This year's Safra Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon has been cancelled owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the race organisers announced yesterday.

The race will not take place this year "due to the evolving Covid-19 situation in Singapore", they said in a post on the event's Facebook page.

"This is to safeguard the health and well-being of our participants," added the organisers.

National marathoner Soh Rui Yong, who won the race in 2012 and 2018, said: "It's definitely disappointing since there was no Army Half Marathon last year either and it's the biggest half marathon in Singapore. However, keeping the bigger picture in mind, the health and safety of all Singaporeans is more important than just a race."

The decision marks the second year running that the event, which is co-organised by the Singapore Army and Safra, will not be held. There were 41,000 runners in the 2018 edition of the race.

Last year's event was called off after the Singapore Armed Forces lowered its training tempo across all services, as part of measures taken after the death of actor and operationally ready national serviceman (NSman) Aloysius Pang during a military exercise in New Zealand in January.

The Safra Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon joins a growing list of mass participation events that have fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

The other races include the Osim Sundown Marathon and Income Eco Run, which were scheduled to take place on Saturday and April 26 respectively. The annual DBS Marina Regatta, slated for May 29-31, was also cancelled.

Other marquee sports events with an international field have not escaped unscathed, with the Feb 27-March 1 HSBC Women's World Championship golf tournament and football's International Champions Cup scheduled for July cancelled owing to the outbreak.