Hull Marathon cancelled due to costs and staffing

Organisers said they had not seen the "usual late surge of entries" for the race

Hull Marathon has been cancelled less than three weeks before it was due to take place.

The race director said fewer than 400 people had signed up for the 25 September race, which usually attracts up to 2,000 runners.

The event had become "unviable" due to rising costs, a lack of volunteers and "infrastructure challenges", he added.

The Humber Bridge Half Marathon, fun run and relay race will still take place as planned.

It is the third time the event has been withdrawn since it started in 2012, following cancellations in 2020 and 2021 when virtual marathons were held instead.

Lucas Meagor, event director, said in a statement on Tuesday it became clear in the past 48 hours that the race had become unviable.

He said: "We appreciate those who have trained towards the event and the disappointment this will cause at this stage.

"I had hoped we would see the usual late surge of entries but this has not occurred."

Runners refunded

He added that LKR Events, which organises the race, had struggled to attract the number of volunteers needed and could not justify the cost of employing staff to make the race happen.

Runners who paid up to £49 to enter the race will be offered a refund or alternative options.

A spokesperson for the event said they could not confirm if there were plans for it to return in 2023.

Andy Norton, who runs a race timing company in Doncaster, said many events had struggled to attract enough runners since the pandemic.

He said organisers faced rising costs and participants were also worried about the price of travelling to big events.

"I have been running for about 20 years and now I have been looking for races around where I live, people don't want to spend a fortune on petrol and hotels," he said.