(NEW YORK)—
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg canceled the New York City Marathon Friday afternoon. Bloomberg said the reversal came after criticism from New Yorkers who said it made more sense to use resources to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Many runners were already in town for the marathon. Some said they would use the extra time to volunteer.
"We have so many skill sets among us all and we're going to go out there," Meg Stlnick, from Wichita, said. "We have thermal gear. We're going to put out backs into it just as we would 25 miles. We're going to help these New Yorkers in any way we can."
More than 47,000 runners were expected to take part in Sunday's race.
