Runners must decide whether we feel comfortable racing in-person and, if so, how we can best protect ourselves and others.
Competitive runners could soon face a familiar 2020 dilemma, as some race directors tiptoe forward with plans for in-person events, even as coronavirus cases climb again nationwide. Runners registered for these races, including me, must now decide whether we feel comfortable racing in-person and, if so, how we can best protect ourselves and the runners loping past us (or, for the speedy, vice versa).
To learn more and gather cautions and reassurance about racing safely, I spoke with race officials and infection-control researchers about starting lines, masks, the politesse of spitting, how to socially distance on the run, and what other race modifications runners should expect - or demand - at in-person events now. This is what they had to say.