Metro

Bloomberg cancels NYC Marathon after Post reveals resources being used for event

Mayor Bloomberg finally saw the light and canceled tomorrow’s New York City Marathon after The Post revealed that critical resources were being hoarded for the event instead of helping the victims of superstorm Sandy.

The decision came as the Post discovered at least 41 generators were being stashed away by race officials — as much of the city remained in a struggle to survive in blacked-out areas with little food, water of fuel.

But now, “all assets” that would have been used Sunday “will be redeployed to people who need it,” Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said last night.

COMPLETE SANDY COVERAGE

“It’s clear that some of the people who suffered the most were looking at this as a source of unhappiness, and no one wants that.’’

The reversal came just hours after Bloomberg defended his decision to go on with the marathon — comparing it to the race that was held nearly two months after the World Trade Center terror attack on 9/11.

“As Rudy Giuliani said to me this morning, he said you know right after 9/11 people said the same thing,” the mayor said.

“New York has to show that we are here and that we’re going to recover and that we do that while we help people, still help companies that need the business, still generate a tax base so that we have resources to help people and give people something to cheer about in what’s been a dismal week for a lot of people.”

But unlike on 9/11, which happened two months not one week before the marathon, Hurricane Sandy victims continue to suffer through freezing-cold weather, blackouts and life-threatening conditions — some of which will be alleviated with the much-needed marathon supplies.

Former Staten Island Congressman and Borough President Guy Molinari credited the newspaper with forcing Bloomberg’s hand.

“People I met all day today were pointing to The Post front page in anger saying, ‘Did you see that,’ ” he said, referring to the generators in Central Park.

“Everybody was angry at what The Post exposed.”

“Trying to hold the marathon was an act of stupidity . . . We haven’t even buried everybody, for Christ’s sake,” said Molinari, whose borough suffered at least 22 deaths with another 20 missing.

Bloomberg made the call after huddling last night with his top advisors and officials from the New York Road Runners Club, who barely put up a fight.

Another option, to hold the race entirely in Manhattan, was discussed but ruled out.

“There became this animosity towards runners, runners that spent four, six months training, who came here to become part of the best of New York,” said Mary Wittenberg, president of the NYRRC.

“What was happening was people were criticizing runners and it was an unhealthy dynamic, not healthy for anybody.”

The cancellation followed days of defiant preparation that included:

* Two dozen generators sitting at the starting line in Fort Wadsworth, along with hundreds of port-a-johns and several pallets of Poland Spring water bottles and Gatorade.

There were also a half-dozen industrial heaters, dozens of coffee brewers and a stockpile off Diamond Dry absorption materials.

* In Central Park, there were at least 17 power generators that could pump out more than 2 megawatts of energy and power to at least 1,000 homes. And 11 of them — some big enough to provide juice for a small apartment building — weren’t even in use yesterday.

Others were used to power check-in kiosks and a big flat-screen TV.

* Con Ed workers trying to get the city back on line were booted from hotels to make room for runners and had to waste time making other arrangements.

* Flatbed trucks used to shuttle storm victims were taken to help move barriers for the race. They were returned yesterday afternoon to the worst-hit areas in Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn’s Coney Island, law-enforcement sources said.

* Runners were set to dine on a lavish Saturday-evening pre-race meal that included lemon-thyme chicken with shallot jus, and autumn vegetable bow-tie pasta primavera with extra virgin oil and fresh herbs — which most storm victims would have killed for.

A chorus of pols had come out against holding the race, including every 2013 mayoral candidate — even President Obama’s press secretary, Jay Carney, was grilled over the commander-in-chief’s stance on the race.

Gov. Cuomo privately pressured the mayor to cancel it, sources said — even as he publicly said it was Hizzoner’s decision. “We said very clearly that it’s stupid,” said one Cuomo insider of discussions with the mayor. “Cancel [it]! Are you kidding? It starts in Staten Island.”

One Staten Island man was seen ripping down no-parking signs in Rosebank.

“I was going to take them down anyway, whether Bloomberg canceled it or not,” said Colin Dawson, 54, who had been tearing the signs from Bay Street, Wadsworth Avenue and Fingerboard Road.

“I was parked with no gas on Fingerboard Road. I can’t move my car. I wasn’t moving so somebody could run a race.”

Police union president Patrick Lynch called the cancellation “a wise decision” after previously blasting the mayor for wasting uniformed manpower during a time of emergency.

The deputy mayor Wolfson admitted the outrage helped them see the light.

“I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love the marathon; but obviously this year that changed,” he said. “There were people who found the very idea of the marathon painful. This is a unifying event, not divisive. If it’s divisive, its not the marathon.”

Additional reporting by Pedro Oliveira Jr. , David Seifman, Kevin Fasick and Larry Celona