Sunday's New York City Marathon has been cancelled due to a public backlash against the road race in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, the city's mayor has announced.
The U-turn comes just three hours after Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the decision to hold it - despite mounting criticism from New Yorkers that this was not the time for a road race.
They complained that holding the event just six days after the disaster would be insensitive and tie up precious resources when many people are still suffering.
Residents were concerned the city's already stretched police force would be re-deployed to patrol the race from handling relief work - and feared storm victims would be evicted from hotels to make room for people coming into town for the race.
Runners make their way through Queens during the 2011 race There has been growing anger too at the thought of big generators being brought in to power equipment at the finish-line tents in Central Park, while vast swathes of the city's population were still struggling to cope without electricity.
Mr Bloomberg described the marathon as being an "integral part of New York City's life for 40 years" and "an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch".
He still insisted that holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, but said he understood the level of friction and opposition to it.
"It is clear it that it has become the source of controversy and division," he said.
"The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination."
Flooded streets in Queens where the Rockaway boardwalk was washed away An estimated 40,000 runners from around the world had been expected to take part in the 26.2-mile event.
The race had been scheduled to start in Staten Island, one of the hardest-hit areas by this week's storm.
"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.
"We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event - even one as meaningful as this - to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."
Earlier, Mr Bloomberg had said he hoped to lift spirits and unite the storm-stricken city when he decided to press ahead with the event.
A fallen tree on top of a parked car in the borough of Queens in New York At a news conference, the mayor said New York "has to show that we are here and we are going to recover" and "give people something to cheer about in what's been a very dismal week for a lot of people".
He also pointed out that his predecessor, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, went ahead with the marathon in 2011 two months after the September 11 attacks, and "it pulled people together".
But in a sign of the how the political mood was turning against Mr Bloomberg, city comptroller John Liu warned that it had become clear that holding the marathon this weekend would "compromise the city's ability to protect and provide for the residents most affected by the hurricane".
Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer called for a postponement, saying New Yorkers deserved nothing less than to know that the entire government was focused solely on the recovery, while city council speaker Christine Quinn said pressing ahead "is not a decision I would have made".
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