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Storm Sandy: New York marathon cancelled | Storm Sandy: New York marathon cancelled |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Sunday's New York City marathon has been called off in the aftermath of the super storm Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced. | Sunday's New York City marathon has been called off in the aftermath of the super storm Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced. |
He said in a statement: "We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it." | He said in a statement: "We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it." |
Plans to press ahead with the event had prompted uproar in cyclone-ravaged parts of the city. | |
Ninety-six deaths, 40 in New York, have been blamed on Sandy in the US. | Ninety-six deaths, 40 in New York, have been blamed on Sandy in the US. |
Across the US East Coast, some 3.5 million homes and businesses - 1.2 million in New York state alone - still have no electricity, four days after the storm made landfall. | Across the US East Coast, some 3.5 million homes and businesses - 1.2 million in New York state alone - still have no electricity, four days after the storm made landfall. |
Staten Island's anger | Staten Island's anger |
Mayor Bloomberg said in his statement: "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." | Mayor Bloomberg said in his statement: "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." |
He added: "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." | He added: "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." |
The event has been cancelled until next year. | |
Food, blankets, portable toilets, generators and other items originally intended for the race are being donated by the organisers to storm-hit areas of the city. | |
Earlier Mayor Bloomberg said that holding the event would "give people something to cheer about". | Earlier Mayor Bloomberg said that holding the event would "give people something to cheer about". |
The marathon had been due to start in Staten Island, the hardest-hit part of the city, where 19 people died as a result of Sandy. | The marathon had been due to start in Staten Island, the hardest-hit part of the city, where 19 people died as a result of Sandy. |
"We're still pulling bodies out of the water and the mayor is worried about marathon runners and returning to life as normal," US Representative Michael Grimm, who represents the island and part of Brooklyn, told CNN. | "We're still pulling bodies out of the water and the mayor is worried about marathon runners and returning to life as normal," US Representative Michael Grimm, who represents the island and part of Brooklyn, told CNN. |
Other local politicians, Republicans and Democrats, had also demanded the race be stopped. | |
More than 47,000 runners - about 20,000 of them from overseas - had been due to run the 26.2-mile (42.1-km) event. | |
Anger has also been rising in Staten Island at delays in bringing aid, as residents pick through the debris of their storm-pummelled homes. | Anger has also been rising in Staten Island at delays in bringing aid, as residents pick through the debris of their storm-pummelled homes. |
Petrol tensions | Petrol tensions |
Sandy swamped the low-lying borough with record tidal surges, sweeping entire houses off their foundations. | Sandy swamped the low-lying borough with record tidal surges, sweeping entire houses off their foundations. |
The bodies of two boys, aged two and four, who were torn from their mothers' arms by rushing floodwaters, were recovered in a Staten Island marsh on Thursday. | The bodies of two boys, aged two and four, who were torn from their mothers' arms by rushing floodwaters, were recovered in a Staten Island marsh on Thursday. |
Earlier, some runners who had signed up for the race told local website Gothamist they would instead volunteer on Staten Island. | Earlier, some runners who had signed up for the race told local website Gothamist they would instead volunteer on Staten Island. |
There was criticism earlier when background music at the marathon expo in Manhattan included a heavy metal song, Rock You Like a Hurricane. | |
The utility, Consolidated Edison, meanwhile announced it has begun restoring electricity to parts of lower Manhattan - including tens of thousands in the East Village and Lower East Side. | |
The firm says many in Manhattan will see electricity return by Saturday, and most of the city will be connected again by 11 November. But some customers could be without power for weeks. | |
New Jersey remains the hardest hit by outages, affecting 1.5m people. | New Jersey remains the hardest hit by outages, affecting 1.5m people. |
In the city of Hoboken, on the banks of the Hudson river, the National Guard has been evacuated those stranded by floodwaters. | |
Petrol shortages have also caused forecourt confrontations from New Jersey to Connecticut. | |
One motorist was arrested after pulling a gun during an argument at a petrol queue. | One motorist was arrested after pulling a gun during an argument at a petrol queue. |
In a bid to ease the fuel crunch on Friday, the US waived a law that normally bans foreign oil tankers from entering its north-eastern ports. | |
The Obama administration also ordered the purchase of up to 12m gallons (45m litres) of petrol and up to 10m gallons of diesel for areas affected by Sandy. | |
On Friday evening, musicians including Bruce Springsteen, Christiana Aguliera and Billy Joel performed in an hour-long televised benefit for those affected by the storm. | |
Were you due to take part in the New York marathon on Sunday? Send us your thoughts and comments using the form below. | Were you due to take part in the New York marathon on Sunday? Send us your thoughts and comments using the form below. |