professional reasons
• The weather conditions in the mountains are different at the end of June and in mid-September
To this we must add a number of uncertainties:
• What will the health situation be in September?
• Would organising the Mont Blanc Marathon pose a risk to runners, volunteers and the wider population of Chamonix?
• What type of authorisations will we have? Will we have to limit the number of runners? What refreshments will we be able to offer?
• Will our event be able to be as fun as we would like it to be?
"These certainties and uncertainties have occupied our thoughts both day and night…. For over 40 years our organisation has dedicated itself to offering safe, high-quality races with a fun, family atmosphere in the heart of the Mont Blanc mountains. Our job is to make decisions and we’re sure you understand that today we are not in a position to honour our commitments. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we are forced to cancel the 2020 Mont Blanc Marathon." Frédéric Comte, director of the Chamonix Sports Club.
A letter was sent to all participants concerning the refunds, the bib draw for 2021…
* As a reminder the Club des Sports de Chamonix is an association ‘loi 1901’, which enables its 3500+ members to enjoy sporting activities across its 25 different clubs. It is also tasked by the communauté des communes of the Chamonix Mont Blanc valley with delivering international sporting events to promote the region; which obviously includes the Mont Blanc Marathon.
To download photos from previous years, click HERE.
