The 43rd New York City Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, just less than a week after Hurricane Sandy hit, knocking out power lines and mass transit, damaging homes and businesses and leaving a death toll of at least 20 in the city alone. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced the race will go on as scheduled despite opposition to the idea. What are people saying and how do you feel about the decision?

AGAINST RUNNING THE RACE

• texasluva: "You have got to be kidding me. Many dead. Thousands homeless and you're going to hold a running event and block roads because people have to run? You have limited power resources and folks are looking for gas and generators and you're going to hold a Marathon? What a sick bunch of Humans. Sorry but I say NO to Marathon during this time. Despicable."
• abamafan68: "'I think its a BAD decision to have the event this Sunday. The resources (police, etc) could be better utilized elsewhere. I was scheduled to run in this year's event, but I'm deferring to next year."
• Rinzler04ny: "NYC Marathon must not go on. NYC is in bad shape to many road blocks, staten island where the starting point was badly damaged. Traffic is beyong crazy. Cmon now what's the point of having the marathon? it doesn't bring people together. How about this marathon run to Jersey shore, to Breezy point brooklyn to all the places where people lost their homes, how about all the marathon runners run over to those places and help out instead of getting stupid dumb medals where nobody is going to talk about it in the next day."

FOR RUNNING THE RACE

• abermen: "I live in NYC and I have no problem at all with them holding the marathon. I would understand postponing it only if transportation was so damaged that people couldn't get in from out of town but with the exception of a few especially hard hit areas most of the city is well on its way back to normalcy. This idea that we should have a postponement as a sort of "moment of silence" is stupid and frankly, not in the spirit of NYC."
• dkvt1: "This race will be a huge (much needed) fundraiser for the city. It may also serve as a forcing function to accelerate some of the repairs and reopenings. I believe the race organizers are trying to do everything they can to minimize the impact/strain on they city while maximizing the benefit ($$$, spirit, etc) for the city. We should be hoping for a successful event - not criticizing their efforts."
• jaygime: "As a runner, and longtime resident and loyalist to the city, I'm not sure it's that black and white of an issue, especially, if you're running as a charity entrant (which I am). On the one hand, absolutely -- resources can't and shouldn't be diverted from alleviating the real loss and pain caused by the storm; but on the other hand, I want to fulfill my commitment to the charity for which I raised support and awareness, and to running the race well as a matter of personal integrity and as one, modest ambassador for the city that I love."

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