ST. LOUIS (AP) - Tighter security will be in place at a large weekend race in St. Louis because of the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and left hundreds injured, organizers and police said.
More than 36,000 people are expected for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Some extra security measures for the annual 5K include bomb-detection dogs, security cameras and uniformed officers. There will be other safety measures that won't be so easily noticed, said event co-chairwoman Sharon Korn.
The April 15 Boston bombings led organizers to take a harder look at race security and to ask police for help, Korn said.
"We are definitely beefing up our security in every way and just taking their advice and following recommendations," she said.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson, who recently took part in a discussion with Boston's police commissioner, Ed Davis, gave a presentation about what worked for marathon security. He urged St. Louis race participants to report anyone who looks suspicious and to pack lightly for the event. He said while there are no plans to search every bag, Dotson suggested carrying clear backpacks if possible.
"The world we live in now requires us to be more vigilant," he said.
The race raises money to fight breast cancer, celebrates survivors and honors people who have died from the disease. Last year the event raised $2.4 million with 50,000 participants. While 25 percent of the money raised goes to the national Susan G. Komen organization for research, 75 percent is donated to hospitals in the St. Louis region for services such as patient screening and education.
Kim Cella, 48, has registered for the race, and said she had no worries about safety.
"They've been doing this race forever, and I think they've got it down," she said.