Officials Defend Decision Not to Cancel Marathon (New York City)

[alp227]

Source: NYT

Mary Wittenberg, chief executive of New York Road Runners, defended the decision to put on the New York City Marathon as scheduled Sunday after some runners and politicians called for the race to be canceled in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

“This isn’t about running, this is about helping the city,” Wittenberg said Thursday morning at the Jacob K. Javits Center, where runners were starting to register for the race. “We’re dedicating this race to the lives that were lost and helping the city recover. We want to raise money and awareness.”

Before the hurricane, Road Runners was expecting to raise about $34 million for about 300 charities. Wittenberg said this year’s race could be used as a platform for charities that would directly help people affected by the storm.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who supports the marathon partly because it generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, repeated Thursday that he expected the race to be held. Wittenberg said Wednesday that the decision to run the race was ultimately his.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/sports/officials-defend-decision-to-run-new-york-city-marathon-in-storms-aftermath.html

[freshwest]

1. Good for them. NYC charities can use the $34M and the enthusiasm of the Marathon.

[Lebam in LA]

2. I think they should postpone. I am hosting a participant from Australia here in LA

because she couldn't get to NY on Monday. Leaving for NY tomorrow but cannot get a hotel. Her teammates have cancelled. she is having to stay with friends that have no power and they are saying could be 7-10 days before it is back. That is a lot of people in a place that is going to be ripe with diseases from all the sewage and debris. Hope everyone stays healthy but I wouldn't dio it. Hope I am wrong. Best of luck to everyone.

[AtheistCrusader]

13. Our sport is your sport's punishment.

Drop a ball? 5 laps.
Miss a tackle? 5 laps.


Runners live for hardships. This is no limiting factor.
The ONLY way I would cancel, is if the race organizers are a burden to the state resources that could be better used in a timely fashion elsewhere.

[Enrique]

3. someone should ask Paul Ryan what he thinks of this

[LynneSin]

5. I heard he's the frontrunner to win this year since he's nearing a sub-2hr time

[hrmjustin]

4. I live in NYC and I think it should be moved to next week. The city is a disaster and our idiot...

... more concerned about a marathon than the people who are in trouble. He has yet to see Staten Island. The cable channels are not showing the true extent of the damage here. This is not a good idea.

[funkhowser1]

6. Hotels are kicking out storm refugees ...

with flooded homes and no power, to make way for race participants who have reservations.

Edit to add not showing full extent of storm damage. Contacted family in Boston. All is OK. Didn't even consider contacting family in NE Ohio. Found out today that they've been without power since Sunday and will be possibly this this Sunday. At work, windows blown out, everything rain soaked. Shelters open, Halloween canceled. Residents are p.o.ed. No batteries available (offered to overnight some).

[hrmjustin]

7. This is disgusting. I never voted for bloomberg.

[Javaman]

9. do you have a link showing that the hotels are kicking out people? nt

[funkhowser1]

12. no link ... Whoppi on the View ... found link.

Whoopi Goldberg and even Elizabeth Hasslecrap were discussing it on the View this a.m. Hasslecrap runs in the marathons and was in disagreement that it was not delayed. They stated the hotel situation.

Here's a NYC blog disussing it.

http://gothamist.com/2012/11/01/should_the_marathon_be_cancelled_or.php

Many residents who lost their homes or their power who are staying in hotels will be kicked out of their hotel rooms in order to make room for out of town runners. Out of town runners will find incredible logistical problems that await them, if they can even find flights that will bring them in to the City as scheduled.

[Javaman]

24. I don't fault the hotels, I fault the city for not observing proper perspective.

While I agree it's bad that the hotels are kicking these people out the runners coming to town paid for those rooms and expect to have them because the race was given the go ahad

It's certainly not the brightest move in the world to continue to have the marathon next week, but since the decision was made, a cascade of events takes place.

Delaying the marathon one week, given the circumstances, would have been the smart move.

If the city is looking for financial gain from the race, a destroyed city would benefit less than a city that has it's basic infrastructure back up and running.

There is no problem with trying to project resiliency in the face of obstacles, but this is a little different. Devastation is a lot different than obstacles.

Sadly, a city trying to recover, not only physically but mentally from the hurricane now has to play host to an enormous event when they can't even get the power back on.

[Tx4obama]

8. Seems like if they were to postpone it a week or two then more folks would be able to get there ...

Sounds crazy that they'd have it now when folks are having a hard time getting in and around the city.

[nc4bo]

10. Wasn't a woman being interviewed on tv say they were still finding bodies?

Now come on......I understand the charities needing the money but this is a crisis. Would it be so horrible to just postpone for a week? Give the city a chance to get itself together a bit more - get the bodies out of the streets (going by what the woman said).

[adigal]

22. Yes. Friends of my family found yesterday in ny

Father and son, in their basement. House collapsed. And there are missing people still. This is crazy. This will take away from the police needed for search and rescue/recovery.

[Skittles]

11. I think it's a good decision

part of the "soldiering on" part - New Yorkers are tough, plus they can raise money to help the victims

[fleur-de-lisa]

15. I agree . . . by next week people will be clamoring for normalcy.

Having been through several hurricanes, I know from experience that you want these things in this order:



1. Confirmation that everyone you love is okay.

2. Adequate shelter, water and food.

3. Electricity.

4. Any sign of normalcy . . . after about a week of living like a refugee, you crave the minor things that used to define your everyday life . . . going out to dinner, watching your favorite NFL team, postal service restored.



I know it's silly, but seeing the mailman made my day after one storm, and I don't even receive that much mail anymore. Any sign that life is getting back to normal will be welcome by next week.

[Filibuster Harry]

14. I think they should postpone

I watched her interview this morning and there are very good intentions in keeping the marathon as scheduled. (They did cancel events on friday and saturday). Raising money for the area is a plus.
In my opinion though I think they should postpone it in order for the city and its surrounding areas to have more time in tackling this disaster. There is so much cleanup to care of. In looking at the calendar if the marathon were postponed when would it take place? Sunday November 11th (veteran's day); sunday (november 18th - the sunday before thanksgiving) ??? Perhaps on a saturday (10th or 17th??).

[NYC Liberal]

16. Tying up limited resources for a marathon that should be used for helping storm victims

is appalling.

Yes they held the marathon after 9/11, but that was two months later and there weren't thousands of people without power, people unable to travel or get back to their homes, or people whose homes were totally destroyed.

Many hotels are shut down because they have no power, and the ones that aren't are filled with residents who can't get back to their homes.

[my2sense]

17. +1

[djg21]

26. Agree.

The scarcity of accomodations, the drain on law enforcement resources that can be better utilized elsewhere, and the problems with intra-city public transportation would seem to be reason to postpone or cancel the Marathon.

[mile18blister]

18. Are they cancelling other pro sports events this weekend?

NYC Marathon isn't only a race for amateurs. There are elite runners who earn a living running this race. Plus the NYC Marathon prides itself on being an international marathon. Thousands of runners are coming from all over the world. Rescheduling the race is not a minor inconvenience.

[alp227]

19. Knicks vs Heat at the MSG still on this friday night.

Tonight's regularly scheduled opener between the NY Knicks and Brooklyn (formerly New Jersey) Nets was postponed. Sunday's NY Giants home game (in an NYC suburb in NJ) will also go on as planned.

[former9thward]

20. A very irresponsible decision.

First responders who will be detailed to the race will be taken away from where they could be helping out others. The marathon will disrupt traffic even more than it is. All because of the me first attitude of the New York Road Runners Club.

[adigal]

21. They are still pulling bodies out of houses on Staten Island

Much of the city has no power, I think it is all about the money. This is disrespectful. In my view.

[Purveyor]

23. This m'fer is beyond arrogant and just plain fucked up in the head. Cancel the sob race or let

the wayward masses protest your fucking 'event' and embarrass you in front of the whole fucking world.

There...I'm done for none.

[ripcord]

25. Not smart

A cross city event like a marathon requires a huge commitment in manpower, both city employees and volunteers. Isn't there something more useful those people could be doing in NYC right now?

[Sophiegirl]

27. It wasn't a secret...

...that a superstorm was on it's way well before the date of the race. Apparently, the organizers didn't take it seriousl, or the associated $$$$.

It should have been postponed. There is no excuse for holding the event in the middle of a disaster where every day more bodies are being pulled from the rubble.

[WallaceRitchie]

28. Basic triage

You don't waste resources/time in a crisis. Horrendous diversion of people/resources/focus to hold the marathon now.