NYC Marathon - Good Idea or Not This Year?

[Gregg]

Mayor Bloomberg and the powers that be have decided to hold the marathon this Sunday. There are a lot of resources that go into hosting an event like this one. In the big picture it might be a spit in the ocean compared to what's needed to get NY and NJ back to normal, but it just strikes me as the wrong thing at the wrong time. I know Bloomberg wants to put the brave face on NY, but there are still a lot of folks in the city that could use the water, food, power, toilets, etc. that will be needed to support several thousand runners and the tens of thousands of others that come with them. It just rubs me wrong.

[SteveinMN]

I've gone back and forth on this one, myself. I understand after Katrina and Irene and even significant flooding in Duluth, MN, that after people saw the massive coverage of the devastation, that's the image that remained in their minds -- far longer than actual recuperation took. And tourism and convention bookings and all suffered as a result. I agree that NYC isn't there yet, but I can understand Bloomberg's willingness to put out the "We're back!" message. In addition to the "We're Noo Yawkers -- we can handle anything" message.*

I also wonder about the logistics of redeploying all the race support to those who need it. It would rely a lot on volunteer support. But I'm guessing it could be done.



* It's OK for me to say this; I was born in Brooklyn and lived on Long Island for the first half of my life.

[CathyA]

I think they are trying to bring in the money that the marathon will bring in, but it sends a horrible message to those people who have no where to live and who have no food, are cold, and where no one has come to help.
They've been using the term "optics" when things might be reasonable, but look really bad. This has horrible optics....not to mention it being an insensitive, cruel choice. I know they're thinking of the people who have come from other countries to run this who are already here, but sh*t happens and they need to understand that. I would be mad as hell if I were some of those folks on Staten Island......and everywhere else where lives have been destroyed. As one person said "they're still pulling dead bodies out of the water".........yet they want to run a marathon. I find this unbelievable.

[Gregg]

I suppose there is an angle that says all publicity is good publicity. I'm sure the coverage will have myrid shots of devestation which would help get the word out that help is still needed. If nothing else at least one route through the city will be cleaned up.

[CathyA]

Its hard to believe that this will help with publicity. Its constantly been all over the news. One news person on our local news said that she was signed up to run in it, but isn't going, because she feels its just not right. Hopefully alot of people feel that way. Now if they are going to stay after the run and volunteer in places that need them, that would be good I guess. And how are all these people going to get around?

[creaker]

I find it amazing that NYC has the resources to even contemplate this. How many police officers have to be pulled from normal duties to staff the marathon? How many cities resources are being siphoned off to make sure the marathon route is ready for tourists when there are so many more pressing issues?

The city is no where up to handling a normal day, I don't see how they can handle a marathon. And I doubt they are going to get enough tourists to make even slight dent in the costs of running it.

[CathyA]

Mayor Bloomberg said that absolutely it wouldn't affect the clean-up efforts of the storm. But how can it not? They will need tons more police, etc. for the run that could be used on the storm problems.

[SteveinMN]

Well, the police are not cleaning up. They've brought in the National Guard to do that. ;)

Here (http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/moving_forward.htm) is a link to last-minute changes which are being made to Marathon activities. Most of the Marathon route (and spectators, etc.) are nowhere near the areas damaged most by the storm.

As I wrote earlier, I'm of a mixed mind on whether they should run the Marathon this year. Personally, I would have cancelled it. But I can understand the reasoning behind going ahead with the event.

[peggy]

It's not just police but lodging, which I assume is being taken now by those who are homeless, plus all those tourist in town thinking we'll just mosey on over to see the devastation. If it were a few weeks beyond this storm I could see putting out the We're Back sign, but it hasn't even been a week! Huge chunks don't have power yet!
It doesn't look good, tacky really, and I think will only bring bad publicity onto the Mayor. Maybe he is trying to give the impression that this was just a little bump in the road, but it wasn't. It was a thing...a big thing, and he needs to act like it. At least until the power is back on.

[Tweety]

Some people are doing the right thing. The owner of the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island is refusing to evict storm evacuees in favor of marathon runners who have reservations. "How do I tell people who have no place to go....to leave because I need to make room for somebody who wants to run the marathon? I can't do that!"
Thank you, Richard Nicotra, a good man.

[bae]

Hard to judge without ground truth...

[sweetana3]

People have died and are probably going to die in the next couple of weeks.

I wonder about the 80 year old that was on the 19th floor without electricity or water, those without electricity, water or gas to get any, those that cannot get to work or now have no work to do. Those whose only transportation was the bus or subway.

It is just too soon and all the resources should be toward getting all the systems back in order. If nothing else, the police should be working looting cases. Remember that two large city hospitals are shuttered and the remaining ones are packed full.

[puglogic]

Well, that's done:
http://news.yahoo.com/mayor-bloomberg-says-nyc-marathon-canceled-213404161--spt.html

[Spartana]

Good he cancelled it. he should have done that from the get-go. My hope is that the corporate sponsers of the marathon - who already have a large amount of supplies like generators, water, portapotties, etc.. - will lend those things and their services to those in need. And I also hope the runners who are already there will contribute their time to helping others. Happy to hear that several runners took it upon themselves to stage a fund raising run on Staten Island to benefit the needy.