The Athens marathon, scheduled to take place in November, fell victim to the coronavirus on Thursday when organisers announced its cancellation.

Nearly 400 people have died in Greece from the virus since February, with the infection rate accelerating from August onwards.

Greek athletic federation SEGAS said it made "every possible effort" to save the marathon during discussions with the health authorities.

However, it could not "secure the absolute safety of runners’ health, which is and will be the top priority in our minds", the federation said.

The Athens marathon, which starts at Marathon -- the town which gave its name to the distance -- and ends at the 1896 Olympic stadium in Athens, has grown over the last decade and now attracts tens of thousands of runners.