Friday November 2, 2012
Mayor confident Sunday’s marathon will go on as planned
NEW YORK: Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the 43rd New York Marathon will be staged on Sunday as scheduled, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday.
Organisers had been proceeding as planned to put together the annual event that runs through all five boroughs of the largest city in America as they awaited word from city officials.
As Bloomberg announced his decision, flooding and power outages persisted around the metropolis, where the subway remained shut due to damage from the super storm that blasted ashore late Monday in nearby New Jersey and left at least 50 Americans dead.
“Some people said you shouldn’t run the marathon,” Bloomberg said. But “there’s an awful lot of small businesses that depend on these people. We have to have an economy.”
“There are lots of people that have come here,” Bloomberg added. “It’s a great event for New York and I think for those who were lost, you’ve got to believe they would want us to have an economy and have a city go on for those they left behind.”
While the mayor hoped to sustain some of the US$340mil boost the city receives each year from the race, some issues still had to resolved.
One concern was how some of the 50,000 runners would arrive from other nations to run through the disaster-stricken streets of New York.
Mary Wittenberg, president of the New York Road Runners, said organisers were set to hire private contractors to replace city workers who would typically handle such things as security and medical needs.
Many of those workers will be spending all week helping New York pull together after the storm shattered buildings and trees in a pre-Halloween horror show.
Wittenberg said the race could serve as much-needed inspiration to New Yorkers and help boost some businesses that suffered storm-related losses. “It will be motivation to say, ‘Look what happened,’ and we’ll put on the race, and we’ll give them a good show,” said 2009 men’s winner Meb Keflezighi.
But logistic headaches remain, from securing the route as it winds through the city, to transporting runners to the starting line on Staten Island. A ferry and tunnel commonly used remain closed. Also closed yesterday was Central Park, where hundreds of trees were felled and where the race is set to conclude on Sunday.— AFP
- Hosts Malaysia make a tame exit at the hands of Germany
- BAM: There will be no more sweeping under the carpet
- It’s the last $traw thanks to the BWF
- Japanese upset Danes and Joo-bong is all smiles
- Denmark not prepared to take on mighty China just yet
- Dane loves to unwind with her Modern Family
- Tommy not afraid to play for country despite loss
- Low Wee Wern fails to clear opening round again in British Open
- Cyclists give the thumbs up to world-class velodrome
- Golf governing bodies ban controversial putter from 2016
- Cycling: Wintry weather may force more Giro changes
- Cricket: Warner fined for Twitter outburst
- Garcia apologises for 'fried chicken' jibe at Woods
- Tomic will play French Open despite troubles - Woodbridge
- Winger Ioane faces fitness race for first Lions test
- Cheruiyot expecting first child, aims to return in 2014
- Ramy wins fiery battle of words and deeds
- Injured Murray withdraws from French Open
- Zhang Jike retains world crown to secure fourth major title in a row
- Joy for Thongchai after Match-Play woe
RSS
