The Great East Run, the half-marathon which was due to be held in Ipswich next month, has been cancelled due to coronavirus.

The event’s organisers have confirmed the 2020 edition of the Great East Run, which was scheduled for Sunday, September 20, will be “impossible” to hold given the Covid-19 restrictions likely to be in place.

Entrants to next month’s race will have the option to claim a refund or have a space reserved for the next event in September 2021.

Organisers are in the process of contacting everyone who had signed up for the run by email with further information.

Paul Foster, chief executive of the Great Run Company, said: “We understand this will be disappointing news to all those who were planning to take part, but the safety of participants, spectators and of all those associated with the staging of the events is always our number one priority.

“Over the past few months we have worked hard to try and find a way to stage the Great East Run while observing social distancing rules and, most importantly, not impacting on our local NHS.

“However, as things stand, and even as the situation improves, it’s not going to be possible to meet these goals with any certainty, and so we have concluded that the best course of action is to cancel.”