LetsRunners - Help Save The Pro NY Race - Where else can it be run and when?

Cry me a river over marathoners' paychecks. Those who got appearance fees were still able to keep them and they can still double back and run another marathon in the next few weeks and collect appearance fees and prize money there. This is simply the nature of sporting events that are held completely outdoors, severe weather can take a heavy toll. Holding a pro race while keeping all of thousands and thousands of $200+ a pop entry fees from the non-elites after their race got canceled would be a major PR blunder.

Have it in Hartford. It is a close ING produced event. No storm damage.

Two things. Certainly it was a major mistake to not have canceled this event earlier in the week and then cancel on Friday, two days before. Someone will have to take responsibility for this. Secondly, I think it is important to keep things in perspective. There have been lots of lives lost and lives and homes destroyed by this massive hurricane. To not face up to that fact, in my opinion, is being dismissive of all the damage people around the city and east coast have suffered.

It is one thing to play a game after a person close to the game has died and say "He would have wanted us to play", but I don't see how anyone can justify "playing the game" in this instance when so many have suffered and lost loved ones. We all should accept the fact that sometimes we need to reflect, rather than just move on.

you know what?

citizen marathoning has jumped the shark.

its pretty obvious that even lay-observers see 'marathoning' for what it really has become; semi fit people jog walking 4, 5, 6 hour races in the name of some charity.

that has lost any resonation with vox populi.

casual observers roll their eyes when a co-worker speaks of their 5 hour marathon. . . even they know how lame that is. . .

line them all up together, and well . . .

i think that marathoning just jumped the shark.

Don't you have to run a certain distance in a marathon to collect your appearance fee?

This actually should be a call to action to as for the resignation of Mary Wittenberg.

She failed as the CEO of NYRR to plan , debate and decide a plan of action. She failed to fully grasp the potential backlash of holding the event in the wake of a huge disaster impacting beyond the running of the marathon.

She and she alone could have told the mayor , we are not prepared to handle the potential downside of what the public may feel beyond the marathoners and club itself.

She went ahead and allowed the runners to plan , fly , drive , take trains or whatever mode of transportation to get to NYC. It was never mentioned to come at your own risk as we may cancel the marathon.

She did not have back up plan in place.

In any major corporation a CEO making such a strategic mistake as she has would be fired by the board.

The Elite part of the event will take care of itself. Athletes will be picked by remaining events left in the year , agents and directors are working on it now.

Elites come to run the marathon on the NYC course with the event as whole. Not a watered down joke. NYC is done for 2012 as should Ms. Wittenberg

I am sure Boston would host the NY marathon either later this year or to be run concurrently with the Boston marathon in April. Perhaps the course could be made easier as well.

I'm sick of hearing about the suffering of people who don't have power or have a little water in their basements. I would much rather endure that than have my entire marathon cycle ruined. It's very, very difficult to turn things around mentally and physically after a marathon taper for a marathon that doesn't happen.

The deaths are of course very sad, but only 40 people died in NYC. That many people die every day in car accidents and gang shootings.

You can't compare running and football. Different venues and different sources of revenue for starters.

I feel bad for the runners, but I agree with the cancellation. I just think they should have made this decision earlier and stuck with it. Now they've managed to piss off both sides.

As for the pros, of course I feel bad for them, but I feel just as bad for all the other people out of work because of the storm. The only difference is that with the marathon, there is now someone we think we can blame.

wittenberg was nearly bi-polar in her comments: it really was weird.

she was trying desperately to appeal to the runners while trying to also appeal to her sponsors and the critics, some of the strangest comments i've heard. . .

leaders make decision and sick to it. . .

george hirsch? isn't he like so 35 years ago relevant?

red glare wrote:

...Those who got appearance fees were still able to keep them and they can still double back and run another marathon in the next few weeks and collect appearance fees and prize money there.

This is simply the nature of sporting events that are held completely outdoors, severe weather can take a heavy toll.

Holding a pro race while keeping all of thousands and thousands of $200+ a pop entry fees from the non-elites after their race got canceled would be a major PR blunder.

3 things here...

1) Appearance fees and prize money...Name 1 marathon to be held "in the next few weeks" that offers prize money even 1/3 of NYC. And name any marathons to be held the rest of this fall that have any significant appearance money available. Races have already committed their money for this fall.

2) Can anyone think of any major "sporting events that are held completely outdoors" that have been cancelled due to weather. There have to be some, but I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with any and I'm a blank. I can think of smaller running races and some XC ski races where this has happened, but nothing near the scope of the NYC marathon.

3) The press release states that the NYC will not be refunding entry fees so that's a non-starter regardless of whether or not they hold a pro race.

Liked your Hooters outfit, tRg! All you, or did you pad?

Forget about a pro-race...you think NYRRC has Public relation issues now.. let them put on a pro-race and see what kind of backlash there is from the recreational runners.

I don't always agree with the letsrun owners on things but this is huge and I wanted to say Thank you for caring! these professional runners just worked for 6 months and didn't get paid for it at all, or even the opportunity to get paid, they won't be able to pay rent, put food on the table or anything. It is devastating for these athletes to come home with nothing, just like if anyone else put in countless hours/years of work at their jobs and didn't get paid for it. It hurts their families and lives to continue running.

Get a charter ready right now and tomorrow morning bus the elites up to Manchester, NH for Sunday's marathon. Similar course actually. NYRR pays out same prize money.

oh that would make my day. hope i would still get all the elite perks though.

The athletes need this race. I think putting on a race in central park could work well. Some of these athletes come from conditions much worse than the current state of New York. They have families and communities that need them to get paid. I really hope than can work out a way to make sure that the elite athletes get the opportunity that they have been working for.

Elites' careers depend on this wrote:

foobar99 wrote:

Bad idea. The marathon is cancelled, get over it. Why do the so called "pros" get to run but no one else does?

Because it's their job to run it? Non-elite runners' livelihoods don't depend on this.

What about some of the non-elite runners who were planning on coming out of no where and running the marathon and winning the race and beating out all of the elites. Wouldn't you be upset if you knew your fitness was good enough to win and not able to run because you're not labeled an elite?

To all the people suggesting that they should run it in New York still:

Its not going to happen. The whole reason everyone threw a fit about the race is the generators and resources that the marathon would require that could be going to help people affected by the Hurricane. Keeping it in New York would not solve this.