London Marathon organizers will proceed to stage their race on Sunday despite the threat of terrorism in less than a week after the Boston Marathon bombing, representatives announced to BBC on Tuesday. Organizers of the marathon are determined to put on a show of "solidarity" for Boston.
London has been a top target for terrorists, and concerns increased after Monday's events in Boston, which left three people dead and over 170 injured. However, British sports minister Hugh Robertson said the London Marathon, watched by an estimated 500,000 spectators and run through some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, will go on as planned to show "we won't be cowered by this sort of behavior."
"The best way for us to react is to push ahead with the marathon on Sunday, to get people on the streets and to celebrate it as we always do in London," Robertson told the BBC on Tuesday.
"These are balanced judgments but we are absolutely confident here that we can keep the event safe and secure. I think this is one of those incidents where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue and send a very clear message to those responsible."
Below is an ESPN interview with Lou Marciani, the director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security:
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