Philly Marathon: Thoughts from the Mayor

By Robert Senior
 
Sports Doc was fortunate enough to get a moment with Mayor Michael Nutter at today's start/finish line. The mayor's fondness for the marathon has been well-documented, but this year he said he was particularly excited to welcome some special visitors and participants.
 
"I think what I'll remember is the moment where we recognized the New York runners," he says. "I think it emphasized the fact that we are all in this together."
 
The city made headlines less than two weeks before the race by inviting almost 1,500 displaced New York City Marathon runners to participate. The New York City event was cancelled in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which struck that region on October 30.
 
"We got hit by the storm too, but nowhere near as badly as New York or New Jersey," says Nutter.
 
The race had a decidedly Philadelphia theme, with Ardmore's Mike McKeeman taking first place. Mayor Nutter was enthused by the support shown throughout the city on race weekend.
 
"Our city is loving it," he said. "Citizens love it, businesses love it. The economic impact's been tremendous."
 
Mayor Nutter thanked the race volunteers, coordinators, the parks and recreation department and numerous other organizations for making everything possible. He couldn't help, however, turning an eye to next year's race--the 20th anniversary of the current Philly Marathon.
  
"We're already thinking about it," he admits. "I can't get into specifics right now, but it's going to be quite spectacular."