One World Trade Center, right, peeks through a light rain as water from the Hudson River creeps up on Pier A Park with the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, N.J., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
One World Trade Center, right, peeks through a light rain as water from the Hudson River creeps up on Pier A Park with the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, N.J., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A woman covers her ears while posing for a photograph as her hair blows in the wind at the waterfront in Hoboken, N.J., as the Hudson River begins to rise and flood the area with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Debris float in front of the New York City skyline, seen from the waterfront in Hoboken, N.J., as the Hudson River begins to rise and flood the area Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
NEW YORK (AP) ? New York City Marathon organizers expect Hurricane Sandy to have little effect on Sunday's race.
"We're extraordinarily lucky the marathon is not today," New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg said during a conference call Monday as wind and rain started to batter the city.
Instead, she said, "we have time on our side" ? enough to prepare the course and for runners to travel to the city after the superstorm passes through.
And if flooding or other damage affects the course or logistics, NYRR has contingency plans every year to adjust to any potential problems.
The route through the five boroughs mostly avoids areas considered at highest risk for flooding. The biggest concerns center on getting entrants their numbers and to the starting line on Staten Island.
The ferry buildings used by about half the runners to travel from Manhattan to the start are in at-risk areas. Many other entrants take buses through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which could flood. The Javits Center, where runners pick up their numbers, is also in an affected area.
The storm could knock down trees and limbs in Central Park, where the 26.2-mile race finishes. Wittenberg noted that the city was able to clear the park in time for last year's race a week after a freak snowstorm caused extensive damage.
NYRR organizes about 50 events a year and has dealt with obstacles ranging from heavy snow to lightning to security concerns.
"We've been through close to it all," Wittenberg said.
Organizers expect to reschedule flights to get all the elite athletes to New York early. And Wittenberg was confident that most of the nearly 20,000 amateur international runners signed up would eventually make it in time. The hours for number pickup will probably be extended for those who arrive late Saturday.
For runners who can't get to New York, the deadline to withdraw from the race and guarantee a spot in next year's event likely will be pushed back from Wednesday to Saturday. They would still have to pay the entry fee again next year under normal race policy.
The ceremonial finish-line painting scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled, along with a news conference Tuesday. A children's run Thursday has been moved from Central Park to an indoor track, and the pavilion in the park has been taken down for the time being. If power is lost, generators or backup systems are in key locations.
Otherwise, Wittenberg expects race week will look much the same to New Yorkers and competitors. Extra time is always built into planning, and 700 part-time workers and 8,000 volunteers ensure the course can be set up quickly.
"We remain extremely confident we will have an amazing weekend," she said.
Associated Presssouth carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails red tails heidi klum heidi klum
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.