Modern Vespa

Its been announced that the New York Marathon has been cancelled.
What a shame.
Feel for all those affected but under the circumstances you can understand why.

It brings in 350 million for the city. I am thinking they could use it about now? Stupid move IMHO.

I thought about it and you could argue it either way. It's probably for the best. The police and others have more important things to do.

I was going to say something..... but I don't want to be the cause of the locking of the thread....

Bingo. Can't they reschedule? I do realize that the runners have trained to run at the origanal date, but it seems they could still get it in.

1+ IMHO, allowing the use of resources (police, EMS, volunteers, generators, etc.) to assist those on Staten Island, etal. would be prudent at this time. I believe they are still conducting search for those (elderly) who may be trapped in damaged homes.

Food, water, household goods, fuel are in tight supply. Fuel may soon be available but there may some difficulty in having electricity to run the pumps.

Understanding that the status of area being hard hit...perhaps things need to settle down before conducting a marathon event.

Move it to Buffalo.

Was that supposed to be funny? Look, Im from Buffalo and.....just kidding. Why not?

I'm glad they canceled it. Resources need to go to the victims of Sandy. I'd like to see it moved or rescheduled.

This should be interesting

It should have been canceled. I live in Staten Island, one of the hardest hit places. 20 of the 37 people that died in NYC in Sandy were on Staten Island. Staten Island is also the starting point of the marathon. The generators and water that would be used in the marathon should be used for those that are homeless, and there are many. Tomorrow I will be helping friends clear out two homes that they can no longer return to. And I and other family members have run the marathon a number of times. We have police guarding the few gas stations that have gas. Bloomberg was an idiot for trying to keep it going. I was one that signed petitions to cancel the race. The wrong time one they are still finding bodies in the marshes of Staten Island. They will be burying the victims when the race would be going on.

Agreed!

It's too bad what's really going on in Staten Island is not making the mainstream media...however I'm aware of what's happening...you got a couple of pints of blood and American Red Cross donation headed your way!

By the way, is that you fisking the poor puppy? Now clue me in...what prompted subjecting this puppy to such and embarassing event?

When i ran it in 2009 there was like 40,000 runners and it keeps growing every year. With the cancellation this year's batch get to run it next year, are we looking at twice as many participants? the more the merrier though

No, this is a major international event that co-ordinates with many other marathons and is a qualifier for marathons later in the year. The options are to go ahead or cancel completely for this year. Marathon logistics are extremely complex and interlocking.

For the folks who only run it as a local marathon rescheduling might not be a big deal but for the international athletes no.

m the puppy

just curious how would they move it? its "the New York City Marathon" wouldn't it need to be in NYC?

I agree with the postpone or cancellation till all the resources need are back to full strength and able to assist.

They can still call it the NY City Marathon if they moved it one year. After all the New York Giants play in New Jersey.

While a "stiff upper lip" allowing the marathon to be run sounds ducky, the resources involved would be better spent delivering to those left without shelter, water and the like. Just giving the 10s of thousands of gallons of bottled drinks that the runners consume to those in need would make a difference. Won't even get into the issue of diverting public safety resources.

Disrupting the world's marathon schedule pales in the face of the disruptions many thousands more storm victims are suffering.

I live in NY and initially I was thinking why not reschedule or move it. But after looking at a TV program last night related to Hurricane Sandy that has changed my mind. There is just no time or room for thought for even considering a marathon, its also disrespectful.

I understand that many runners have trained a whole year or years, spent money, and is one of their primary goals or whatever you want to call it (no disrespect intended), but there are people out there that have lost their life or family member, homes that have been destroyed after years of sacrifice and hard work, lost all their personal belongs, living in shelters, etc, etc. Its really sad. Its not about the people being without gas or electricity, or maybe even some minor flooding, its about the more serious stuff mentioned above. I highly doubt that if one of the runners had lost their home they would be thinking of still running the marathon.
I dont think its the end of the world or life for people not to be able to run the marathon, but for many people that have lost their homes/everything it sure feels like it.

Also from an article I read it seems that many home owners in NY dont even carry Hurricane/Natural Disaster Insurance and if they do carry flood is not covered. Really sad

You might be surprised. My brother lost 1/3 of his roof in Ike and unlike NYC we got a lot of rain - I think 9" at his house. He put on a temporary repair (tarps and whatever shingles he had in his workshop) to prevent more rain from coming in. After the airport reopened he and his wife went to the airport and flew to Italy for a vacation they had already planned and paid for. Said that there was really nothing more they could do until stores were fully reopened (we were out of power for 9.5 days at our house) and insurance adjusters, contractors and others were available. So they might as well not lose the money they had already spent for hotels, flights and cars.

They came home 10 days later and started the process of rebuilding.

FYI, if their homes were damaged by flood waters from the tidal surge that would be covered by flood insurance. Hurricane insurance covers wind damage like from losing your roof. Speaking from experience after Alison flooded our house. Our windstorm covered only $280 worth of damage to the roof and fence (after deductible). Flood insurance covered everything from 4' down in the house but not the upper cabinets in the kitchen (that's only covered if there is more than 4.1" of water in the house) so even after insurance we were still out over $20,000. Ironically, people we know without insurance had less out of pocket after FEMA grants which we were not able to get because we had insurance.

It is a pain in the arse dealing with insurance companies, rebuilding, government regulations and red tape but it isn't the end of the world unless you want to make it so.

cd

Not everyone effected by a storm such as Sandy has a vacation to Italy on the books. In fact, I'm willing to bet that a lot of effected New Yorkers would be happy to afford a vacation in the Catskills.

I lived three years on Mont Sec Avenue on Staten Island, and have a good feel for the demographics. I can assure you that a large number of people effected by Sandy are working stiffs that will take years to recover.

Is Bread and Circus really appropriate in light of the suffering of so many?

The MISTAKE was Bloomberg saying "oh yeah, it's on!" all week and then canceling it at the last minute. THAT was disruptive.

I agree Al, and since everyone's situation is different, a trip to Italy in light of the situation was a very personal decision, and frankly not one most people would've taken (most people I know anyway).

This event was is second only to Katrina in terms of size and impact and the repurcussions from Katrina are still being felt and dealt with with every day by many...

The marathon can wait, there are more important things to devote resources and attention to. Unfortunate for a relative few that there was ambiguity regarding it going forth or not, but in the big picture it's for the greater good.

The mayor's claim that the marathon would not divert resources from relief efforts was just plain horse puckey.

From USA Today:

The scrappy New York Post took the mayor to task with its front page headlined "Abuse of Power." It pictured large generators supplying power to the marathon's administrative tent in Central Park.

"Those generators could power 400 homes on Staten Island or the Rockaways or any storm-racked neighborhood in the city certain to be suffering the after-affects of Hurricane Sandy on Sunday morning," the Post thundered in a Friday editorial. "Shouldn't they come first? Shouldn't the race just be canceled? Damned straight."

A hotel owner on Staten Island had opened his hotel to residents to get refuge from the storm. By Thursday, when he was to be sold out to runners, those locals were without homes to return to. The hotel owner offered the runners cots in the hotel ballroom, but he was not going to evict the locals. Similar situations occurred across the city with stranded out of towners adding to the displaced residents. And the city needed 50,000 additional people?

Gala dinners planned for runners, and many people are eating cold MREs.

Get serious. The very presence of the runners and their entourages is a diversion of resources.

I think the problem is the story isn't being covered as it should be. You have to go to, other than main stream media to see the real stories.
Think of the coverage Katrina got, and the coverage this is getting.
Not sure what's going on with that.

Exactly, and not everyone can temporary fix their own home themselves , if any home left. 1/3 of a roof is one thing, not having a house is another. Keep in mind there are some old people as well as babies. (saw a lady on TV with 2 ten months old babies that had nowhere to go). Most of the people more servery affected wouldnt have clothing for their trip to Italy...

Problem is that when you mention NY everybody only sees NYC Manhattan and honestly its not so bad, I agree. A couple of floods, closed roads and no electricity here and there but thats about it. Go to Staten Island, and some parts of Queens and is not far from Katrina. But yeah lets run a Marathon...

In our local paper this a.m. from today to Nov. 30th our local Macy's stores are matching $ for $ any donation made at their stores up to a grand total of $500,000 matching. This will be given to the American Red Cross. I'll make a trip down to the local Macy's today.

The blood donations have already been promoted...hopefully we'll get a good turn out. As mentioned previously, wife and I gave last week...I believe it may make it's way to address needs in NY.

After 2012, wife and I donated tax returns to NY 911 fund drive.

There are a few of us in Hawaii that have compassion for those within and outside our State.

By the way we are part of the "States"...sometimes people forget since we're not part of the lower 48.

Think of all the hotel rooms that would have been open for locals.

I got some negative hits for my first post in this thread so here is my rational:

If assurances by the mayor and statements like this: are true then I am not seeing the rational for calling off this event. I am not being insensitive here, in fact, just the opposite. Sensitive to charities the will not get the estimated $24.3 million the race provide NYC charities. Some dispute the total revenue generation of 350 million but all you have to do is look it up. It may not be exactly that, maybe a little less or a little more.

As long as the race doesn't directly interfere with ongoing rescue efforts and no one is thrown out of emergency shelter and other arrangements made for runners and spectators lodging I think letting the race go on would have done way more good than harm if any.

http://news.yahoo.com/bloomberg-nyc-marathon-175334440--spt.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/lets-look-at-all-the-ways-the-marathon-brings-money-to-nyc-2012-11

http://www.marathonguide.com/pressreleases/index.cfm?file=NewYorkCityMarathon_110427b

Never thought I would be agreeing with Bloomburg on something. Negative me all you want but it is unwarranted as there is merit in this view even if you disagree.

I would let this just be a local issue.... Let the New Yorker's decide what is best for New York.

As of now I'm letting it go....

It's likely to be debated whether the lost income would have been worth it, but considering that just about everyone in the city opposed the mayor on this one, including almost all the mayor's own subordinates and most of the city workers, it had reached the point where it would have been untenable to hold the race.

Brendan

Yep, that.

Even from this side of the atlantic that seemed optimistic and a bad idea.

It was only fair to those planning to travel to say that it was being delayed/cancelled as soon as the extent of the storm damage was known.

Couldn't agree more.

Not being at all familiar with the geography of New York City, one of the above comments stated that the marathon started on Staten Island.
Is Staten Island less than an actual island? I am lost trying to understand how the runners could get off the "island".

Staten Island is an actual island. It is connected to Brooklyn by the nearly two-mile-long Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Brendan

20 years -- and 30 pounds -- ago, I was an avid marathoner (completed 10 consecutive Marine Corps Marathons). Back then, I would have resented a marathon being cancelled for anything short of the apocalypse.

With accumulated wisdom and freedom from bias, though, I believe it would have been nothing short of criminal to have proceeded with the NYC Marathon under these circumstances. I well know the huge amount of city public safety resources that would have had to be diverted to hold a marathon of this size, to say nothing of the need to close probably half the lanes of the only bridge to the island for the duration of the run.

Under normal circumstances, the economic benefit to the city might justify the diversion of resources and the disruption... but these are far from normal circumstances.

Hmm... I wonder if I can blame the weight gain on the accumulated wisdom.

His wasn't a complete vacation though his wife going along was and it was something planned for over 2 years. Just like many of those marathon runners. I'm quite sure that many of the runners who currently without power or have lost or seriously damaged homes would still have run. Just like my brother continued with his plans. With the amount of water that came in before he was able to do what temporary roofing repairs he could do meant every room in his house but 2 had to be gutted. So don't make the mistake of thinking his damage was limited to replacing a third of his roof.

My point was that when you have worked and planned for something for a long time whether it is a marathon or something else cancelling can cause as much hardship as going forward and dealing with the aftermath of a storm upon your return. You don't magically get the money already spent back and staying in a damaged home or shelter isn't going to make things better any faster in many cases.

I've lived though more than many hurricane with varying amount of damage from yard clean up to having to have half of my house rebuilt from flood waters. From experience I know that after the first day or two there is a lot of hurry up and wait. Finding qualified people to do the jobs you can't takes time, rushing into it can cause more problems down the line if you take the first available person. Folks in New York will need to look out for fly by night "contractors" that are like a plague of locus that come in with the relief workers. Not ot mention that unless they are lucky enough to have a source of ready cash they'll have to wait for insurance checks or government assistance and the marathon wouldn't affect that timing at all.

Yes, it is upsetting to see people who were minimally inconvenienced going on with life as normal while you are sitting there without power but I've been in those shoes on both sides.

Im not sure how TX is right now but in NYC it's getting close to 37 degrees and far out west where the most damage is even more cold. There are people donating coats to home owners, not to mention food.
And again as said before some people have noting to repair, being 1/3 or 3/4 of a house.
I honestly really do feel sorry for the runners but the damage and complications the hurricane caused is pretty deep.

Im not sure how TX is right now but in NYC it's getting close to 37 degrees and far out west where the most damage is even more cold and tonight even more. There are people donating coats to home owners, not to mention food.
And again as said before some people have noting to repair, being 1/3 or 3/4 of a house.
I honestly really do feel sorry for the runners but the damage and complications the hurricane caused is pretty deep.

Cold will be a big problem. In Texas it is heat that kills and it does kill. Plus we get West Nile spread by mosquitoes which tend to proliferate after hurricanes. After Ike we were fortunately with the weather. Not as much after Alison.

I'm not trying to get into a pissing match over damage. I gave my brother as an example of how some people would react to running in the marathon even if their house was damaged or destroyed. His choice wasn't mine. Our homes were damaged in different storms and different ways. Mine from flooding, his from wind and rain pouring in from the roof that was torn off.

Damage in Houston from Ike and from Alison was on a similar scale to Sandy with the exception of the subway system because Houston doesn't have public transportation worth squat. Power was out for weeks in many areas. There were more lives lost in Alison or Ike not to mention Katrina than has been lost in Sandy.

We had many subdivisions with 8' or more of water. You can find pictures like the ones referenced in the other thread where before 200 homes after 10 damaged homes still standing in just one community - Crystal Beach. Homes can be rebuilt or replaced, lives not so much.

Has NYC been hit hard - of course it has but it isn't unique.