The 32nd edition of the Bosporus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, a unique event where swimmers have the opportunity to cross between Asia and Europe, will be held in Istanbul on Sunday.

In a statement, the Turkish National Olympic Committee, which organizes the event, said the race will start at 10 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and will be held without any spectators due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The committee also released a lengthy list of various coronavirus precautions that will be taken during the race, including the cancellation of all activities except the race itself.

The race will see swimmers dive into the Bosporus from the Kanlıca pier on Istanbul's Asian side. They will swim a 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) course to Kuruçeşme on the European side. The Bosporus, one of the busiest waterways in the world as it connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, will be closed to maritime traffic for the event.

Last year’s race was attended by around 2,400 swimmers from 59 countries and was won by Turkish swimmers Melikşah Düğen in the men’s category and Ilgın Çelik in the women's.