It is still months away, but a slight change to the Staten Island Half Marathon route could benefit both runners and small businesses. NY1's Natalie Duddridge filed the following report.
The All Star Barber Shop on Bay Street is almost always open for customers, with the exception of holidays and the Staten Island Half Marathon.
“The manager, he normally closes the [shop] on the marathon day. The police put a barrier [up and] we don't want to have any inconvenience for our customers," said Noel Riveraw, who works at the barbershop. "However, we do open sometimes afterwards so we make arrangements with our customers."
Now, the barbershop and other businesses on Bay Street will be able to operate on race day without any problems.
After some feedback from mom and pop shops, Borough President James Oddo and the New York Road Runners (NYRR) made some changes to the route to minimize disruptions.
“It's a little bit of an inconvenience because what I have to do is pull my car, parked on the other side of Bay Street, and then I have to run in between the runners to get into my car,” limo driver Ricky Richardson said.
Instead of heading towards the finish line using Bay Street, runners will turn onto Edgewater Street.
The change will revert the route back to its course before Hurricane Sandy.
“By them doing that, it shows a great deal of consideration for the businesses,” Richardson said about the course change.
Runners and those cheering them on say the course change is also a win-win for participants, with the route taking a more scenic path that offers better views of the Verrazano Bridge.
“It’s along the water, you see the city, it’s much better than this," one local resident said. "Especially if you're already from the city, you already see this. There, it's a little more nature."
Organizers with the NYRR still have several months to perfect the course, as the Half Marathon doesn't take place until the fall.