NYPD: Bikes and drones banned from marathon route

Authorities said Wednesday that no bicycles or unauthorized drones will be allowed on the course of Sunday’s New York City Marathon as part of an intense effort by the New York Police Department to ensure the safety of the event.

Nearly 52,000 runners are expected to take part in one of the most famous marathons in the world in the race taking place in five boroughs. The organizer of the race, also one of the largest in terms of the number of participants, is the New York Road Runners team with the support of numerous corporate sponsors.

“The security situation last year was complex and even more so this year,” New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Rebecca Weiner told reporters at a news conference, referring to overseas conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, as well as the potential for political violence .

Weiner described what she said would be a robust security apparatus, including heavy weapons teams, dog patrols, bomb squads sweeping locations, and mobile response teams that will respond to situations in all municipalities.

“Anyone who tries to interrupt the race could be arrested,” Weiner said.

The NYPD will also have a dedicated anti-drone team that will work with federal officials, and Weiner stressed that no unauthorized drones will be allowed on the route. Weiner noted that blockade trucks loaded with sand will be placed at key intersections to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering the route.

Patrol Chief John Chell said an interagency exercise was held Tuesday to discuss final preparations and possible contingency scenarios.

“The NYPD and our partners were preparing for this the day after last year’s event,” Chell said.

Police operations for the 26.2-mile race will begin Saturday evening and continue through Sunday, with all uniformed officers on site early this morning. Chell noted that uniformed officers will be present at every corner of the route.

“There will be no bicycles on the route this year,” said the patrol chief.

After the briefing, NYPD spokesman Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard said the bike ban only applies to cyclists trying to navigate the actual race course. Sheppard said bikes would be allowed on side streets and nearby roadways.

Chell repeated an old phrase to inform the public if they see something unusual: “If you see something, say something, get a police officer, call 911 and let someone know.”

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a Newsday reporter since 1986, covering law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs in the New York bureaus.