March 12, 2020

The Run for the Red Marathon and Half Marathon puts runner and volunteer safety first. Facing the threat of COVID-19, the following plan of action has been implemented.

The 2020 races are currently on as scheduled. The Governor of Pennsylvania has suggested that gatherings of greater than 250 people be suspended for the next 14 days. Our May 16-17 event weekend is more than 60 days away – too far in the future to predict the status of the COVID-19 outbreak. We are in contact with our local health officials to monitor the evolving situation closely. The Run for the Red will only be cancelled if a government order prohibits events with large gatherings.

If necessary, here are some of the actions the Run for the Red is prepared to take to reduce risk on race weekend:

• Runners and volunteers will be instructed how to self-screen and to stay home if they feel ill or have flu-like symptoms.
• Water station and finish line volunteers will wear surgical gloves.
• Hand sanitizer will be available at all race areas, including expo, start, finishes, and water stops.
• Hydration stations may offer individual sized sealed water bottles so volunteers aren’t pouring and handling open cups.
• Hydration stations may offer individual sized sealed Gatorade bottles so volunteers aren’t preparing, pouring, and handling open cups.
• The Expo may be cancelled with packet pickup moving outdoors.

Runners who are experiencing illness or flu-like symptoms should stay home. As always, we encourage runners to purchase registration protection at checkout.

If the 2020 Run for the Red is cancelled by a government ordered COVID-19 quarantine, it will not be rescheduled. Please understand that our no refund policy remains in effect. The Run for the Red has already spent money to purchase items such as shirts, medals, and other services and the American Red Cross cannot possibly absorb these costs and issue refunds. However, if the race is cancelled, all registered runners will be offered a registration deferral to the 2021 race. This deferral is good for entry in the 2021 Run for the Red only. If the 2020 races proceed, our no refund, no deferral policy remains in effect.

The American Red Cross and Run for the Red Committee thank you for your support and understanding during this unprecedented public health emergency.

Another update will be posted on Thursday March 26th.

Zack Booth
Race Director
Run for the Red

 

Course Construction Update 2

December 14, 2019
We have received an updated project schedule for the Stites Tunnel bridge construction project from PennDOT. The new projected completion date is April 16, 2020 – a full month before the marathon. PennDOT has also told us that the race will be able to pass through the construction site even if further construction delays occur. We are We’re excited for our 2020 races’ return to our classic course. Registration prices increase on January 1st, so register now!

Course Construction Update

October 19, 2019
On October 16, PennDOT announced that their construction project on 191, which affects our course, would not be finished until May 2020. In order to allow us some extra time to communicate and work with PennDOT regarding the project, we will delay opening registration until November 15. We will take this time to gather all details that we can, determine our contingency plan, and work to bring you the best race we can for 2020. Thank you for your patience and stay tuned to this page or our website for the most current information.

We have seen the announcement about the bridge repair project along our marathon course. We were assured less than a month ago by PennDOT that the project was on schedule for completion this year, so this was a surprise to us. We will be working closely with PennDOT to bring everyone new information as it becomes available.

Save the Date – We’re Back on Course

October 1, 2019
The 15th annual Run for the Red Marathon & Half Marathon will return to the classic course last run in 2018! The 2020 races will be Sunday, May 17th and will start at Pocono Mountain West High School and run 13.1 miles to the Crescent Lodge where the half will finish. Full marathon competitors will continue on another 13.1 miles to finish on the track at Stroudsburg High School.

5K Road Race Eliminated

October 1, 2019
After much consideration, the Run for the Red committee regrets to announce that as of 2020, the 5K road race will NOT be held. There are a few reasons we feel this change is necessary. The 5K course is run on the same course as the marathon and must be completed before the first marathoners arrive. Secondly, the 5K was also happening at the same time as the half marathon finish for many runners, and diverted resources away from this important point on the course. Finally, our community already has a number of popular 5K events in the spring and throughout the year, but only one marathon and half marathon.
This change will allow us to put our entire focus on the marathon and half marathon. Thanks to runner feedback from a survey conducted this summer, we are already hard at work trying to improve the runner experience.
While we regret having to eliminate any of the three Run for the Red races, this decision is being made with our runners’ best interests and safety in mind. Registration for our 2020 races will open in one month on November 1, 2019. Thank you for your understanding and we’ll see you in May!