On the social networks, there were also a lot of runners
upset at the money that had been spent to enter and make travel arrangements to
the marathon, as well as the time spent training that would be wasted. While I
understand both of those concerns. Destination marathons are definitely not
cheap, and New York is one of the most expensive of the bunch. I had written
about the exorbitant cost of the New York Marathon in an earlier post on “How
Much is Too Much?” for race entries. Most runners would probably have
invested close to $1000 (many even more) in entry, travel expenses, etc., some of which might
not be refundable.
However, to many people, myself
included, it seemed a little selfish and shallow to have that as a primary
concern in light of the devastation that had occurred to so many people. I thought the organizers made the right
decision in canceling the marathon, but the whole issue I felt left people with
a negative impression of runners as being insensitive to the needs of others in
the selfish pursuit of their sport.
That is why I was so happy when
I came across the much lesser publicized news story about the runners who
organized themselves into a volunteer effort to help the victims in the most
hard-hit area, Staten Island. You may not have heard the story because it did
not get nearly as much coverage as the debate over whether or not to cancel the
marathon. In case you hadn’t heard, take a look at this:
Whether or not you agreed with
the decision to cancel the marathon, it would be difficult not to be impressed
by the actions of these runners. The video showed the side of runners that I was
more familiar with, compassionate and socially responsible, willing to pitch in
and help where help is needed. I have seen that side over and over in little
ways in all of the running communities I have been a part of. Seeing that video
made me proud to be a runner.
No comments:
Post a Comment
WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
I would love to hear from you!! Please feel free to comment, ask questions, leave ideas for future postings, or just say "hi."