(CNN) -- The New York City Marathon - scheduled for
Sunday - was canceled Friday due to lingering effects from Superstorm
Sandy, the city's mayor said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg had said earlier in the week the race would
go on - despite transportation, power and other issues - contending,
among other things, that businesses could use the economic boost the
event provides.
"This city is a city where have to go on," Bloomberg said Wednesday.
First held in 1970, the New York City Marathon now attracts about
47,000 runners and 12,000 volunteers - not to mention an estimated 2.5
million spectators who annually line the course, which goes through all
five city boroughs.
While there has been significant progress since Sandy, large swaths
of the city remain without power and public transit options remain
limited.
