We’ve been training for a year. I think they did the right thing by canceling it. But what else were we going to do? We wanted to run.Runner Ola Lilja • Discussing why she took part in what was described as an “underground” marathon in NYC on Sunday, despite the fact that the city had cancelled the official one. Thousands showed up to race anyway, with all the makings of the race — including the finish line — set up and security guards playing a role in keeping everything in line. Not everyone took part — many runners instead chose to travel to Staten Island, which was devastated by the hurricane, to help out.
There are 47,000 runners registered for the 2012 ING NYC Marathon. In the wake of the devastating hurricane Sandy, many runners will not be able or will be unwilling to get to NYC for the run. Rather than canceling their reservation, we’d like to urge those runners to donate their rooms to NYC residents who have been displaced from their homes. If you’re a runner willing to donate your room all we need from you is your hotel reservation information and we will call the hotels directly to facilitate transferring the reservation. If you’re a New Yorker looking for a place to stay please submit your information and we will grant you a room on a first come first served basis. Media, please help spread the word. Contact us with any questions. And remember, this is literally a race against the clock to ensure that these reservations don’t go to waste, so please act with a sense of urgency!
This is a great idea. Great work by Conley Wingfield Downing, who came up with the concept apparently on the fly.
(Source: mrsbadkrumble)
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
