Following the Boston Marathon bombing in which three were killed and hundreds injured, iconic footraces have come to be seen as major targets for jihadist Muslims. As a result, events like the New York City Marathon now require a huge investment of extra money and police resources to protect the occasion from terrorism. The NYC marathon is no longer a simple celebration of individual athletic excellence, but now is another victim of diverse Muslim immigration.
Below, Muslim immigrant brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev exploded bombs in April’s Boston Marathon as an act of jihad against American infidels.
New restrictions were in place. Runners may no longer wear vests with large pockets, or carry backpacks or even CamelBak bags holding water. The meandering route of the Sunday event was designed to showcase the city, running through all of the five boroughs. Sunday’s runners may not have noticed the city sights, though, preoccupied as they were with security visible along 26 miles. The extra protection measures included surveillance from helicopters and 1400 cameras located along the route, plus bomb-sniffing dogs and scuba divers checking out the waterways.
The dollar cost for security was $1 million, money that could have been used far more productively, but at least the race went off safely and that’s the important thing. Congratulations to organizers and the NYPD.
Another example of targeted sports: the 2012 London Summer Olympics turned the city into an armed camp, with military choppers ready to fly and surface-to-air missiles mounted on neighborhood apartment buildings. The two-week event cost $2 billion for security, all to protect athletes and spectators from Britain’s famously unfriendly Muslims. Such extreme protective measures were not needed for London’s 1948 Games. At that time, the city was pre-Islamic and the athletic competition could be freely enjoyed as an element of western civilization, one that dates back to ancient Greece.
One report says that Muslims residing in New York City number 700,000, which cannot be a reassuring fact for police.
New York City Marathon returns — with revamped security, CNN, November 3, 2013
After a one-year hiatus, the New York City Marathon returned Sunday with a different priority: security.
It went off without a hitch as 47,000 runners raced through five boroughs and passed cheering crowds. Last year’s marathon was canceled because of damage from Superstorm Sandy.
Police were especially focused on security in part because of April’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, which left three people dead and more than 260 injured.
At least 1,500 cameras were positioned along the route to help boost security, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
There were baggage screenings and surveillance helicopters. Runners were screened and inspected before taking their starting positions, according to police.
Bomb-sniffing dogs and scuba divers scanned bridges and shorelines. Counterterrorism officers escorted ferries carrying runners.
Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the marathon’s women’s division with an official time of 2:25:07. On the men’s side, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won with an official time of 2:08:24.
Each will get $100,000 in prize money.
In New York, spectators watching from grandstands and family reunion areas were subject to baggage inspections and screenings as a precaution.
“The safety of runners and spectators has always been our highest priority,” New York Road Runners, the organizers of the event, said in a statement.
Runners took it in stride.
“It will obviously cause some problems for us, but that doesn’t matter,” said Runar Gundersen, who was to run his 35th New York Marathon this year. “Security must come first, so I gladly accept delays. … I think most runners do.”
Organizers said a lot of additional security measures will be taking place in the background.
“I know that it’s impossible to protect 26.2 miles of road 100%,” Gundersen said. “The feeling about that is much like it was in 2001 after 9/11.”
