The sixth edition of one of the most unique events on the Greek sports tourism calendar, the Santorini Experience, which was set to go ahead this year has been postponed to October next year.

The cancellation of the race has come just three days before it was meant to be held this weekend. Over the past month the island has been added to the UK government’s COVID-19 quarantine list that includes the Greek islands of Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Serifos, Tinos, and Zakynthos .

The event, which is organised the Active Media Group on behalf of the the Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organization of Santorini (DAPPOS), has attracted professional and amateur athletes from around the world to take part swimming and running events on the picturesque Dodecanese island of Santorini.

We are deeply sorry that just three days before the start of the event we need to postpone it,” said Active Media Group in a statement.

The organisers said the Hellenic Swimming Federation had already endorsed the 2.4km swimming event, while the Hellenic Athletics Federation had given its approval for the land race which was to have been run over a tough but picturesque course that takes them from Oia over a winding mountain path to old port Fira.

READ MORE: Santorini Experience: the ultimate sports event at paradise on earth

The event had already received the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports and had met requirements set by the World Health Organization and World Athletics for the event to take place.

“Events will continue to take place, as they were recently held in Evia, Rethymno, Ioannina, as we all must learn to live in the new normal, with safety rules and strict protection measures, as set by the state. Without fear, but with logic.”

Active Media Group said it would offering “the possibility of a refund” to the those who had already completed their registration for the event. It has also offered participants the option to tranfer their participation to next year’s event.

“Participants who had completed their registration will receive additional information within the following week, regarding the possibility of transferring their registration to the respective event of 2021 or its cancellation and refund of their registration fee,” said Active Media in a statement.