Mayor Bloomberg says NYC Marathon canceled

November 2, 2012 at 4:37 p.m. | Updated November 2, 2012 at 5:13 p.m.

by The Associated Press

Julie Traina tries to recover some personal items from the destroyed home of her parents in Staten Island, N.Y., Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come under fire for pressing ahead with the New York City Marathon. Some New Yorkers say holding the 26.2-mile race would be insensitive and divert police and other important resources when many are still suffering from Superstorm Sandy. The course runs from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on hard-hit Staten Island to Central Park, sending runners through all five boroughs. The course will not be changed, since there was little damage along the route.
Julie Traina tries to recover some personal items from the destroyed home of her parents in Staten Island, N.Y., Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come under fire for pressing ahead with the New York City Marathon. Some New Yorkers say holding the 26.2-mile race would be insensitive and divert police and other important resources when many are still suffering from Superstorm Sandy. The course runs from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on hard-hit Staten Island to Central Park, sending runners through all five boroughs. The course will not be changed, since there was little damage along the route.

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the New York City Marathon has been canceled.

His statement Friday came after mounting criticism that this was not the time for a race.

With people in storm-ravaged areas still shivering without electricity and the death toll in New York City at more than 40, many New Yorkers recoiled at the prospect of police officers being assigned to protect a marathon on Sunday.

Leah Thorvilson, a Little Rock resident and four-time winner of the Little Rock Marathon was officially invited to run in the ING New York City Marathon in early October.

Thorvilson, a Robbinsdale, Minn., native who has lived in Little Rock for the past 13 years — since her collegiate days running for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock — was going to participate in the marathon, which would have been her 36th overall race.

Thorvilson ran in the U.S. Olympic Trials in January.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Thank you for coming to the website of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.

Information in this story was contributed by a previous ArkansasOnline story by David Harten

Upcoming Events