lots of outrage that the event is happening. i've been reading this FB page today https://www.facebook.com/...cMarathon?ref=stream and there's a growing mob mentality condemning those coming to race and especially those making the decision to move ahead. Love the comments from those suggesting the organizers postpone the event till next weekend or run loops around Central Park instead. Simple! Then you have those blasting the corporate $pon$or$ who've put money into the event while people die, as if there's a correlation. But it's those same sponsors who are now a part of this:

http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/...n-and-donations.html

A difficult scenario all around and you can never please everyone. I hope the race goes well and that a lot of great things come out of it that help the recovery efforts.

I also read through a lot of those Facebook comments and I'm taken aback by all the outrage. I'm a New Yorker and I'm running Sunday but I do feel conflicted about it. I'm uptown so I have power and have had friends and family without power staying with me the last couple days. Luckily a loss of power and flooded cars is the worst that my friends and family experienced. Like everyone else I see on the news how awful things are for a lot of people. I don't believe that holding the marathon will be making life worse for any of the people who have lost their homes to this storm but it won't make life better for those people either. I'm hoping to hear back about volunteer opportunities for Saturday and will be running Sunday.

One thing I don't understand is why the anti marathon contingent isnt outraged that the giants are playing in New Jersey on Sunday? Anyone who has been to a pro football game knows how many cops work those games. Jersey is in even worse shape than NYC. Nobody has even mentioned canceling the football game.

We live in Deer Park on Long Island and my wife is entered in the race. We were going to cancel, then it occured to both of us that we would just be sitting in a dark cold house on Sunday (most likely) so we might as well do the race. Now things are getting very complicated.

It started with printing the paper you need to pick up your packet. No power or internet anywhere. So I used my smart phone and logged on to down load the pdf. Then I could drag it to my computer and print it, but the site prevents a mobile device from down loading it. After much thought and calling a son in law that is an IT guy I realized I could set up my phone as a hot spot for my computer and trick the site.

Next trick is getting to the expo. Gas is in very short supply so we don't want to drive into Manhattan with our neighbor in the back seat. The LIRR seems to be working so we are going to try that, I just hope we can get home.

The local running store has hired 3 buses to take everyone to the start and she is on one of those. Those buses will take her home afterwards but she has to walk to the top of the park to get back to them.

I feel for anyone that is not local trying to figure this out.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

My wife and I are driving down from Boston tomorrow morning. We're staying in Brooklyn and trying to figure how to get into Manhattan for packet pickup. One option would be to park in the Bronx or Queens, take the subway in and out from there, then drive down to Brooklyn.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
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It's a bit of an apples and oranges thing. The Giants game is a destination point of what, 1 square mile? You can make do with much fewer resources in a smaller area, even with a larger crowd. Handling the distribution of portable toilets, water stands, emergency services, and more over a 26 mile long stretch is logistically more challenging and a bigger hit on resources. Would you rather have the roads open for FEMA trucks delivering food and water to affected citizens or the local mob scene delivering those sanitation items for a race? Then throw in the fact that the marathon needs thousands of volunteers whereas the football game is staffed by employees. I'm sure volunteers are in abundance in the area passing out food, water, essential supplies, etc. Stuff to make peoples' lives better until things improve. Is the marathon a more noble calling at this time?

Last night I actually had a dream that probably stemmed from a conversation with my wife. She said they'd have to put an asterisk by the winners' names due to some top runners perhaps not being able to make it for the race. The dream I had was of 3 American women on the podium for the race, and the winner looked a bit guilty for having won.

I believe they are running buses from Atlantic Ave(the Barclays Center) into Manhattan

If they had any sense they would cancel the marathon immediately. Send apologies to the athletes, free entry next year, whatever, just cancel the damned thing.

Lower manhattan still has no power, many buildings have no water, there are muggings each night, it looks like a war zone. Staten Island is in chaos. Holding a marathon now is in very poor taste. Use the support staff to help rebuild these communities and generate goodwill that will last for years. The idea of using resources to police a foot race when the area faces such immediate problems is crazy.

Just drive it. George Washington Bridge then down West Side Highway. Make sure you have enough gas before you hit the areas that have been hit hard.

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CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO NEW YORK

+1,000,000

Very well stated.

totally agree
Bad move to go forward with this. You can tell yourself you are running to show support, etc, but really how selfless are your motivations?

I grew up in Northern New Jersey and recently moved to Staten Island. We were in flood area and evacuated to NJ but luckily we were spared. I went down to the worst areas in Staten Island yesterday to check on a family members house which was completely destroyed and looted. The destruction looks like its out of a movie scene. There is no Red Cross, no FEMA just residents freezing with no power, food, water or warmth. Those are the people who deserve the warmth blankets, those are the people who need the water, the food, the generators to get them power.

I'm not against the marathon, I actually think its great, however with that said, it's in complete bad taste to still have it this weekend while 7 miles away they are picking bodies out of marshes and burt homes. The water, blankets, food, generators and police are much better utilized helping its residents.

It's a toxic topic. No right decision can be made. Most people understand both sides. At least many marathoners and participating companies raise money to help.

I guess on Monday we'll know what should have done.

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CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO NEW YORK

Yep....so in a nutshell, everything is being done to get the whole area up and running (transit system, etc) only to have the city shut down again. Man our priorites are out of whack in this world!

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unbelievable. they haven't finished pulling the dead bodies out of the muck yet.

~~ k

I disagree, the wrong decision is CLEARLY being made and everyday they continue down this path they continue making the wrong decision. Gas is needed for generators, not buses shuttling runners from point to point. Bodies are still being pulled out of the mess in Staten Island and they are going to start the race there?? People on this thread are trying to drive into Manhatten, I don't care how many people you have in your car I doubt the city needs any extra congestion right now. Raising money to help while continuing to support this race is a joke, its nothing more than token to clear their conscience!

There is not a single rational person that would have been outraged at an immediate decision to cancel the race. A decision to cancel now will upset the people that have already traveled to NY to do the race, but it would still be the right decision. For the people planning on traveling to the race on this thread, I would urge you to reconsider.

Further, I heard on the radio this AM that displaced NY residents who are staying in NY hotels are gonna get kicked out because of the incoming wave of runners. Already w/o a place to go since they don't have power (or homes for some), they now get displaced again.

Race clearly needs to be cancelled.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I live right off 4th ave in Brooklyn, we were totally spared, never lost power no flooding in our basement so really thank g-d we came out unscathed.
Considering that I live 30 seconds from the course I always come out to cheer, but this year I will not be cheering, I have no interest in having the marathon, it is not going to "help take my mind off it" as the politicians claim.
Like others have already mentioned, they are still pulling bodies out of flooded houses in Staten Island, still no subway service between the 2 biggest boroughs, so no going to work in a week.
The 2 large supermarkets in my area are still closed because they were flooded, I can't put any gas in my car, need me to continue?.
So yeah I think that the NYPD, FDNY, volunteers etc.. have more important things to do right now.
How about ING donating the funds to the thousands of people that have lost everything they had in their entire life, in Breezy Point, The Rockaways, Staten Island, Red Hook etc...

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http://www.instagram.com/cyclewise

If I was bumped for a runner this weekend I'd probably completely lose my shit and I'm a runner myself.

If they want the community to support this race in the future, it seems like a wise move to cancel this year and encourage the athletes, volunteers and support staff to help the community by volunteering and/or donating money. I’m sure some athletes will be upset, but it’s not like they’re canceling the race because it’s going to be a little hot. This is a very good reason to cancel a marathon.

I read some of the comments on an article about this and I find the comments about bringing “normalcy” to the area comical. I imagine how I might feel if my house was destroyed and my car floated away. I highly doubt I would be excited about the marathon and view it as a sign of things returning to normal. I would probably be thinking, “if you guys have so much goddamn energy, how about grabbing a pair of work gloves and cleaning this shit up?” And I’m an endurance athlete. Imagine how Average Joe, who doesn’t even care about the marathon on a good day, feels.

A good friend of mine predicted this as she ran into a similar problems shortly after 9/11. I would absolutely go fucking bananas if I was NYer and was kicked out of my hotel room because of some self absorbed marathoner. Right now, if you don't need to be in NY, get the fuck out and send a check. NY will recover to its former glory, but it needs more than 1 week.

I just don't get the "defense" of people saying "But these runners have trained for months, spent thousands of dollars and bought plane tickets, etc."

Seriously? It is a fookin' marathon....peoples lives have been destroyed. Clearly, as endurance athletes, we can all empathize with the runners......but please, let's use some perspective here.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

it may be news to you but not everyone coming to nyc from abroad is a "self absorbed marathoner." what would you suggest someone, who lives in say, italy or france who booked a nonrefundable trip for his/her family, do? just piss away $5,000 to make you feel better? why should someone who lives in a loft in tribeca get to bump someone who booked his or her room a year ago just so said loft dweller has a nice place to camp out while his/her loft doesn't have electricity?

Every day, people are getting shot in NYC. Every day, homeless people die in NYC. Every day, children in Africa die from dehydration.

I decided to get up and help Sandy victims whether I run the marathon or not.

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CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO NEW YORK

Because that person in Tribeca has a life in NY and someone that has $5,000 to spend on a hobby is likely to recover just fine as well. That runner now has $5,000 teaching moment for his/her children on how to be caring and respectful human being.

All the more reason to not give criminals easier targets. I am glad you are helping though Uli, all I can do is send a check.