The London Marathon will go on as planned this coming Sunday, despite Monday’s bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Here’s the official statement, via Facebook:
The 2013 Virgin London Marathon, registration and associated events will go ahead as originally scheduled. We have reviewed and will continue to review our security arrangements with the Metropolitan Police and other authorities. We are being fully supported in all aspects of the event to safeguard our runners, spectators, volunteers and everyone connected with the event. … Further information will be forthcoming by Wednesday morning on how we propose to show our respect for the events that unfolded in Boston in the last 24 hours.
As the Guardian reports, security and law enforcement officials in the U.K. are reviewing their existing plans for the marathon, and haven’t announced any specific changes to keep the event—along with its 37,500 registered runners—safe. But they’re also waiting to see what American investigators uncover about the circumstances and perpetrators of the Boston attack.
While the official statement from the London Marathon indicates that the marathon organizers will announce a tribute to the Boston victims in the coming days, there’s already one circulating on social media: Some runners have apparently pledged to put their hands over their hearts as they cross the finish line. Those pledges, and support for the idea, are circulating under the hashtag #handsoverhearts.
