We are really sorry: Mary Wittenberg

After initially deciding that the run would be dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, the New York Marathon has been cancelled, mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Friday afternoon.

His statement came after mounting criticism that the timing was not appropriate for a race. There are people in hard-hit areas who were still without electricity and the death toll in New York City has risen to more than 40. Many New Yorkers were also upset at the idea of police officers being assigned to protect a marathon on Sunday.

“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,” Bloomberg said in a statement.

Reaction among Canadian runners has been mixed since the initial call to proceed with the marathon. Some felt it was insensitive and irresponsible given the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. While others had spent thousands of dollars on hotels, flights and entry fees, not to mention months of training in preparation for the New York Marathon.

“I think it’s the right decision [to cancel],” Steven Parke wrote on Canadian Running’s Facebook wall. “It’s just too bad they didn’t make it 3 days ago when people could have still differed their airline tickets and cancelled there (sic) accomodation reservations.”

“If people/runners now think it was the right decision, then why didn’t THEY make that decision 3 days ago when they still had time to cancel/defer their flights and hotel accomodations,” Criss Ross DiGiovanni wrote on Facebook. “Honestly, so much band-wagon jumping going on here it’s ridiculous.”

Bloomberg was clear that he didn’t want the marathon to cast a shadow over recovery efforts. “We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, so we have decided to cancel it,” he said.

‘It wasn’t a marathon if it wasn’t unifying’

The race was slated to begin in Staten Island, site of some of the worst damage, where many residents remain without power.

New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg appeared at a news conference late on Friday, in tears, explaining the reversal. “Everything surrounding the marathon became more controversial as the week went on,” Wittenberg said. “It wasn’t a marathon if it wasn’t unifying.”

Wittenberg said the backlash following the city’s decision to continue with the marathon worried her. “There was an animosity in New York towards runners,” she said. “There was a perception towards runners that was not healthy.”

“We are really sorry to the runners who have come from around the world to the city,” she said

The atmosphere at the race expo in Manhattan was sombre as soon as news of the cancellation broke, Canadian Running’s Michael Doyle reported. “All of a sudden it’s like the air in the room got sucked out,” he said. “Everyone was on their phones.”

Wittenberg stands behind the decision earlier in the week to go ahead with the race and doesn’t regret making that call, she said. “Monday, I said that time was on our side. Today, I say we ran out of time,” she said. “Given the level of pain and suffering, it’s not the right thing to do right now.”

By Friday, the marathon had already raised $1 million for hurricane victims, Wittenberg said.

Wittenberg said everyone who was entered in this year’s race will be granted guaranteed entry in the 2013 New York City Marathon and half-marathon. “It will be harder [for everyone else] to get into next year’s race,” she said.

ING, the title sponsor of the event, also announced on Friday it was pulling the plug on the event.

“Nobody expected things to play out this way,” she added.

Related Link:
New York City Marathon official statement