Sources confirm to YWN that Mayor Bloomberg has caved into pressure, and has decided to cancel the Marathon, which was scheduled for this Sunday.

Bloomberg was facing a growing backlash on Friday over his determination to press ahead with the marathon on Sunday.

Despite the city’s ongoing cleanup operation and the escalating death toll from Hurricane Sandy, Bloomberg remained defiant, insisting the event would take place. “We have to find some way to express ourselves and show solidarity with each other,” he said. “We have to have a city going forward.”

Jimmy Oddo, a City councilor representing the borough, said in a tweet: “If it takes one first responder from Staten Island to cover this marathon I will scream. We have people with no homes and no hope right now.”

On Friday afternoon, Christine Quinn, the city council speaker and normally an ally of Bloomberg, broke ranks with him. In a statement, she said: “The decision to move forward with the marathon is not a decision I would have made.”

New York state governor Andrew Cuomo made it clear that this was Bloomberg’s decision. “There’s a debate and I understand both sides,” he said, pointedly refusing to publicly back the decision to stage the marathon.

Bill de Blasio, Public Advocate for the City of New York said “The needs are simply too great to divert any resources from the recovery. Lodgings reserved for marathoners must be re-allocated to utility workers. We need to postpone the Marathon and keep our focus where it belongs: on public safety and vital relief operations.”

Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro slammed the Mayor when speaking to ABC News.

The race’s staging area is on Staten Island and Molinaro said it would be “crazy, asinine,” to have the race after what has happened.

“My God. What we have here is terrible, a disaster,” Molinaro said Wednesday. “If they want to race, let them race with themselves. This is no time for a parade. A marathon is a parade. Now is the time to put your shoulder to the wheel. If they want to prepare for something, let them prepare for the election, not a marathon.”

“Do you realize how many police officers you need for a marathon?” he asked. “There are people looting stores on Midland Avenue. There is looting taking place in the homes on the South Shore that were destroyed. That is where we need the police.”

(Dov Gordon – YWN)