The 2020 Penn Relays have been canceled, the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania announced Monday via a press release.
The meet was scheduled to run from April 23 to April 25, but it will not take place this year for the first time in the meet's 125-year history, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In the press release, Penn said it hopes to host a "substitute track meet at a later date in late May or early June." This substitute meet would be a one-day event for "youth, high school, and open runners."
Read the statement from Dr. M. Grace Calhoun, the Director of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania below:
"Based on the current novel coronavirus pandemic, we cannot host an event in late April without putting our participants, spectators, officials, volunteers, and staff at risk. We remain hopeful that the recent measures put in place by many health organizations, government officials, and academic institutions will curtail the spread of this disease. The University of Pennsylvania has hosted the Penn Relays for 125 consecutive years through the World Wars and other world-wide health issues. This spirit of perseverance and resiliency will continue as we plan for a track meet later in the year when the health and safety of our community is more certain."
Last year was the 125th anniversary of the Penn Relays, which has gone off every year since its inception in 1895, even during World War I and World War II. The 2021 Penn Relays are scheduled for April 22 through April 24 next year.
Tickets are transferable to the 2021 Penn Relays, but refunds for 2020 tickets are available by request. The deadline for a refund is March, 27, 2020. Ticket refund requests can be made here.