The Spartan obstacle course and trail races originally scheduled to take place this weekend at Santa Margarita Ranch have been postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department says it asked the Spartan organization to postpone the March 13-15 event. Organizers agreed and are expected to announce a new date by Friday.
The races were expected to attract more than 7,000 participants and 1,500 spectators.
Public Health says people from 11 countries had registered for the event, including people from U.S. cities with local transmission of COVID-19. Several of the countries represented are also under CDC travel advisories related to the coronavirus.
In a statement, Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said, "It is important to cancel this event to protect the health of the participants and, ultimately, the health of our entire community. This is an event that by its nature includes close physical contact. With attendees planning to participate from across California and across the world, we need to take a proactive approach to prevent the spread of illness."
County health officials say they are closely monitoring other events scheduled in San Luis Obispo County and providing guidance on a case-by-case basis.
Spartan posted the following message to race participants on its Facebook page: