London, Boston marathons called off

The London Marathon has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, organisers have announced.

The 40th edition of the race, which was due to take place on April 26, will now be held on October 4.

It is the first time the race has been postponed since its launch in 1981.

The decision comes after a number of other high-profile sporting events were called off amid ongoing concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic.

British Athletics announced it would organise a separate marathon to act as a trial ahead of the summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The news comes after the Boston Marathon was also postponed earlier on Friday, joining races in Paris and Barcelona that had also been affected.

The Boston race, originally scheduled for April 20, will now be run on September 14.