ST. IGNACE — One of the more popular events involving the Mackinac Bridge has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The 2020 Mighty Mac Swim, which has swimmers swim the straights of Mackinac, has been cancelled.

As the executive director of the event explains, while the decision is a disappointing one, the safety of everyone involved is the number one priority.

“There’s no two ways about it, it is sad,” said Jim Dreyer, Executive Director for the event. “People look forward to this and they train for it year-round. We are extremely disappointed, but with that being said, safety has always been first and foremost in regards to our concerns and weighing into our decisions to cancelling this event. Thinking of the safety of the swimmers, the volunteers, the staff, this is the safest way to go.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s latest executive order is credited as major reason why the event is cancelled, as it prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people; last year’s swim involved over 400 participants.

Additionally, the logistics of the event requires a substantial amount of planning, which has been cut significantly short due to the pandemic.

Last year, over 13 government entities assisted in making sure the swimmers were safe, which would be challenging to replicate in the current pandemic climate.

Event organizers are planning on holding the swim once again in 2021.