British Sports Minister Hugh Robertson told BBC Radio 4 that Sunday’s London Marathon will go on as scheduled this weekend to show “we won’t be cowered by this sort of behavior.”
“These are balance of judgments but we are absolutely confident here that we can keep the event safe and secure,” Robertson added. “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.”
The race was expecting 37,500 competitors, including two-time London Olympic champion Mo Farah, who was scheduled to make his debut at the distance but was only planning to run half the Marathon. Farah hasn’t made a statement about the race, but he’s still expected to run this weekend, and his foundation tweeted support to Monday’s victims.
Organizers are hoping the estimated 500,000 spectators set to line the streets and stand in the shadows of London’s monuments won’t be detoured after Monday’s bombing, and Mayor Boris Johnson, who dealt with security for Olympic Marathon, said he spoke with the Met police commissioner about Sunday’s race:
“We do have robust security measures in place for Sunday’s London Marathon,” Johnson said. “But given events in Boston it’s only prudent for the police and the organizers of Sunday’s race to re-examine those security arrangements.”