What Might Have Been...

I was supposed to spend this Saturday at Princeton University serving as a judge in the American Collegiate Mock Trial Competition.  Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Alan Medvin, an attorney and the Coach of the Princeton University Mock Trial Team, communicating the very sad news for the collegiate competitors, which is that the American Mock Trial Association, which runs the competition, has canceled it due to the still-unchecked advance of COVID-19: 

This evening, AMTA had a call to discuss the Princeton tournament situation and assess everything in light of the developments over the past 24 hours.  As you likely know, today, about half the of the field withdrew due to new domestic travel restrictions issued by their respective college and/or university.  Due to these changes, it's become clear that hosting a tournament this weekend in Princeton is not feasible.  We will be sending out a message to all the teams shortly to advise them that the tournament is postponed.

In 2019, I was privileged to serve as a judge at the Princeton Regional.  I was blown away by the preparation and the performance of the kids on the four teams for whom I served as a judge, two of whom were from Amherst College, one of whom was from Colgate University, and one of whom was Alan Medvin's very own Princeton Tigers.  I understand and wholeheartedly support the AMTA's decision but I feel terribly for the students whose hard work shall not now be rewarded by the opportunity to compete. 

On a not entirely unrelated subject, I was supposed to compete on Sunday in the 2020 NYRR United Airlines Half Marathon, which begins in Brooklyn's Prospect Park and finishes in Manhattan.  On Tuesday evening, the NYRR announced that this year's race shall not take place due to concerns pertaining to COVID-19: 

 Dear Runners,

At New York Road Runners, the welfare of our running community is always our top priority. Due to the rapidly developing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the NYC Half, scheduled for Sunday, March 15, and the accompanying Rising New York Road Runners youth event, have been canceled. We appreciate the support of New York City officials through this complicated decision-making process.

We know this is a challenging time for everyone, and the cancellation of the NYC Half is disappointing news to many, but the resources necessary to organize an event with 25,000 runners on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan have become strained during this difficult period. Over the past week the NYRR team worked hard to adjust plans, implementing modifications and accommodations to alleviate crowding and facilitate social distancing. Unfortunately, it has become clear that we will be unable to proceed in the manner that our runners have come to expect at NYRR events, where the safety and security of our runners, volunteers, staff, partners, and spectators are our main concern.

Due to the scale of the race during this unprecedented time, runners who registered directly with NYRR will be contacted in the next few days with the option to select either a full refund of their entry fee or guaranteed non-complimentary entry to the 2021 NYC Half next March (exact date TBD). Runners who gained entry through a charity or tour operator should reach out directly to that organization for the options available to them.

For the latest updates from NYRR on race events, group training, community programing, and NYRR RUNCENTER classes and special events, visit nyrr.org.

Sincerely,

Your friends at New York Road Runners 

The moral of my story:  First world problems do not always rise to the level of being real-world problems but are, instead, merely inconveniences.  If these two cancellations prove to be the worst havoc COVID-19 wreaks upon my day-to-day, then I shall have made out - as my father-in-law might say - better than fine. 

-AK