New York – Organizer: No Runners From Ebola-stricken Nations In NYC Marathon

New York – New York City Marathon organizers say they had no runners signed up for Sunday’s race from the three West African countries stricken by Ebola.

New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg said Monday that only a “handful” of entrants, mostly from overseas, had reached out with concerns after a doctor who had treated infected patients in Africa became the first person in the city to be diagnosed with Ebola.

Wittenberg says organizers had long operated under the assumption that New York would have an Ebola case by the time the marathon came around, and they have stayed in close contact with city, state and federal health authorities to ensure proper protocols are followed.

Charities such as UNICEF that already had runners entered in the race to raise money will donate the funds to treat Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.