Runners from Russia and Belarus won't be allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon

(Image credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

published 7 April 2022

The Boston Marathon will not let runners from Russia and Belarus compete in this year's race, organizers said Wednesday.

Tom Grilk, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, said in a statement that the group is "horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine. We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine."

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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, Russia and its ally Belarus have been prohibited from participating in other sporting events, The New York Times reports. FIFA has banned Russia's national soccer team and all clubs from international competition "until further notice," and the International Olympic Committee has recommended Russian and Belarusian athletes be barred from future events.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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