AIBU to be fucked off at road marathons?

Some MNers are precious!

Before you have a go at me for not reading your post, I would suggest that you read mine. I was referring to my local 10k, which takes about 90 minutes.

I will give you £100 if you can prove to me you are not able to leave your front door when a running race takes place

Whilst I am sure it's possible to be fit with high cholesterol and have a heart attack. Being fit greatly reduces your chances of having any of those things so being fit (and a healthy weight, which is made more likely if a person exercises) really WOULD save thr NHS loads of money.

People follow the routes the organisers define - it's really nothing to do with the participants which roads get used.

Most events happen once a year... does yours happen more frequently than that?

OP you must be unlucky in where you live. I’ve lived in 6 places (including London) in the last 10 years and never once been affected by a road closure for a sports event!

Which bit of closures from 3am to 4:30-5pm did you not understand? That’s more than 90 minutes.

Haha the council know carers need access. The carers have to park miles away and walk. Anyways the ambulance can get there but it’s likely to be caught up in a massive pile of solid traffic in the surrounding areas caused by the closed main artery. The surrounding roads don’t become wider when the main artery is closed.

Unless you live on an isolated island, i think you have to accept that being part of a wider community, you will sometimes be inconvenienced.

@Lumberingfool - your post is very refreshing. If everyone who was inconvenienced put their point across in a measured, realistic and factual way like you have, there would be less of a backlash from the runners! Exaggeration and hyperbole don't do anything for the cause.

TBF some people seem to be talking about Manchester marathon, which is hands down the worst organised marathon I have ever been to.

But why anyone ever thought, oh, lets just close a bunch of streets in a city so some people who like to run can do it there in a giant group, I don't really understand. If my neighbourhood wants to have a street party (which we do yearly), we have to get a permit and that means getting a signature from every house on the street. Somehow the runs don't have to, and the problems they create go well bend the street that are actually closed

Not true. The organisers DO need to get permission and it's very expensive for them.

See also dog owners. I am inconvenienced by dogs pretty much every day, whether it's having to dodge poo, dodge people hogging paths with their dogs or having to rethink running and walking routes to avoid off-lead dogs.

So I am not going to feel too guilty about inconveniencing people for 90 minutes a year for a local 10k road race. We all have to put up with other people getting in our way - either all the time or some of the time.

Thing is it doesn’t matter if it’s once or twice a year. People shouldn’t be blocked in their streets for any reason bar emergencies

What about...street parties. If people object to those they are anti-social and unneighbourly and don't contribute to their community. Yet they block off streets.

Nobody is going to stop an ambulance getting through and if you know a carer needs access you make sure the council and the organisers are aware in advance.

You don't actually live here so what would you know?
There are one or two stretches closed in just one direction, yes. The main effing route through Stretford and Gorse Hill - Chester Road - is fully closed from 3 am to 4:30 pm and yes, there are a heck of a lot of housing estates that need to use that road to get to shops etc.

The road outside mine is residential and closed 12 straight hours. It happens twice a year, April and October. One full, one half marathon. And no it's not the end of the world, but it is inconvenient. I work full time and have 2 disabled kids and Sundays is usually shopping day for the next week's food. Can't even get it delivered instead. We won't die, but I am allowed a little grumble.

Will you kindly stop making out that you know better on this than someone who lives right here?

As for the person upthread who condoned putting out tacks on the road for the cycle race. I can't believe that you think its fine to sabotage someones race and damage their bike costing them ££ . Would you think it ok to slash someones car tyres if they drove or parked in an inconvenient manner? Plus you're directing your anger in the wrong place - the cyclists didnt design the course /organise the road closures.
Additionally if an emergency vehicle /person in an emergency had to access the course youre putting them at risk too.

Generally races will be a loop as runners need to get back to where they started . There are a few exceptions such as London Marathon where the runners belongings are transported from the various starting points to the finish. But most marathons would not have the budget or logistics to facilitate this system. Most of the Peterborough Road closures are between 2.5 - 5.5 h for this annual event.
As PPs have mentioned a lot of planning , risk assesment , contingency planning will go into these races. Councils and organisers will take on board complaints but they will be looking at the event and it's affect on the area as a whole. They will look at the logistics, support, revenue generated not just from the race but things like local businesses, parking etc as well as feedback from residents and participants. And I think they would always be working to get positive outcomes for all aspects. But unfortunately for a large scale race it would be impossibel to stage without some road closures.

But not fully closed, dual carriage as they mention northbound and southbound closures... at differing points .... and access roads to fro the 3am closures.

These are also not residential roads either.

Again a huge event that happens once a year and raises £21m for charity.

We've just had Goose Fair in a town near near me, disgraceful that this event, 100s of years old, closes so many local roads, for the best part of 24hours.... and then there is the noise....

SHUT IT DOWN!!!!

Someone mentioned Peterborough this weekend? So I went and looked. A nice big old circle there of people blocked In.

Here you go. The main artery route through Old Trafford is closed 3am to 4:30pm. Lots of roads closed 8-8 or similar 12 hour stretches. Some closed for even longer.

As map isn't showing up great here is the link
www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/road-closure-info/

Just for councils to not loop them and cut a whole area off would be the proper thing wouldn’t it.

What do you want people to say?
Yes, you're right - let's start a change.org petition and get all road races stopped.