In the wake of the terrible bombings that occurred at the recent Boston Marathon, officials in London are tightening up their security detail in preparation for the upcoming London Marathon.
Over 140 people were injured and three killed when two separate bombs were detonated near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. With security alerts at their highest across the world, especially for massive proceedings such as sporting events, security officials are doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
"I think this is one of those incidents where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue and send a very clear message to those responsible," Hugh Robertson, the United Kingdom's sports minister said in an interview with BBC Radio.
"These are balance of judgments but we are absolutely confident here that we can keep the event safe and secure."
While preparing for advanced security detail concerning Sunday's London Marathon that -- according to Robertson -- will go on as planned, British police in the London area are also bulking up security for Wednesday's funeral for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, according to a report by the Washington Post.
Involving a procession through the streets of London, it is also reported by the Washington Post that Queen Elizabeth II will be one of the thousands present for the honoring of the former Prime Minister. Funeral security plans will be evaluated further before Wednesday's procession.
Last year's London Marathon was one of the largest ever with well over 35,000 participants and thousands more watching from the sidewalks. Given the terrible events that unfolded at the recent Boston Marathon and the fact that London has been known to be a target for terrorist activity, there is no doubt the security level at the 2013 event will be one of the highest ever.
"I think you are going to find a lot of surveillance on the crowds," David Lowe, a sports event security specialist, told the BBC according to the NY Times. "There could be people looking elsewhere for totally different reasons, I can imagine that the security will be stepped up." There is no such thing as being too careful when seeing what unfolded in Boston.
Chief executive of the London Marathon Nick Bitel is one of the many people behind the safety arrangements for the upcoming race. "The London Marathon, has fairly detailed contingency plans which one hopes can deal with anything that occurs," Bitel said to the NY Times. "But when something of this nature does happen you obviously want to review them and see if changes need to be made ."
Sunday's London Marathon is expected to go on as planned and those wishing to run in the race or view from the streets should still plan on attending.
In tough situations like the one Boston residents are dealing with right now, strength and unity amongst one another is sometimes the strongest deterrent of evil there is.
Good luck to all those running in the 2013 London Marathon and to those in the crowd, have a great time cheering in support of the participants.
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