Quantcast
Security beefed up for New York City Marathon – Metro US

Security beefed up for New York City Marathon

Runners make their way through Queens during the 2011 ING New York City Marathon in New York November 6, 2011.  The 26.2 mile marathon courses through the five bouroughs of New York  City and is one of the largest in the world. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A.CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) Runners make their way through Queens during the 2011 ING New York City Marathon in New York November 6, 2011. The 26.2 mile marathon courses through the five bouroughs of New York City and is one of the largest in the world. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A.CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

If you want a good spot to watch the finish of the New York City Marathon this year, you might want to get there even earlier than usual.

The runner’s association that organizes the marathon is doubling down on security this year, spending more than twice their usual budget to implement more bag checks, screenings, and additional precautionary measures.

Mary Wittenberg, the New York Road Runners CEO, told the New York Times that the decision to invest more than $1 million in security this year was a direct result of the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and injured more than 260 earlier this year.

“Safety is always the first priority with the marathon,” said Mary Wittenberg, the chief executive of New York Road Runners. “I think we’ve found a new normal coming after Boston.”

Follow Emily Johnson on Twitter @emilyjreports