This message was sent to all participants on March 13 at noon. .
Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Laurier Loop has been canceled. Ultimately, this was Laurier’s call, however, we agree with this decision with two priorities in mind:
- Participant safety: Public Health is asking that all large events be cancelled to minimize the spread of the virus, and even with precautions put in place, we can’t completely eliminate the risk.
- Respect for your need to prepare: We just received notification from WLU this morning and we wanted to give all participants time to make alternative plans for tomorrow.
What does that mean for your race entry? According to our participant waiver, refunds are not available when races are canceled for reasons like this. Of course, we care about you and want to treat you better than that, and so we have a few options for you:
- GO VIRTUAL: Laurier Loop 2020 is now a virtual race. More details will follow, but know this: any registered runner will be able to submit their distance and time. All runners that have submitted times by Sunday March 15 at midnight will have their race results posted, and be eligible for finisher medals (no award medals) and BOOST points. More details.
- SAVE A LITTLE BIT: As you know, we’re a relatively small non-profit that runs these events really close to the break-even point. It’s not a lot, but we can offer a 10% discount for an upcoming Run Waterloo event in 2020. Stay tuned for specific redemption information.
And of course, your t-shirts are still available, whether you do the virtual run or not. We will take them to Runners’ Choice and you can pick it up with your finisher medal. Starting at 5-7 on Friday evening. You can pick up your medal before the run, but you don’t need either to participate.
Of course we are disappointed, but we believe this is for the best. Wow, a lot has changed in a month, in a week, and in a day. As we are sending this, Ontario’s chief medical officer is recommending immediate suspension of events larger than 250 people. Thank you for your understanding. Take care and be well.
Lloyd Schmidt
Race Director
