NEW YORK — Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the New York City Marathon would be a boost for the economy and inspire the city to move on after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. But he reversed course hours later, canceling the race amid outrage over holding a sports event while thousands of residents were without power or, in some cases, a place to live. Six days after Sandy slammed the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, the US death toll topped 100 in 10 states Saturday. The total damage in the US from Superstorm Sandy could run as high as $50 billion, according to the forecasting firm Eqecat. That would make it the second-costliest storm in US history after Hurricane Katrina. Bloomberg initially defended his plan to hold the 26.2-mile New York City Marathon as scheduled, then abruptly canceled it later in the day Friday. Many New Yorkers complained it would be insensitive and divert city resources at a time when many are suffering. The race had been scheduled to start Sunday in Staten Island, one of the hardest-hit areas by this week's storm, and the site of half the New York fatalities. “We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it,” the mayor said in a statement. Thousands of out of town runners had arrived for the marathon. At the midtown New Yorker Hotel, the lobby was filled with anguished runners, some crying and others with puffy eyes. In one corner, a group of Italian runners watched the news with blank looks. “I have no words,” said Roberto Dell'Olmo, from Vercelli, Italy. Then later: “I would like that the money I give from the marathon goes to victims.” — AP
