Malta Marathon cancelled over COVID-19 and traffic safety concerns

The 2022 Malta Marathon has been cancelled due to safety concerns over the suggested route and COVID-19 regulations governing mass sports events. 

The Malta Marathon Organising Committee (MMOC) announced on Tuesday that it is cancelling the 2022 race following a meeting with Transport Malta. 

According to the committee, Transport Malta (TM) told Malta Marathon that it must adopt a different route to that used in previous years. 

“Whilst we fully respect Transport Malta’s authority, we cannot adopt a route that has been declared as unacceptable by Mater Dei’s Emergency Department, the Malta Red Cross and the Malta Traffic Police due to safety concerns,” it said in a Facebook post. 

Instead, the MMOC will start to discuss a new route for subsequent years.  

The committee had offered to start the event one hour earlier so as to mitigate any traffic concerns that Transport Malta might have.  

However, this request was rejected since the route would close arterial roads after 10:30am. 

“In view of this, the MMOC today proposed a way of having all participants out of the arterial routes by 10:30am whilst still using the MMOC route. This was also refused.” 

Another factor that forced the committee to cancel the Malta Marathon was the COVID-19 regulations governing mass sports events. 

“Although updated last Friday, it still precludes the Malta Marathon from being held,” it said. 

Any application and transport fees already paid to the MMOC will be refunded in due course.