When I heard thousands of runners turned out Sunday morning in Central Park despite the cancellation of the New York City Marathon, I could not have been more proud of the sporting community.
In the wake of what people are calling “Superstorm Sandy,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was pressured into canceling the event. Even though Bloomberg himself opposed the move, he made it anyway and I believe this was the wrong thing to do.
Competition has long been used as a way to bring together a group of people following a natural disaster or other tragic event. Just look at the last time a major hurricane shock the country. The city of New Orleans was flooded during Hurricane Katrina, much like many parts of New Jersey and Manhattan. The city was able to come together as the Saints played out their season in San Antonio and Baton Rouge before returning to the very same building that housed many displaced people the next year.
I know the circumstances are different in each of these cases, a football season is made of 16 games and a marathon is one single event. But I would argue that one single event could do more than a season of them.
Officially holding the New York City Marathon would have proven to the country and world the one of the most iconic and important cities in the United States will once again rise from disaster. The marathon would have been a bright spot in the face of tragedy.
Even though the marathon was canceled, runners and spectators alike turned out not only for the competition, but also to show support for those affected by Sandy. If you think about it, the outcome of this year’s marathon may have been even better than if the event was officially held.
Not only did runners show up at Central Park, where clothes and other items were taken as donations, some even took a ferry out to Staten Island and ran through neighborhoods hit by the storm offering their assistance in the cleanup effort.
Those who ran through the hard-hit neighborhoods where met with many thanks and gratitude.
Accounts of the impromptu marathon and the support it brought for the communities hit by Sandy are everywhere.
From CBS News: “One man came out of his home and asked if the runners had flashlights, and they did. At another house, a family wearing face masks asked for batteries and sweatshirts. They said, "God bless you." The man said, "Let me take your picture."”
Even those who did not offer direct assistance to victims did their part to help out those in need.
From the New York Times: “Some asked for donations for the Red Cross as they jogged by, others noshed Power Bars. It made for a barrage of languages spoken and an assemblage of athletes from grade-schoolers to the older adults. Some at the finish line cried.”
From policymic.com: “People ran the course without water, without official volunteers, and without a phalanx of police personnel. In doing so, they set an example for the city.”
What happened Sunday morning in New York City was something of beauty. The fact thousands of runners and spectators still came out for the marathon, for whatever reason they may have had, speaks to the resilience of the people of New York City.
There will be no official winner, no times kept, no money made. But the 2012 New York City Marathon will be remembered for the people who came together to help and support a city ravaged by a natural disaster.
