For many, running in the New York City Marathon was supposed to be the fulfillment of a lifelong goal. After long flights, months of rigorous training and thousands of dollars spent on travel and gear, it would all seem well worth it when they crossed the finish line on Sunday.

But instead, Hurricane Sandy washed away the race, leaving the thousands who had descended upon New York from far away brokenhearted with time on their hands.

“It was a dream to run this race,” said Anne Sisun, 42, of Grenoble, France. “The dream is over now.”

Early Saturday, the morning after the race was canceled, Sisun gathered in the lobby of the Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown Manhattan with about 100 other French runners to go for a run on the streets.