A couple of days ago, this news was announced:

The 2020 event is elite runners only, with other runners given the opportunity to do a "virtual marathon" on the same date (running the distance over 24 hours closer to their homes) and defer their place until 2021.

The 2021 marathon (the one I'm running), has been moved from its April date to Sunday 3rd October.

I completely understand the reasoning for this. Everyone's health has to come first. For me though it feels like a big deal. Before it felt like I was knackering myself out this year for training but that it would all be over by April. Now it feels like I'm spending 2 years of my life training (even though it's not). And what's the point in pushing myself so hard now when the event's so far away.

I said this to my friend Josh who said "Good, this means you will be a beast by then." and I guess that's the hope, that the deferral will mean I'll be more prepared. Still, it feels a bit much.

I'm also worried that somehow all the people deferring their places will mean that my place will be postponed again somehow, but so far they seem to be honouring all the charity places. Presumably there'll just be fewer places available when they open the 2021 ballot to the general public.