NYC marathon canceled due to Sandy

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WIVB) - Runners from western New York were set to make the trip to Manhattan for the NYC Marathon, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg had planned to move forward with  despite calls to cancel the race.

However, late Friday afternoon, the NYC marathon was canceled. It is hard news for a team of doctors from Grand Island that has trained long and hard for five months for the race, running the equivalent of 500 miles to get into shape.

Dr. Daniel Buscaglia said, " Can't sleep. Can't wait. Finally, after all these months. If they would have said the marathon was off, I mean, we would have been disappointed, but understandably so, and may divert our efforts to a different race."

The six members of the marathon team are goal-oriented, like most marathoners and their goal for the last five years while running as a team has been to raise money to benefit the Autism Speaks Foundation. It's a cause that hits close to home.

Dr. Tony Buscaglia said, "My son, Lorenzo, has autism, so we've seen the progress that the research for autism has done. We've seen that in our son, how he has improved so much over the past five years."

They had planned tol be among the tens of thousands of runners in NYC, racing with a disaster for a backdrop.

Dr. Courtenay Watt said, "I think it will be emotional. I think just seeing what this storm has done. I don't know if we can picture it in our minds as much as when you're personally there, but it will be very emotional."

"Just like the 26 miles that we're going to run and we have to endure to complete that goal, I think that the city and residents of New York City will also rally to overcome the tragedy that's occurred," Dr. Daniel Buscaglia added.

Dr. Watt, who said the race will be emotional, will also be running for his 15-year-old son, Eric, who has cerebral palsy.

So far, the team has raised around $15,000. With the race postponed, the team may switch to a different marathon.