

The race was canceled. Blame it on Sandy.

‘‘I just flew out today,’’ said Frye, who lives in St. Paul, Minn. ‘‘I think I'm a little bit shocked. I never really thought they would cancel it. I kind of feel like they waited to cancel it until people like me had already come so we could spend our money.’’

He was out $255 for the race fee and $300 for the flight.


‘‘This race is a very special one for me and millions of people around the world, but I understand why it cannot be held under the current circumstances,’’ said Meb Keflezighi, the 2009 men’s champion. ‘‘Any inconveniences the cancellation causes me or the thousands of runners who trained and traveled for this race pales in comparison to the challenges faced by people in NYC and its vicinity in the aftermath of Sandy. New York is my favorite place to race, so I will be back to participate in other events soon.’’


‘‘I can understand not wanting to run through devastated parts of the city,’’ she said. ‘‘I thought if they cancel it, they'd cancel it earlier.’’


‘‘A lot of sightseeing,’’ she said.


‘‘I think we have other priorities to deal with at this point, and it’s just not necessary to have at this time,’’ John Sarracco said. ‘‘It’s something we can maybe look forward to next year.’’





‘‘I'm more concerned about the people in Staten Island,’’ Martinez said.

People from all over the globe come to New York for the race. Retired Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar had a 4:19 time last year in his first marathon and trained four months this time hoping to improve Sunday. His wife and two children traveled with him from Amsterdam on Thursday and his family planned to run in a 5K on Saturday.

‘‘When you see the relief effort at the moment and people without water and electricity and certain basic needs, it’s probably for the better to get the resources to the people who really need it,’’ he said after attending the New York Knicks’ opener against the defending NBA champion Miami Heat.

Some complained about the timing.

‘‘I agree that canceling it was the right move, but it the decision should have been made immediately,’’ said Joel Schrock, who was hosting Frye for the weekend. ‘‘It’s frustrating that they waited so long.’’


‘‘We spend a year on this,’’ said Gisela Clausen of Munich. ‘‘We don’t eat what we want. We don’t drink what we want. And we’re on the streets for hours. We live for this marathon, but we understand.’’

Roberto Dell'Olmo, from Vercelli in northern Italy, said he ‘‘would like that the money I give from the marathon goes to victims.’’


‘‘I'm sad for the people who trained so hard for many, many months but we understand why the decision was made,’’ Corbitt said. ‘‘A lot of people are in pain.’’Continued...