Rudy Giuliani was talking at a press conference in Australia and said that watching the New York City Marathon, only weeks after 9/11, was one of the proudest moments of his time in office. See, New York has a reputation. A tradition. A strength. And so when institutions like Saturday Night Live, say, or the ING New York City Marathon, continue on amidst tragedies -- be they terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers or a hurricane sweeping across the Atlantic and flooding mid-town -- the city can't simply shut down. It's built to endure the dark days.
Hurricane Sandy has already claimed 18 lives in New York City, and many households still go without power -- the subways are shut, the tunnels are closed, images of wreckage and ruin are beamed out on TV. Many argue that, in a time of great need, why should a city administer its support staff to close roads and divert traffic, when there's real life issues taking place? New York's a crazy place on an off-day. During a hurricane, things can get down right out of control. Or so you'd assume.
But that's the funny thing about Manhattan. And that's the funny thing about New York. I was there during 9/11, and there was nowhere else I'd rather be in the world. The city comes together when it has to. And so when the marathon, scheduled for this Sunday, aims to bring together 47,000 runners, 20,000 of them coming from outside the U.S., there's a responsibility there. This is New York. Where the phrase began: the show must go on.
And so Mayor Bloomberg announced this afternoon that the race will be held on November's first Sunday, as it has for the last 43 years. There's still plenty to work out and plenty of challenges, not least of which is how do you get to the Staten Island starting line with no trains? However, I have every faith in the city. New York's been down before and gotten back on its feet every time.
To all the runners competing across the five boroughs this Sunday, I say good luck to all of you, be patient when trying to claim your bib numbers, and enjoy being part of a proud tradition. Buy something from the stores that are still open and let your tourist dollars rain down on New York: 9/11 couldn't stop the New York City marathon. And it will take much more than a hurricane.
