Runners: canceling marathon right decision

NEW YORK, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Would-be runners of the New York City Marathon say they're disappointed the race was canceled but it was the right decision.

The annual marathon, which had been scheduled for Sunday, was canceled Friday because of ongoing struggles throughout the area resulting from Hurricane Sandy.

Out-of-town runners say they were disappointed that the race was canceled, the New York Post reported.

"I was hoping it would be a pleasant distraction for a few hours for everybody ... but on a personal level I'm really disappointed after all the training I did," said Patrick Adams, 53, of Los Angeles, adding, "I'm not going to second-guess the mayor or anyone else."

Neil Freilich, 37, of Manhattan, said canceling the race was "the right thing to do," but he berated Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Road Runners Chief Executive Officer Mary Wittenberg for waiting as long as they did before deciding to cancel.

"Bloomberg and Wittenberg are idiots because earlier they said city resources wouldn't be diverted. So what changed?" he said. "It was either the bad P.R. or they're lying. I think it was both."