The New York Road Runners club is in hot water again.
After drawing heat for insensitivity to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in November, the organization is now under fire from downtown Manhattan residents following problems with crowds and loud music at its St. Patrick’s Day half-marathon.
Community Board 1 members were so outraged with the way the club handled the March 17 event, which ended at the South Street Seaport, that the board passed a resolution asking the Mayor’s Office to not allow the event back at the Seaport next year.
Board members said race organizers “lied to our faces” about using amplified music for the race and never told residents that the setup would begin at 2 a.m.
“You would not believe the number of calls I received the next morning,” said board member John Fratta, whose apartment was near the staging area.
The 13.1-mile route started in Central Park and took runners to Times Square, down the West Side Highway, past the World Trade Center and under Battery Park to the waterfront finish.
The finish line was moved from Battery Park City to the Seaport because of the large number of runners involved and as a way to bring more business to the seaport, which was devastated after the Oct. 30 superstorm.
Residents said race organizers never told them a bandstand would be erected on Fulton Street with amplifiers and unruly runners.
“The crowd was generally noisy and poorly behaved and did not bring business to local merchants as was promised,” the board resolution noted.
The Road Runners said it “worked closely” with the Mayor’s Office and shared it plans with the board before the race. “NYRR looks forward to having the opportunity to speak with CB1 about their concerns,” a spokesman said.