Chicago Area Local News

  The 2007 Chicago Marathon is over, but the controversy continues. Mayor Richard M. Daley spoke Tuesday for the first time about the meltdown at the marathon.

As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, the mayor isn't blaming race officials -- but some runners are.

"I'm not looking for an apology that there wasn't enough water," said first time marathoner Jeffrey Fauver. "I just want an apology that they weren't prepared."

A major water shortage is still being blamed by many for the problems at Sunday's marathon.

In fact, since the race was canceled, CBS 2 has been inundated with e-mails giving firsthand accounts, both criticizing and supporting the event's organizers.

The troubled, broiling Chicago Marathon continues to generate controversy. An unprecedented avalanche of e-mails from runners and viewers has been sent to cbs2chicago.com. Many are critical.

One runner wrote, "This normally world renowned race has become a joke."

Another e-mail: "I am sick of the spin and the blamestorming. We need a 'buck stops here' sort of person leading such a major sporting event."

Runner Wendy Shulik writes of the lack of water, "this is unacceptable." She's also showing her video of one empty aid station on YouTube.

Another complaint: "I feel a little let down by the Mayor's Office. Should they not have a form of oversight?"

One e-mail, from Ray Johnson of Brookfield reads: "The city of Chicago's response was outstanding," and praises the good Samaritans along the sweltering route.

"You have thousands of people dying of thirst, with heat exhaustion or whatever and you had people coming out of their homes with water hoses and squirt guns," Johnson wrote. "It was just encouraging to see that in a time of need, it actually brought out the best in people."

Not all the runners' messages were negative. One told us, "I think the marathon was prepared with extra water and Gatorade."

Another wrote, "It was a well stocked marathon in spite of the blistering weather conditions."

City officials say support services like fire and police responded well to marathon emergencies, and Daley blamed the heat for all the problems.

Daley said he's not embarrassed by the bad publicity the city is getting because of problems at Sunday's marathon.

"People don't realize, we keep telling people how dangerous heat is," he said.

And he says runners knew that.

"Anyone that does sports outside should take responsibility," Daley said. "It can't be the city."

Daley also didn't criticize race officials, saying they've admitted they should have provided runners with more water.

During a news conference Tuesday, Daley also said the problems will have no affect on Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He said that's because the Olympics will feature elite runners and not average marathoners.

The mayor wouldn't say if he thought the annual Chicago Marathon should be a smaller event, saying that decision is up to present organizers. He said the race has worked out well with the exception of this year.

Runner Marty Cook says he just wants race organizers to acknowledge their mistakes.

"This was the 30th anniversary," Cook said. "They made one mistake. I think most people are forgiving."

Cook once weighed 335 pounds and ran with the big political dogs. After having gastric bypass surgery and working out, he's down to 173 pounds. He lost weight walking a treadmill in the workout room of the police station where he works as a civilian. Running the Chicago Marathon became his ultimate fitness goal.

"It was the culmination, my graduation," Cook said.

He had to stop at mile 20 when authorities cancelled the race. He had raised money for the Police Memorial Fund, like thousands of other runners who were committed to their charities.

Fauver ran  for the AIDS Foundation.

"There are people who run a 17 minute mile and raise money for charities," Fauver said. "They want to feel the accomplishment of finishing a marathon."

Cook has already signed up to run Philadelphia's marathon to finish what he started, and that might be the only thing that reduces the anger that is still boiling in the running community. Runners already are racing to register in other cities.