Sport Security Expert Says London Marathon Should Go Ahead

(ATR) Helmut Spahn, executive director of the International Center for Sport Security, tells Around the Rings "pressure is high" on the London Marathon organizers to step up security in the wake of the Boston bombings.

"The main problem is not to over-react now. There is a need for a clear evaluation of the situation," he told ATR onTuesday.

He said the decision made by London Marathon organizers to go ahead with this Sunday’s event was the right one.

The German, who led the security operation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, said an increased police and military presence was necessary.

"I think that will be the solution. Pressure is really high. There are not so much possibilities," Spahn said.

The two bomb blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon claimed three lives and wounded more than 140 people on Monday, sparking security fears for the London Marathon.

Spahn was quick to praise Boston Marathon organizers and emergency personnel for their rapid response to the attack, which included a swift evacuation of the area around the marathon finishing line.

"I think there was good preparation," he said.

Asked if the Boston terror attack could have been prevented, Spahn said it was too early to say until a full analysis had been completed. "Nobody knows the motivation of the bomber… was it politically motivated or a criminal act?" he said.

He said the bombing should not impact the future staging of such mass participation events.

"It is impossible to have 100 percent safety and security especially for an event like a marathon which is 42km long, no special security area with thousands of people watching. It’s impossible to body search everybody," he said.

"We fully expect the London marathon to go ahead on the 21st of April as planned," Nick Bitel, London Marathon chief executive, told the BBC.

He said detailed security plans in conjunction with Metropolitan Police "take account of many contingencies, including this type of threat… But one can't be complacent. And when it has happened, you have to then review those plans that you have in place to see what else may be necessary and that’s certainly what we’re going to be doing in the forthcoming hours and days."

Seeking to reassure runners, race organizers are in contact with runners by email and by social media and through statements on the website.

CNN anchor Piers Morgan tweeted: "London marathon this Sunday -- security at these events will never be the same again."

St James's Palace has said that said Prince Harry would still present the awards to the London Marathon winners.

Neil Kilgour, director of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival May 25-26, said the event will also evaluate its security plan."Runners’ safety is our primary concern," he said in a statement. "We work very closely with the police and emergency services and follow their advice."

Organizations and individuals around the world have offered condolences and condemned the Boston Marathon attack.

Alejandro Blanco, the president of the Madrid 2020 Bid and the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), offered his deepest condolences and said the bid will pay tribute to the Boston victims at the Madrid Marathon on April 28.

"A marathon, and especially a people’s marathon, is a celebration of sport," he said in a statement. "It is the best possible demonstration of how thousands of people can push themselves to new limits to finish the race, driven by nothing more than their own effort, enthusiasm and courage. All of us at the Madrid 2020 Bid would like to express our sincere and total support for the athletes, their families, the organizers, the U.S. Olympic Committee and all the people of the USA, who have suffered as a result of this barbaric act. We are right by their side."

Ugur Erdener, IOC member and President of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, added:"This is a truly sad day for world sport, for the athletes and all people involved in the Boston Marathon. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the victims. However, like the spirit of the marathon runners, sport will rise above these acts of evil and continue to be a force for good the world over."

Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol wrote, "Very sad about the explosions at the Boston Marathon. There are some things I’ll never understand. All my support for the victims’ families."

Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, who has run faster than any other woman in a marathon, posted on Twitter: "Situation looks awful, thoughts with everyone. There are some very sick people out there, who would do something like this?"

Reported by Mark Bissonand Karen Rosen

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