A PSA to Those Non-New Yorkers Who Had Intended to Run the NY Marathon This Weekend
As you have probably heard by now, Mayor Bloomberg decided today to cancel the New York Marathon because of the post-Sandy controversy surrounding the idea of holding a marathon when so many New Yorkers are without power, and the City is very much still in the middle of relief efforts.
I was only a temporary New Yorker for three years, and that was more than a decade ago; but I still have many friends (and one family member) there and other areas affected by Sandy.
Imagine my surprise to turn in to a NYC-based, national radio show this afternoon and hearing a few marathon runners bitching and moaning about the cancelation, including one lady from Houston, who should certainly know better, since we get our own fair share of destructive weather. Many of those people got schooled on the air.
Consider this my Public Service Announcement to any disappointed runners who have not yet been so schooled:
If you flew into NYC this weekend to run the marathon and are now raving mad because you now have "nothing to do," how about you donate your downtime to the Red Cross or other hurricane recovery efforts?? If you didn't make it into the city before the marathon was canceled, then how about you feel happy about the fact that your hotel room can go to a displaced NY resident, many of whom were told they had to evacuate the rooms before Saturday? In any event, show some damn gratitude for your luxuries and some sympathy for people who suffered devastation this week. One day, it could be you or someone you love. Wouldn't you like some kindness, understanding, and sympathy? You've already done the training. You can run a later marathon. But NYC and its residents need some TLC right now—not 50,000 people running through the streets and redirecting medical personnel.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I was only a temporary New Yorker for three years, and that was more than a decade ago; but I still have many friends (and one family member) there and other areas affected by Sandy.
Imagine my surprise to turn in to a NYC-based, national radio show this afternoon and hearing a few marathon runners bitching and moaning about the cancelation, including one lady from Houston, who should certainly know better, since we get our own fair share of destructive weather. Many of those people got schooled on the air.
Consider this my Public Service Announcement to any disappointed runners who have not yet been so schooled:
If you flew into NYC this weekend to run the marathon and are now raving mad because you now have "nothing to do," how about you donate your downtime to the Red Cross or other hurricane recovery efforts?? If you didn't make it into the city before the marathon was canceled, then how about you feel happy about the fact that your hotel room can go to a displaced NY resident, many of whom were told they had to evacuate the rooms before Saturday? In any event, show some damn gratitude for your luxuries and some sympathy for people who suffered devastation this week. One day, it could be you or someone you love. Wouldn't you like some kindness, understanding, and sympathy? You've already done the training. You can run a later marathon. But NYC and its residents need some TLC right now—not 50,000 people running through the streets and redirecting medical personnel.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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