New York City Marathon Still On For Sunday
 

Folks are still without power, many without homes and looting is taking place. Some neighborhoods are still isolated and help has been slow coming. The generators are rolling in to support the marathon which will divert needed resources and manpower from their current, far more important, task at hand. 26.2 miles of NYC roadways will need to be secured while the city is still in rescue & assessment-mode. Recovery & rebuild-mode hasn't yet begun.

Should it be postponed or should it go on? I suppose the runners could be bringing much needed cash into the city, but where can they spend it? I'd imagine the hotel rooms they stay in aren't going to be in the city either.

I understand there are a lot of logistics involved in putting on an event like this and planning has been taking place since the end of last year's marathon. Some runners train for years and for the majority entry is thanks to a lottery pick.

I'd think postponing it would be the thing to do. Maybe I'm wrong?

That's great news!:) That's how tough people react in tough situations! Go New Yorkers!:)

I guess I can see it that way, as long as NY'ers can see it that way.

Yeah, I'm sure the marathon won't be the same, maybe only a token event, but it gives a good example to others. Sort of says "we refuse to be beaten."

This is one of those things, however, that will have many types of reactions, because we are all different types of people.

No matter what happens with the Marathon, I offer those in the path of the storm all the best wishes.

I think I agree with Larry.

Getting on with life will help encourage folks that things will get back to normal.

Of course there are probably millions of dollars of contracts on the line too.;)

Agree with Larry.

After 9/11, it felt like a defeat to see everything closed down even though I understood why. Was very uplifting to see places open back up.

im of two minds. On one hand, I totally agree with the idea of not letting the disaster issues alter longstanding plans, and of course, that is much needed revenue for the city.

However, watching the news today about the looting on staten island and other hard hit areas of the city, makes me interested in how police diversion to the marathon route is going to be handled.

Its almost impossible to really postpone it properly, what with how many people have scheduled their lives around arriving at this certain time. It almost has to be cancelled, or go on as scheduled.

There are two questions that need to be asked:

1) Can you get all the participants to the location?

2) Can the police support the venue, considering the aftermath of the storm?


If you can get an affirmative on those two points, you can hold the marathon.

Any other musings regarding "the hurricane" or "should it be postponed" or "I'm going to worry" or any other superfluous BS is simply irrelevant.

And, it doesn't matter a whit on "NY'ers seeing it that way". Some will and some won't. Irrelevant.

On the one hand, I love NYC's stiff upper-lip attitude. On the other, how many resources (fire/rescue, cops, generators) are getting diverted to hold the marathon? Very mixed feelings here.

Don't underestimate New York and New Yorker's ability to get things done.

Ima get me a new pair a runnin shoes this weekend...;)

A friend of mine was driving to the airport this morning to fly up and run the marathon. Listening to the news, he turned around and headed home. The NY Road Runners has offered all entrants the ability to run next year, so he is going to take them up on that offer.

I agree with the sentiment of refusing to be beaten by Sandy. On the other hand, I am quite doubtful they are in a position to pull off all the logistics and support required to put on a marathon in such a dense urban area.

I subscribe to the NY Times (one must monitor the enemy, Larry :) ) and read the NYRR does not use much in the way of police support, it's mostly volunteers now. So in that respect they would not be taking away from recovery efforts. On the other hand, with public transit still mostly non-existent, how would the volunteers even get to the race?

BTW, the race starts on Staten Island.

Unfortunately, that's BS.

To make the run over 26 miles requires the closure of an estimated 500 streets. Many of these streets are manned by police officers to ensure that no traffic enters the "dead end".

If I walk the east side of Manhattan during the race, I could easily count over 100 officers in 20 city blocks. The contingent is probably less in Brooklyn and Queens, but have no doubt that the police requirement is far from insignificant.

oh yeah, NYC
 

The looters will continue to loot

They announced today that people who have lost their homes due to storm damage and are staying in local hotels/ motels are being uprooted and kicked out so that the marathon runners/tourists/gawkers will have hotel/motel room(s).

Where I come from, that ain't right.

from the link below.

"There has been tension with the visitors as well. Some hotels reportedly have asked families stranded by the storm to leave to make room for out-of-town runners. "

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49659631?__source=yahoo|headline|other|text|&par=yahoo