November 2, 2012: “Over the course of the week it became clear that the marathon, which is really one of the very best days in the life of the city which is a moment of unity and happiness and joy and a celebration of everything that is New York had become divisive and had become controversial and candidly that controversy grew and that division grew over the course of the week, “ said Howard Wolfson, deputy mayor of New York, during a news conference with Mary Wittenberg, president of the New York Road Runners, and George Hirsch, chairman of the board of the Road Runners.
“Those of who love this city and those of us who love this race recognized that it wasn’t the marathon if it wasn’t a unifying event. It wasn’t the marathon that we knew and we love if there were people who were pained by the running of it. So in very close collaboration with Mary and her team we decided that it would be best this year to cancel it.”
Wolfson’s speech came minutes after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg canceled the New York City Marathon, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.