Face of Nation : Thousands of runners were called away from a half marathon at the last minute as a major armed police operation was launched over a “suspicious” man. About 3,500 people had been expected to take part in the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough earlier.
The race had been due to start at 10:30 BST and was delayed, then called off in the “interests of safety”. Cambridgeshire Police launched a “major firearms response” but later said no crime had been committed. The force declined to say what suspicious activity it had believed was happening.
It said a witness had acted in good faith but “misinterpreted” what had been seen, in Alexandra Road, close to the course, at about 09:50 BST. Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, who was due to take part in the half marathon, said: “I know the cancellation will have been incredibly frustrating for all those involved.
“However, it was the right decision for the event organisers (working closely with police colleagues) to cancel the race.” He said public safety was paramount. The organisers tweeted that they “took the decision to cancel the half marathon half an hour after its original start time” because of the police information.
