This weekend hasn't gone quite as planned. The plan was to get into New York City on Friday, meet up with some friends, then cap off the weekend by running the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Unfortunately, the only part of that plan that came to fruition was getting into New York City on Friday.
As you may know, the NYC Marathon was cancelled on Friday. Considering the time and effort that went into training, having the marathon cancel at the last moment was a bit of a bummer. However, canceling the marathon was probably the right decision given the significant number of people in the NY/NJ area that are still suffering after FrankenStorm Sandy.
Since going home and moping about not being able to run doesn't include (1) running a marathon, or more importantly, (2) doing anything to help out those most affected by SuperStorm Sandy1, I've decided to create and participate in the first (and last) ever SuperStorm Sandy Disaster Relief New York City Marathon of Oakdale, CT2.
What is the SuperStorm Sandy Disaster Relief New York City Marathon of Oakdale, CT?
Good question. It's my way of still running a marathon on November 4, 2012 while also helping raise money for disaster relief efforts.
Who will be running?
Just me. My lovely wife will be the support staff, cheering section, course photographer, security, and everything else.
When and where is this happening?
- When: 8:00am EST, Sunday, November 4, 2012.
- Where: On backroads near my home in Oakdale, CT.
How does this help disaster relief?
We're donating the cost of the NYC Marathon entry fee ($255.00) to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
Can we donate towards this cause in honor of the SuperStorm Sandy Disaster Relief New York City Marathon of Oakdale, CT?
Yes! Here's all you need to do:
- Visit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Donation page.
- On the donation page, click the box for "Make this Donation in Honor of..." and fill in the following:
- In Honor Of: Disaster Relief NYC Marathon of Oakdale, CT
- Recipient Email Address: ben.wildeboer@gmail.com
- The rest you can fill in however you'd like.
Also, please share this with all your friends and followers using your social network of choice.
How can I follow your progress?
Easy! There are bunches of ways:
- I'll be using Runkeeper Live, so if you visit my Runkeeper Activity Page while I am running, you should be able to see a live updating map with my progress.
- I'll also be sending automatic updates every few miles to my Twitter and Facebook feeds.
What's the route?
Here's a map of the route:
Find more Run in CT, United States
Feel free to come out and cheer me on!
What if no one donates?
Impossible! No, seriously: We're donating, so that's at least 2 people. If that's all we get, it'll still be totally worth it.
Have an amazing 26.2. You'll do fantastic and your race support is certain to be phenomenal! Miss you guys!
Great thinking on this one, Ben. My 10K was canceled today as well, and while it's nothing like a marathon, I went out and did 6.2 on my own the other day (for the first time), anticipating the cancellation. Just because you didn't get the t-shirt or the bib doesn't mean you didn't achieve the goal.
Wish you lived a little closer; some folks in my neck of the woods had a similar idea and are staging their own little hometown marathon, free to enter but with a suggested donation to Red Cross hurricane relief.
As for me, since I won't be running today, I lifted this morning and will be rolling up my sleeve to donate blood in about an hour.
Damian´s last blog post ..Mind Over Mudder
Hi Ben, this is a great idea. I have run two NYC marathons and was grief stricken when I heard that the marathon was still on. I joined the media protest to get Bloomberg to change his mind. Both Facebook and Twitter were blasting yesterday with all kinds of messages. Yes, it should have been canceled on Tuesday. Yes, politicians were playing politics, but at least the message finally got through. Remembering the start of the marathon from Staten Island and seeing the images of the destruction there, I could not fathom the marathon going on. I assumed it was already canceled, but saw the wheels rolling on Twitter and Facebook and other social media. I know the NY Police also put in a word not to hold the marathon, but all the social media was also an agent of change, and now you're also using social media to raise awareness.
I am from Long Beach, NY, one of the hardest hit areas. Several Facebook pages were set up to communicate to find people and update people on how to evacuate, what to do, and FEMA and other rescue operations. One of my best friends lives one block from the beach in Long Beach, and we finally heard from her today. House is gone and so are her cars. She was able to get a rental and is managing. My other best friend lives in Staten Island. The wounds are real. It will take years for both places to recover. My sister lives in Oceanside, NY, and has been without power and necessities all week. Today, Saturday, was the first day I spoke to her my cell phone—reception still not good, but cell phone towers are starting to get up and running, and people are trying to find places to charge phones and get showers. The south shore of Long Island is far from recovery. I don’t know when and if schools will resume in my hometown of Long Beach. The city does not even know where the teachers and students evacuated and who has a car to even commute back into town if even one school can open. Sounds like Katrina.
Your efforts are monumental. Keep running. Maybe we can meet up at an edcamp and exchange marathon stories. Was this to be your first one? My husband also ran two, but we did not do them in the same years, so I also know what it is like to stand in the crowd and cheer people on. Well, your wife is also a hero