AFTER OUTCRY, 43rd RUNNING OF ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON CANCELLED
By Chris Lotsbom
(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission.

NEW YORK (02-Nov) -- Some heard it through Twitter, others on television. At about 6:20 p.m. EST it was made official: the 43rd running of the ING New York City Marathon was not to be, cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy's after effects. Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs and Communications Howard Wolfson, New York Road Runners President and CEO Mary Wittenberg, and New York Road Runners Chairman of the Board George Hirsch addressed members of the media here at the race's media center, announcing to all that the event would not be held this year.

"From the early stages of this week, the marathon ceased to be about running, and was all about how best to aid New York City," Wittenberg said on the verge of tears. "It is with heavy, heavy hearts that today, tonight, that we share the best way to help New York City at this time is to say that we will not be conducting the 2012 ING New York City Marathon."

Visibly shaken, Wittenberg turned the microphone to Wolfson, on hand to represent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Over the course of the week it became clear that the marathon --which is really one of the best days in the life of the city, a moment of unity, happiness, joy, celebration and everything that is New York-- had become divisive and controversial," Wolfson said. "Those of us who love the city, and those of us who love this race recognize that it wasn't the marathon if it wasn't a unified day. It wasn't the marathon that you love if there were people who were pained by running it. And so, in very close collaboration with Mary and her team, we decided that it would be best this year if we cancel."

Throughout the media conference, which lasted roughly forty minutes, Wolfson assured the media that there was no single action that caused the cancellation. In a joint statement released a half hour before the news briefing, Mayor Bloomberg and the NYRR's Wittenberg released the following statement, touching upon the controversy which had grown in the media -- that the marathon would divert resources from hurricane-impacted areas.

"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," the statement read. "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. The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination. We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it. 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."

At the media conference, Wittenberg announced that much of the marathon's resources have now been solely diverted to help disaster relief efforts around New York and New Jersey.

"We have literally taken some of our very best event guys who have been working on every contingency and planning the marathon are now preparing the deployment of all our resources to make sure we can do as much as we can," said Wittenberg.

As for the athletes, all entrants to the 2012 ING New York City Marathon will be able to gain entry to next year's marathon, or to another New York Road Runners event. Tomorrow, Central Park will be re-opened, and runners are encouraged to run through the marathon finish line in a sign of solidarity.

Questions on whether a smaller scale event, perhaps an elite-only race, were raised among the New York Road Runners and the Mayor's office, but Wittenberg and Wolfson said it just wasn't a possibility.

Back at the elite athlete hotel, tears were in the eyes of the professionals who had trained months for their opportunity to rule the streets of New York. Not only will the cancellation impact their season, but it  will also impact the World Marathon Majors standings, which were to be decided on Sunday.

For now, though, efforts and thoughts are focused on the recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey.

"Whatever the city needs --blankets, port-a-johns, water, food," said Wittenberg, detailing efforts being made to help the affected areas. "We want to get involved in as much as we can do to help."

ENDS