I ran the New York City Marathon in 2006. The race is a big deal. It’s 26.2 miles in the greatest city
in the world through five boroughs, with unmatched crowd support the whole
way. Plus, it’s my hometown. My parents, who support my running habit, but
usually just smile and nod and whose eyes glaze over when I talk about my workouts, but buy my race photos, came out to cheer for me and
attend their first marathon. They subway
hopped all over the city to see me at multiple points. The run was far from my best marathon; I froze
waiting in Staten Island at the start and went out too fast in an effort to warm up. Around mile 20, my gut
revolted and slowed me down further. But
by that point I was on Fifth Avenue and headed toward Central Park. I enjoyed the day, despite a running performance
that was not my best. I’m aiming to run
a marathon in every state before I can’t run anymore, so I’m generally not looking to
repeat marathons, but NYC is one I want to do again.
I wasn’t registered this year so I was able to watch the
drama unfold without a personal connection to the 2012 event. This was an easy one folks and in the end
Wittenberg and Bloomberg figured it out.
The economic argument doesn’t work.
Sure, the marathon brings millions, billions? of dollars to the
city. Had the marathon been scheduled for
next Sunday, maybe, the following, I’d say yes, bring it on. But tomorrow,
would have been too soon. Even in setup
over the past few days, valuable law enforcement, emergency crew and utility
worker time was drawn away from places in the tri state area where many are
still without power or clean drinking water or enough food or gasoline. When bodies are being pulled out of the water
on a Friday, racing that Sunday is not appropriate.
The decision came late. I watched interviews with
participants who had booked and re booked and rerouted to make it to New York
from all over the world. All were
frustrated not to be able to run.
I get that. They’re marathoners
and this is one of the great ones. Most,
though, understood and supported the decision. They smiled and laughed and vowed to make the most of their weekends in
New York.
A few were quite displeased though, about the late decision and they’re right, it should have been cancelled
Wednesday, but it wasn’t. That's too bad, but not nearly as bad as losing your home
or dying. They won't get to run a great
marathon that they spent a ton of money to get to from somewhere far away. It’s not ideal. I’d be annoyed too, until I and reminded myself what I often do when I’m hurt or too
busy to run or somewhere where running is not that easy, even impossible. I remind myself
that running, for pleasure and for fitness is a privilege, not a right. It’s a privilege to have the time and the
health to lace up my sneaks and move. I
don’t have to work three jobs to support a family and I’ve been fortunate to
avoid major illness or injury (IT band, we’ll talk later). And yes, I’ve set my
life up this way. I’ve tried to make good decisions. I eat well to maintain my
health so I can run. But I might have
done those same things and been in New York and still not finished
the week with the little that I need to run.
No one will be running the great New York City Marathon
course tomorrow with a number on their singlet, smiling and suffering past spirited New Yorkers lining the course, but I bet most
of those who signed up could lace up their sneaks and head out their front
doors and run 26.2 miles if they so chose.
What an unbelievable privilege in itself.
If you’re in the city this weekend for the marathon or even
if you weren’t planning to run tomorrow, but you’re a runner, consider lacing
up your sneaks anyway and heading over to Staten Island, where the race
normally starts. Runners are meeting at the Ferry at 8:30am with backpacks full of food and supplies. They’ll fan out from there, running together
to distribute much needed relief to those who are still trying to pick up the
pieces of their lives after Sandy.
