The event’s organising committee met last week and decided to cancel it, saying the stress and uncertainty of running an event under covid restrictions, rules and protocols was too much for its small volunteer group.
The decision to cancel the event, sponsored by Jackson Holmes, came with disappointment and sadness. The event was to have been held on October 17, now the day of the general election.
Spokesperson Jo Burrows said there had been a lot of deliberation and discussion about continuing, given the preparation and promotion already done.
A statement by the committee said: "It was decided that the health and safety, and also welfare of our competitors, volunteers, marshalls and general community was more important than the risks involved, as many of our marshalls and volunteers are elderly and are in the deemed risk category.
"As you will be aware the covid uncertainty at this time has also brought with it a lot more rules and protocols to abide by, and so for our small volunteer committee it was too large a responsibility to run a successful and stress free event.
"We can assure you that we will back in October 2021, as long as New Zealand’s covid levels are in a stable or non-existent position."
The organisers spent Thursday contacting competitors and sponsors to inform them of the cancellation of the 2020 race.
