Chely Wright stunned at marathon approval in Sandy's wake

Country star Chely Wright is baffled by Michael Bloomberg's decision to stage the New York City marathon less than a week after superstorm Sandy, insisting "resources" used for the race should be diverted to the local relief effort.

The Big Apple Mayor declared the route of the 26.2-mile (42-kilometre) run safe following the storms which lashed the city on Monday (29Oct12), and celebrities including Jonny Lee Miller and Christy Turlington are expected to take part on Sunday (04Nov12).

Bloomberg said the race was "an important part" of the city's economy, but Wright is convinced officials should be focusing on the clean-up effort rather than staging the marathon.

In a post on her Twitter.com page, she writes, "While I understand the financial & psychological attributes of holding the NYC Marathon, I think we need our resources elsewhere. Opinion.

"It will be sad if there were people still trapped in their homes that could've been survivors, but we held (the) Marathon instead of saving them."