New York mayor cancels marathon after fierce criticism

The New York City Marathon was last night cancelled by Mayor Michael Bloomberg after mounting criticism that this was not the time for a race while the region is still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.

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

An estimated 40,000 runners from around the world had been expected to take part in the 26.2-mile event. The race was to start in Staten Island, one of the hardest-hit areas of this week’s storm.

“We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it,” the mayor said in a statement.

“We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event — even one as meaningful as this — to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track.”

Bloomberg called the marathon an “integral part of New York City’s life for 40 years” and “an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch”.

He still insisted that holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, but understood the level of friction. “It is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division,” he said.

“The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination.”

Four days after Superstorm Sandy smashed into the US north-east, rescuers were still discovering the extent of the death and devastation in New York and the New Jersey shore yesterday, as anger mounted over fuel shortages, power outages, and waits for relief supplies.

The total killed in one of the biggest storms to hit the US has hit 98. In New York City, 40 people have been found dead, half of them in Staten Island.

Among the dead in Staten Island were two brothers, aged 2 and 4, who were swept from their mother’s arms after her car stalled in rising flood waters. Their bodies were found near each other in a marshy area on Thursday.

Secretary of homeland security Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency de-puty administrator Richard Serino yesterday planned to visit Staten Island amid claims the borough had been ignored.

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut motorists were also confronting a shortage of fuel yesterday.

Even before dawn, long lines of cars snaked around petrol stations around the area, and police were in place at many spots to keep the peace between furious, frustrated drivers.

In one instance, a man was charged in the New York City borough of Queens with threatening another driver with a gun after he tried to cut in on a line of cars waiting for petrol.

Forecasts for colder temperatures only added to the tension, since many in New Jersey and elsewhere have been using fuel-powered generators to run lights and heaters while waiting for utilities to repair downed power lines.