New York ( CNN ) -- As storm-battered residents came to terms with the extent of the damage Tuesday , organizers of the New York City Marathon were trying to determine if flight cancellations , flooding and power outages would affect Sunday 's race . `` We are going to give everyone the time to get here and if they have to cancel , we will give them the chance to cancel up to Saturday , '' said Mary Wittenberg , president of New York Road Runners , which organizes the race . Wittenberg had declared Monday that `` time is on our side '' for the preparations , though she could not be reached for comment Tuesday after Superstorm Sandy barreled through the region . Superstorm Sandy breaks records . As many as 2 million customers in the state of New York were without power Tuesday afternoon . `` We are currently focused on recovery efforts , and our thoughts go out to all those affected by the storm , '' the race 's website said Tuesday . `` Please stay safe -- we will update you later in the day as more information becomes available . '' The group said race officials have been taking `` proactive measures to reschedule pre-race events and to accommodate participants affected by Hurricane Sandy . '' Up to 20,000 international runners could be affected by flight cancellations or delays , but Wittenberg said the organization has `` a number of options to get them into any of our surrounding airports . '' Participants unable to reach Manhattan in time for the big race will be entered in next year 's marathon , the group said , though entry fees will not be refunded . 80 homes destroyed by New York fire amid superstorm . The race 's `` Health & Fitness Expo '' is still scheduled to open Thursday despite its location at the Javits Center , which sits within the area of Manhattan that Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered to be evacuated . The 26.2-mile course winds across New York 's five boroughs , but does not include lower Manhattan , where heavy flooding took place Monday and early Tuesday . The race is scheduled to begin Sunday morning on Staten Island , where runners will cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn and run through Queens before crossing the 59th street bridge into Manhattan and the Bronx . Crane continues to dangle over Manhattan .
Race officials rescheduling pre-race events , working to accommodate participants . five international runners could be affected by flight cancellations or delays . The 26.2-mile course winds across Manhattan Up to 20,000 boroughs . Runners unable to reach New York 's in time for the race will be entered in Sunday marathon .