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Yet the New York Marathon not only will go on but also will pass through some of these distressed places. It was an eerie scene by Central Park on Friday. Hundreds of marathon runners warming up for a pre-race workout. Very little English was spoken. Groups from Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Australia, Brazil all having a grand time, even stopping to take pictures along the way. Nearly 40-percent of runners for this race are from outside of the United States. Just a few miles away, people remain without food, water and power.
It has created a polarized debate: Should the race have been canceled. On one side, there is the community spirit of a marathon. Millions cheering on runners, most of whom they don't even know. Then, there's the economic impact. The New York Marathon creates an estimated $340 million in economic activity. However, the event takes police and fire resources away from the recovery effort. And now, there's a generator controversy. The race's setup in Central Park is using two massive generators with a third sitting idle as a backup. These could be powering buildings, shelters and even hospitals.
It's not a simple decision and clearly, the New York Mayor's office wants the race to be run. Plus, what do you do with the thousands of visitors who were already here. 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. However, there are also stories of hotels refusing to uproot storm victims and replace them with marathon tourists. CNBC talked to a slew of runners on Friday. They all expressed empathy, but they all want to run the race. And many think it's a testament to Americans. "It's what Americans do," said a runner from Brazil. "They recover quickly" Let's hope so.
Marathon Polarizes NYC Amid Devastation - US Business News - CNBC
Good....I'm glad it was cancelled.
Bloomberg said the marathon must be canceled to avoid "a cloud over the race or its participants." He had said the marathon would go on as scheduled Sunday, but critics said it would be a mistake to devote resources to running the marathon that could otherwise be used to help recover from the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. "The Marathon has been an integral part of New York City's life for 40 years and is an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch," Bloomberg said in a statement Friday. "While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division. "We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it," Bloomberg said. "We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event -- even one as meaningful as this -- to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."
The marathon controversy grew at the same time as frustration -- and, at times, anger -- mounted among people recovering from the storm. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the fuel shortage in the affected area could endanger public health, safety and welfare in announcing rationing for fuel purchases in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties, the (Newark) Star-Ledger reported. Beginning at noon Saturday, vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers can only be filled on odd-numbered days of the month, and even numbers on even days. Plates not ending in a number are to be considered odd and should fill up on odd-number days.
The U.S. Energy Department is releasing its heating oil reserves for the first time in history, beginning with a release of 2 million gallons, CNBC reported. The Defense Department is trucking in 24 million gallons to the area, and federal authorities have lifted restrictions on deliveries by foreign-flagged ships, The New York Times reported. However, those deliveries won't make it to the consumer in big numbers until the floodwaters have receded and power has been restored, NPR said.
Authorities said the U.S. death toll attributed to Hurricane Sandy climbed to at least 97, including 40 in the New York metropolitan area and 13 in New Jersey, 13 in Pennsylvania, 10 in Maryland, four in Connecticut, five in West Virginia, two in Virginia, one in North Carolina and one on the HMS Bounty, CNN reported.
Read more: NYC Marathon canceled, Gov. Chris Christie rations gas in N.J. - UPI.com
Good....I'm glad it was cancelled.
I'm not.
That's a loss of a great deal of revenue that could have been used to rebuild.
Generators power up New York City Marathon tent as rest of city struggles without electricity after Hurricane Sandy - NYPOST.com
non union workers turned away
marathon takes priority over ones needs.
This kinda crap wouldn't take place in a RW state like Idaho
Good....I'm glad it was cancelled.
I'm not.
That's a loss of a great deal of revenue that could have been used to rebuild.
Can't run a business with water damage, other property damage and no power.
