‘I Put Emotions Over Logic’: Malta Marathon Organiser Withdraws Support For Sport Malta’s Race
Malta Marathon organiser Joe Micallef has withdrawn his support for a new race that will be organised by the government, describing his initial endorsement as “hasty”.
“Emotions over logic… 37 years [organising the Malta Marathon] and it comes to this, we have decided to completely disassociate ourselves from the Sport Malta charity marathon,” Micallef said in a video uploaded by fitness community Bulletproof.
Only yesterday, Sport Malta CEO Mark Cutajar announced that Micallef had accepted their invitation to form part of the organising panel for the government-organised race.
“We will work together for a great event,” Cutajar said.
However, Micallef has now said his decision to work and collaborate with Sport Malta “came totally out of a hasty decision coming out of emotional love towards the sport, the local running community and the 1,200 people who were coming from overseas [for the marathon].”
“The route imposed by Transport Malta has been deemed as unacceptable by Mater Dei’s emergency department the Malta Red Cross and the Malta Traffic Police, due to safety reasons for both emergency responders and runners” he said.
Running activist Darren Vandit who is organising a separate run to take place on the same date as the original Malta Marathon said the marathon’s organisers are “taking a strong stance against the incision of any political intervention and victimisation, such as charity organisations that have absolutely nothing to do with our beloved sport”.
This was ostensibly a reference to Puttinu Cares, the child cancer charity which the government marathon is raising funds for.
“We would like to sincerely for disappointing you and letting you down,” Vandit said. “We will never accept our beloved sport becoming a political ball.”
Cover photo: Left: Malta Marathon organiser Joe Micallef, Right: Micallef with Sport Malta CEO Mark Cutajar
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