City to Casino fun run cancelled due to coronavirus threat

Tasmania’s oldest fun run has been cancelled for the first time since 1972 — find out why organisers were told to pull the pin and what they plan to do with the 4000 unused medals.

The City to Casino Fun Run has been cancelled for the first time since 1972. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

TASMANIA’S oldest and often biggest fun run has been cancelled for the first time since 1972.

City to Casino organisers have been left holding 4000 medals for this year’s competitors.

Event director Haydyn Nielsen said it was a gut-wrenching decision to skip a year of the popular event but all is not lost in terms of the race medals.

DEPARTMENT LEAVES SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN PARENTS’ HANDS

“Only the ribbons have the date on them so we can use the medals next year and have new ribbons made to go with them,” Nielsen­ said.

“We were lucky there because they are expensive.”

Hobart City to Casino fun run 2019 in pictures

VIEW GALLERY

The 48th instalment of the great race was due to be held on May 17.

“We have postponed the race until May 16, 2021,” Nielsen said.

“We spoke to the authorities and because we would have in excess of 500 people at each of the starts and more than 3500 at the finish we just can’t have that multitude of people gathering together.”

The City to Casino started with a modest field and peaked with an event record of 4714 competitors in 2013.

$420M STIMULUS PACKAGE TO EASE BUSINESS WOES

“It was a hard decision because we were so far down the track with this year’s event,” Nielsen said.

“It’s only eight weeks away.

“We’ve got our medals and everything in place.

“We had our traffic management plan and a TV ad was produced. And we will have those costs to address. But that’s the way it goes.

“We are very disappointed but we understand that health is No.1.”

Anyone who had entered the 2020 race will have their entry automat­ically rolled over to 2021.