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After her dream to run the New York City Marathon was squashed with the race's cancellation Friday, Joanne Van Bibber-Widrig settled instead for a "bittersweet鈥� jog through Central Park Sunday with her husband Chris.

The Yukon runner had travelled to New York City last week to participate in the marathon 鈥� a race that has been on her radar for more than a decade.

The effects of Hurricane Sandy ultimately proved too much for the major U.S. marathon, which had been given the green light just three days earlier by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"We got here Friday morning and found out Friday about 5 p.m. that the marathon was cancelled,鈥� Van Bibber-Widrig told the Star yesterday. "I was really looking forward to it, but it's totally understandable. It would have been very, very inappropriate to be running a marathon when the poor people in Staten Island are suffering the way they are.

"I feel disappointed that it wasn't announced on Tuesday,鈥� she added. "They should have announced it on Tuesday. They shouldn't have said the marathon is going on.鈥�

The marathon was slated to begin on the island, one of the hardest-hit areas by Hurricane Sandy. Prior to the race, as many as 4.8 million people were still without power. Damages to infrastructure were as high as $50 billion, and the island had seen its death toll rise to double digits.

The couple did spend some time there doing relief work.

"There still are quite a few places in Lower Manhattan that don't have power, and it's getting down to 20 degrees (Fahrenheit), which is like freezing,鈥� Van Bibber-Widrig said. "It could be another eight days before they get power.鈥�

The couple opted out of flight insurance when booking their trip and will not receive any reimbursement.

"I wasn't planning on not coming,鈥� Van Bibber-Widrig said. "I paid more money for this marathon than I've ever paid for anything before, and I don't get anything back.

Really, I put it into context. I look at my $3,000 three-day trip as nothing compared to what these people here have lost. It's just money.鈥�

Despite the race cancellation, the Widrigs did enjoy their time in New York, attending a Toronto Raptors-Brooklyn Nets NBA game and spending three nights at the legendary Waldorf hotel.

"For anyone that knows me, the last place I would book into would be the Waldorf,鈥� she chuckled. "It is very, very devastating, but people still have to have fun and enjoy themselves.鈥�

The 55-year-old runner is not yet sure if she will attempt to run the New York Marathon again in the future.

"I've come to New York,鈥� she said. "I didn't run the marathon, but I got almost all of the marathon experience as far as the expo 鈥� The only thing that I didn't get was the actual run.鈥�