Mayor Michael Bloomberg first wanted the to push through with the marathon, saying that it would be a good way to tell the world that the city is moving forward strong from the recent superstorm.
However, other elected officials said that there are still a lot of cleaning up and aid that needs to be done, and holding the marathon could only take away manpower and energy which could otherwise be used to focus on helping the hard-hit residents of the city.
"We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it," Mr. Bloomberg finally announced during a press conference.
"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."
Reactions to the news are mixed, many are obviously disappointed that the marathon had to be cancelled. Many participants have come to New York from different cities and countries just to be in the event.