The New York City Marathon was cancelled this weekend despite plans to ‘press ahead’ with it by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Bloomberg had previously insisted that the marathon would go ahead and would "give people something to cheer about".
But following public backlash from areas hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, the event was cancelled.
in a statement released by Bloomberg later, he said that while hosting the event would not, as critics had said, divert resources from the recovery effort, "it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division".
He added: "We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it."
At least 90 people were killed in Monday’s superstorm that brought destruction to the US east coast, 38 bodies have been found in New York City alone. A further 69 people were killed when the storm hit the Caribbean. Latest estimates suggest the damage will cost the US at least £31bn.
More than 47,000 people had been registered for the New York Marathon on November 4.
