FORT WORTH, Texas — Michael Nutting's love for running started at an early age. He participated on track and cross country teams in high school in New York and picked it back up again when he moved to Texas.
The Richardson resident has competed in several marathons and had plans to compete internationally.
"After a long day of stress, [running] keeps my brain right," Nutting said.
The marathon he had scheduled for March 1 was special. He's always wanted to do the Tokyo Marathon, knowing full well it requires a lottery system to even be entered into the race. He's been running nearly 40 miles a week in anticipation of the marathon.
"This is the hardest I've trained for anything in my life," Nutting said.
But it all came to a grinding halt with one social media post from organizers in Tokyo telling most runners that the race was off.
"I saw it, and my heart just sunk," Nutting said.
A confirmed case of novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Tokyo forced organizers to limit the race only to elite runners. Instead of nearly 36,000 runners, now only 600 will compete.
"Not just the race got snatched, the whole trip got snatched," he said.
Michael and his wife and two others had hotels and tours in Tokyo booked and planned and were hoping to make a big trip out of it. Nutting spent most of the day Monday recouping what he could of the costs.
But in a stroke of luck, the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth is scheduled for that same week.
"As soon as I registered for that Cowtown Marathon, I just had a rock lifted off of me," he said.
The Cowtown Marathon said it's received a lot of interest from outside runners in the last several days.
WFAA received the following statement from race organizer Heidi Swartz:
"This is actually a bittersweet moment. We feel the struggle when another road race is forced to cancel or delay - our hearts go out to the organizers in Tokyo. On the other hand, we are proud to be considered as an alternative event and welcome any international and U.S. athletes to Fort Worth, Texas, with our recognizable friendly spirit.
The Cowtown falls on the same weekend as Tokyo and makes good sense for runners who had already planned to travel. It is an honor for us to host anyone who opts to run Cowtown in lieu of missing out on their personal goal."
Swartz told WFAA that the Cowtown Marathon has offered a discount to Tokyo runners.
The cancellation aside, Nutting is excited for the chance to run any marathon.
Even one in his back yard.
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