Local Runner Organises ‘Solidarity Run’ In The Wake Of Malta Marathon Cancellation
A Solidarity Run has been announced and is due to take place on 6th March 2022; the same date as the original Malta Marathon, which was called off recently.
Lovin Malta reached out to Darren Vandit, who created the event.
“The run is being organised with respect for the local running community as well as all foreign applicants following the cancellation of the marathon,” Vandit said.
The event is separate from that of the original Malta Marathon and the Transport Malta Charity Marathon. The latter of which, was brought on to ‘remedy’ the scrapping of the first.
Vandit’s Solidarity Run was announced in the wake of the cancelation of the first event, and prior to the announcement of Transport Malta’s alternative event.
It will hold a half marathon, a 10km race & a walkathon.
The event received an overwhelming response, with over 100 runners committing to the event just a few hours after its conception.
The original Marathon was canceled after a meeting between the organisers of the event, the Malta Marathon Organising Committee (MMOC), and Transport Malta (TM), where an agreement was not reached regarding the permit.
With original plans scrapped, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Ian Borg announced a replacement organised by Transport Malta: The Transport Malta Charity Marathon.
Malta’s running community and many citizens reacted strongly to the recently announced Transport Malta Charity Marathon, with many taking to social media to voice their outrage after the event was announced by Borg.
“So first Transport Malta make it impossible for the Malta marathon organisers to organise the event that they’ve been organising for years, and a day later this is announced, in an attempt to “save the day” for Malta’s running community? Which is set to be held in two weeks? What a joke,” one woman commented on Minister Ian Borg’s announcement post.
“This is all a move to look good that the marathon was saved,” a man said.
“Anybody with any sense of principle should boycott this race and donate to Puttinu! Shame on Ian Borg!” one said.
Malta Marathon organiser Joseph Micallef has also spoken out about the government’s announcement of a replacement memory, simply saying that “the people’s reaction to the announcement says enough”.
Prior to the Malta Marathon’s cancelation, 2,400 athletes had committed to the event. Among whom, half were coming from abroad.
In the past 37 years of the Malta Marathon’s existence, this marks the third time that this event will not take place. The event was canceled in 2019 due to harsh weather conditions, in 2021 due to COVID-19 and again this year.
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