After initially vowing to go on as planned, New York City
has decided to cancel its annual marathon planned for Sunday, Nov. 2 that would air on
ESPN2, according to the NYC mayor's
office.
The news that the marathon would be canceled was first
reported by Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino around 3:30 p.m. Friday,
and confirmed by multiple news outlets, including WNBC, around 5:10 p.m.
NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to run the marathon
as planned sparked widespread outrage in the New York area where residents are
still struggling without electricity, food and gas in the wake of Hurricane
Sandy. The New York Post ran a particularly scathing cover
headline on Friday "Abuse of Power," taking the city to task for the generators
stationed in Central Park for the marathon they argued could be better used for
New Yorkers without power.
In a statement late Friday, Bloomberg said "While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the
recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of
controversy and division. The marathon has always brought our city
together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination. We
would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so
we have decided to cancel it."
He said the New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon, would provide information in the days ahead about whether or not the race will be rescheduled.
