The 500 Irish runners who were due to run in the New York marathon will compete in a special marathon in Dublin this month.

Under a deal with the New York marathon, medals from that event will be awarded allowing the runners to fulfill their charitable obligations. Irish runners raise huge amounts of money for charities by raising money for every mile they run in New York.

Organizers of the annual Dublin marathon have agreed to run a special marathon in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Assistant race director of the Dublin event Eugene Coppinger told The Irish Times, “A lot of people who were planning to run in New York have collected a lot of money for charity and they might feel guilty accepting that money if they don’t complete a marathon,” Mr Coppinger added. “That is why we want to give them that opportunity."

He said the New York organizers had agreed that runners “will race in their New York vests and will be given the New York medals.”

Former world class athlete Eamonn Coghlan, who was leading a team for Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, stated, “Everyone who was planning to run is obviously very disappointed but under the circumstances, there is no question but that the race had to be cancelled,” he said.

“We were staying in midtown which was not too badly hit, but five or six blocks away people had no electricity for six days.”

Mayor Bloomberg made the decision to cancel the marathon after major protests from New York residents who felt it was a complete waste of city resources.