Five days before New York hosts its namesake marathon, its public transportation is shut down, its airports closed, its streets flooded and power out in many neighbourhoods.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday he expected Sunday's race to go on as scheduled after superstorm Sandy.
Marathon organizers were moving forward with their plans - leaving open the possibility of changes from past years.
"The marathon has always been a special day for New Yorkers as a symbol of the vitality and resiliency of this city," New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg said in a statement.
"NYRR continues to move ahead with its planning and preparation. We will keep all options open with regard to making any accommodations and adjustments necessary to race day."
Bloomberg said it could be five days before the subways were running again. That could mean no trains on race day when the nearly 50,000 runners signed up need to get to the start.
The marathon pours an estimated $340 million into the city each year. But it also requires major support from city departments that are strained by the storm.
"The city is rightfully focused on assessment, restoration and recovery," Wittenberg said.
New York's airports could reopen as early as today, though cancellations earlier in the week could make it difficult for out-of-town runners to get on flights. Commuter trains and some river crossings that allow people to reach the city remained closed Tuesday, their timetables for reopening also uncertain.
Transporting runners to the starting line on Staten Island could be a major challenge, Wittenberg said. About half of entrants take the ferry, which may still be closed because of flooding on both sides. Others take buses through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, also shut down.
Wittenberg said NYRR had a long list of contingency plans already in place to deal with any obstacles. The 42-kilometre route through the five boroughs mostly avoids areas hit hardest by flooding.
