Sentence:  After days of intensifying pressure from runners, politicians and the general public to call off the New York City Marathon in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, city officials and the event's organizers decided Friday afternoon to cancel the <WSD>race</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc. where the goal is to be the first to reach some objective. Example: Several horses run in a "horse race", and the first one to reach the finishing post wins