The 2020 New York City Marathon has been cancelled due to concerns around the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said on Wednesday the decision had been made because of "coronavirus-related health and safety concerns for runners, spectators, volunteers, staff, and the many partners and communities that support the event".

The race, which was due to be held on November 1, is considered to be the world's largest marathon and saw nearly 54,000 competitors complete the 26.2-mile event last year.

It is only the second time it has been cancelled in its 50-year history, the previous instance caused by hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Last month, the Boston Marathon was cancelled after initially being pushed back from April 20 to September 14.

There have been more than 2.4million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and over 123,500 people to test positive for the virus have died, making it one of the worst-affected countries.

President Donald Trump has suggested those figures are inflated by the number of tests carried out across the country, although the USA's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, says there has been a "disturbing surge" in confirmed cases across several states.