NEW YORK (AP) — Inspiring or inappropriate? New Yorkers and runners from around the world debated whether a marathon should be run with disaster for a backdrop.

The New York City Marathon is a go for Sunday, with many logistical questions to be answered.

"To us the marathon really epitomizes the spirit of New York City, the vitality, the tenacity, the determination of New Yorkers," New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg said Wednesday shortly before Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed that the race was on. "Now our every effort is to once again tell the world that New York City, as the mayor would say, is open for business, and we welcome the support of the world at this trying time."