KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thousands of runners, including some from the metro, will take part in the New York City Marathon this weekend despite a terror attack in the area earlier this week.
On Tuesday, a 29-year-old man originally from Uzbekistan allegedly orchestrated a rampage that killed eight people after he sped down a city bike route in a rented truck.
Investigators have allegedly found ties to terrorist groups with the suspect and he now faces federal charges.
Despite concerns, organizers for the annual marathon said the race will still go on.
Nicole Dingley, who lives in Brookside, will be one of the thousands of runners taking part on Sunday.
“I’ve been doing marathons for the last decade,” she explained. “I’ve done a few different urban marathons, from Chicago to Boston. They were great but there's nothing that compares to New York."
Dingley has been training for the race since June along the Trolley Trail.
Following this week’s terror attack, she said safety would be a concern for the event.
“I guess my mind has been on the security measures and what sort of things they'll be doing to make sure that everyone is safe,” she explained.
With the city on high alert, Dingley said the atmosphere for this year’s marathon reminded her of another race she ran in 2014.
“I ran the Boston Marathon the year after the bombing and there was a lot of fear,” she explained.
Despite the tragic event in New York City, Dingley said she was ready to represent the metro and show that terror won’t win.
“I would never go to a marathon without my Royals hat. So I'll have that in hand,” she explained. “This is the way you defeat that sort of behavior. You come together as a people and stand for what you believe."
The New York City Marathon will be held on Sunday.
This year, around 50,000 runners are expected to take part.
