As COVID-19 numbers continue to surge in the Treasure Valley, large event organizers are being forced to make tough decisions for a second year in a row. 

On Monday, Idaho reported an additional 627 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The case load, largely driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, is the highest the state has seen since January. The trend continues in the wrong direction and that's why the race organizers of St. Luke's FitOne has made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person 5K/10K/Half Marathon scheduled for Saturday, September 25.

Originally, organizers planned to allow 6,350 participants to run the race in person but were transparent in letting those who signed-up know that if conditions changed, they would move back to a virtual format.

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That will be the game plan moving forward. According to an e-mail sent to participants, anyone who signed up for the in-person race will be automatically converted to the virtual event happening August 19-25. Those who paid more than $30 for the event, will be refunded for the amount they paid over that and race packets will be mailed in time for you to wear your t-shirt and race bib for the virtual event.

We, along with the FitOne staff, hope you'll decide to do the virtual race as all proceeds benefit St. Luke's Children's Hospital and the work they do to support the health and wellbeing of kids in the Treasure Valley. However, if you were only interested in FitOne because it was one of the few in-person races available in 2021, they will allow you to request a refund through the RunSignUp account you registered with.

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We'll miss seeing you on the course this year, but FitOne did put on the only virtual race that felt like an actual race last year! The amount of course support they had through encouraging signs along the route and the shout outs on the RaceJoy app truly made it feel like you weren't just out there running the Greenbelt on your own!

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