LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –The annual Little Rockers Kids Marathon Final Mile will be a virtual event this year, with race leaders saying the change is due to the rising COVID-19 cases.

According to event organizers, the inability of children under the age of 12 to receive the vaccination was the primary reason why the kid’s race was no longer in-person.

“As a community organization focused on enriching lives of others, we feel it is important to keep our youngest participants safe,” Little Rock Marathon executive director Geneva Lamm said in a statement.

This event is one of many events tied the to the Little Rock Marathon, which will be on the weekend of Nov. 20-21.

Organizers said that the Little Rockers race will be the only virtual event and all the other weekend events will happen as scheduled.

For more information on the 2021 Little Rockers Kids Marathon, visit the event’s website at LittleRockMarathon.com.