Boston Marathon Bans Russian, Belarusian Runners

The isolation of Russia in the world of sports continued this week when the Boston Marathon banned Russian and Belarusian runners from competing.

In a statement on Wednesday, Tom Grilk, chief of the Boston Athletic Association, said that the runners will be banned to show solidarity with Ukraine.

“Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” Grilk said. “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.”

The finish line of the Boston Marathon (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

According to the New York Times, citizens of either Russia or Belarus who are residents in other countries will still be allowed to participate.

“The Boston Athletic Association’s ban applied to shorter 2022 races it organizes, but by far the most famous is the marathon, one of the most prestigious in the world,” noted the Times. “It is scheduled for April 18, returning to its traditional timing on Patriots’ Day.”

“In the last Boston Marathon before the pandemic, in 2019, out of more than 30,000 entrants, only 56 were from Russia and three from Belarus,” it added. ‘

In March, shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)  suspended all Russian and Belarusian teams from competing “until further notice.” USA Hockey supported the decision.

Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine as they defend their country. USA Hockey fully supports the IIHF in its decision to not allow Russian and Belarus to host or participate upcoming World Championships. The actions of Vladimir Putin and the support from Belarusian government officials, are beyond reprehensible.

FIFA also announced that Russia would be banned from the 2022 World Cup after initially resisting calls to do so.

“Russia has been kicked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by FIFA after the world governing body and the European association, UEFA, issued a joint statement to confirm that all Russian national teams and clubs have been suspended until further notice following the invasion of Ukraine,” reported ESPN.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also recommended that international sporting competitions ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in sporting events.