THE Alloa Half Marathon has been postponed due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus in the Forth Valley area.

Organisers pulled the plug with safety in mind, with the race scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 29 this year.

All runners will be contacted in due course.

The decision comes as the London Marathon was also put off earlier this week, with the majority of sporting activities cancelled across the country.

A spokesperson for the Alloa Half Marathon said: “Due to COVID-19 virus, statements from the UK & Scottish Governments and after contacting Scottish Athletics, we feel that it is best we postpone the 2020 Alloa Half Marathon due to run on 29th March 2020.

"We feel it is in the best interest of not only our runners but also our local community to take this action.

"When the situation changes, we will be looking to re-organise the race for later in the year pending further advice from the appropriate authorities.

"Please remember, we are all volunteers who organise this race and therefore cannot reply to individual messages at this time.

"Any further updates will be sent out via email and announced on Facebook. We apologise and thank you for your understanding."

It is the second time in the last three years that the race has had to be postponed, with 2018's event put off due to the Beast from the East storm.

Organisers are now looking for a replacement date for the 2020 event sometime later in the year.