The Nagoya Women's Marathon will exclude all but elite competitors at the March 8 event amid concerns over the current coronavirus outbreak, while the open Nagoya City Marathon has also been canceled, organizers announced Thursday.

The move follows the example set by the March 1 Tokyo Marathon, which Monday announced it will exclude all but elite competitors. Organizers said the measure was taken to protect athletes due to uncertainty about the way the virus is transmitted.

The elite field is limited to invited athletes and those who have run marathons in 3 hours or less.