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AFTER THE DEVASTATING impact hurricane Sandy had on NYC and the surrounding areas, the 2012 ING NYC Marathon, that was supposed to take place just days after Sandy hit, was cancelled.

Since then, runners have been waiting to hear what was going to happen to their entrance fees. New York Road Runners sent an email to all of the participants today, profusely apologising for the length of time it to to resolve the issue, and giving runners the three options, as follows:

• Option #1 – Refund. While NYRR has always had a no-refund policy for the marathon, given these extraordinary circumstances, we are offering runners who were entered in the 2012 marathon, and were unable to run due to the cancellation, the opportunity to obtain a full refund of their 2012 marathon entry fee (excluding the $11 processing fee); OR
• Option #2 – Guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon for 2013, 2014, or 2015. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the marathon for the year they choose. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application (in the given year), with fees maintained at the same rate as those paid in 2012; OR
• Option #3 – Guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013, to be run on March 17, 2013. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application. Availability will be limited.

As for runners who raised money for charities to race, the same applies.  Of course, Irish runners who travelled to the US took the hit on travel and hotels costs too.

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