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Philadelphia Marathon Opens 3K Slots For NYC Entrants; Luck Of Draw

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Philadelphia Marathon has opened an additional 3,000 slots for runners who were unable to compete in the canceled New York City Marathon.

Officials said competitors who were registered for last weekend's New York City race can enter a lottery to register for the sold-out Nov. 18 race in Philadelphia. Entries will be accepted Wednesday and until 5 p.m. Thursday, and a computer will randomly select as many as 3,000 people.

Mayor Michael Nutter said Tuesday that marathoners invested a lot of time, training and dedication to run in the Nov. 4 New York City event, which was canceled following widespread damage to the five boroughs by Superstorm Sandy.

"We are honored to welcome New York City marathon participants to Philadelphia," said Nutter.

The mayor said adding as many as 3,000 competitors was "something we can do to support the running community."

"We are sympathetic to those who were unable to participate in the NYC Marathon," Philadelphia Marathon executive director Melanie Johnson said in a statement. "It was a careful decision that took into account many factors such as the capacity of the course to accommodate the increased field of competitors, maintaining the quality of experience, and the turn-around time to secure additional supplies and resources."

Nutter previously offered his city's streets as a last-minute contingency plan for New York's canceled race, NYRR chairman George Hirsch told Runner's World magazine.

Is Philly doing the right thing? Be heard in the comments below...

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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