Security teams kept pace with marathon runners in New York

As more than 50,000 runners competed in the world's largest marathon on Sunday, the New York Police Department, or NYPD, was out in full force to keep the event safe.

Thousands of police officers were on duty to safeguard the runners and the more than 1 million spectators at the 49th annual TCS New York City Marathon.

The police force covered the ground, sky and waters along the 42-kilometer route, which traverses the city's five boroughs. Nothing was left to chance for the event, which came a week after a US military mission led to the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

"Together with our agency partners, we have extensive safety and security measures in place, both visible and behind the scenes," said Chris Weiller, senior vice-president of public relations at marathon organizer New York Road Runners.

With the security teams at work, the runners did what they do best. Two Kenyans - Geoffrey Kamworor, 26, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, 25, - won the men's and women's titles, respectively.

Blocker cars and sand trucks were deployed at intersections; helicopters, drones and observation posts on buildings monitored the action from above; and police boats patrolled the waterways, according to Terence A. Monahan, the NYPD's chief of department.

NYPD Chief of Counterterrorism James Waters said more than 500 blocker cars, 100 sand trucks and 500 cameras secured the course's perimeter, which was monitored by counterterrorism officers.

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives teams were deployed, along with radiological detection boats and a bomb squad.

Every runner was screened at the start of the race in Staten Island by school safety agents, Waters said.

"They will give them that sense of security that they will be safe throughout the entire day," he said.

Waters said that Critical Response Command members were out on the streets and in subways, equipped with long guns, explosive-detection devices and security dogs.

"The marathon, what makes it so cool is we're running through neighborhoods," said NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Ben Tucker. "It's a signature event in New York City, like the ball drop in Times Square."

Chen Yangyang, a New Yorker who was attending her first New York marathon, said: "The concerns of safety will flash through my mind occasionally, but overall I'm not very worried. Layers of securities are deployed from the start to the finish line, and I have faith in the NYPD."

Cheng Jun, a runner from Chongqing in Southwest China, said: "As a runner, safety is less of a concern for me."

Cheng, who is in his 50s, traveled more than 7,000 miles for his first New York Marathon and his second of the Marathon Majors - the six largest and best-known marathons in the world.

John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism of the NYPD, said the special forces raid in Syria that resulted in Baghdadi's death would not have had an impact "in that we are already at our highest levels".

Chen said: "There are evil forces in the world, but the terrorism out there should not result in us common people yielding our pursuit for the good things."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.