Were the runners or the resident being unreasonable?

[AdventureBe]

I was at a very large running event yesterday. It's been going for 20 years and has raised £100,000s for charity.

Generally well organised, but there aren't enough toilets - as there often aren't at running events.

The main carpark was a field with a 20m wooded area along one edge. On the other side of the wooded bit there is a 6 ft fence which is the boundary for gardens.

Many runners, male and female, were going into the woods for a last minute wee. Some residents were stood on steps to look over their fences and shout at people relieving themselves. They were going in the woods, not against the fence.

Opinion was very split. Most runners thinking really, what's the harm of having a wee in the woods, residents obviously feeling differently about lots of people weeing quite close to their gardens.

Runners are used to some pretty awful facilities at races and to having to make do with what's available, so may have warped ideas of what's Ok

What do you think?

I can't believe that this question needs to be asked, nor that so many people behaved like this. Someone, whether dog, fox or human clearly took a piss on the street in front of my house (possibly on the little tree on the verge) last week and it stank all week in the sun. It is so obviously not acceptable to urinate close to someone's house and the idea of many people doing it is so horrible. what awful behaviour, tbh if I was a resident I'd be trying to stop such events taking place next to where I lived if that was the consequence.

I think it's utterly rank.

There's nothing wrong with a single sneaky wee in the woods but having a whole bunch of runners doing it is unacceptable.

Solution 1. Provide more portable toilets
Solution 2. Change the start venue to somewhere very remote where you aren't pissing on peoples doorsteps and backyards1

I'd have taken photos and race numbers and handed them over to the police. I'd encourage the neighbours to do the same. Every year. The organisers would soon be under enough pressure from the runners to get more toilets.

The facts that the race is for charity and that loos cost money are irrelevant.
The organisers know that loos are required and fail to provide enough. The runners then use a wooded area backing onto houses simply because it affords them some privacy - entirely foreseeable and something that could have and should have been prevented.

Running for charity doesn't mean you can piss all over somebody elses doorstep!

Part of the money raised should be used to "rehab" the wooded area and the organisers should put proper arrangements into place next year - marshalling the wooded area, having high fences put up etc. Yes, it will cost money but if that is what is required to run the event properly then that's what they will have to do.

The residents might also want to consider contacting as many people as possible with large dogs who can just happen to be walking (on lead, of course) in the wooded area to deter anyone fancying a fly pee.

I don't think I've ever done a race that had quite enough portaloos at the start, had to hop a fence to get into my pen the last time I did the Great North Run because I got stuck in such a long queue for one that they had closed it by the time I'd done my business.

It IS disgusting, but I can understand the reasoning, particularly in a large race. It really is up to the organisers though to provide proper facilities, and sell fewer entries if they can't.

Those poor residents. This must be an annual nuisance for them. I would have complained to the organisers and be petitioning against the event if I lived there.

This why I hate events of this size. You're right, AdventureBe, the organisers couldn't possibly provide enough portaloos for 5000 people to use in the final 10 minutes before the start. I'm a runner, and like you, I would need to go about three times in 40 minutes and would doubtless miss the start.

I know they want their events to be as big and successful as possible, and to raise as much as they can for charity, but there is a limit to the number that can be catered for without an event this size starting to have an adverse effect on the area around the venue.

I would never in a million years do the London Marathon. There are just too many entrants and there cannot physically be enough facilities to comfortably cater for them.

I did the London Moonwalk last year and there were massive queues for the toilets because there just aren't enough provided on the route. Obviously they can't line the entire route with them so maybe they should look at the number of entrants and consider capping it now.

Race organizers possibly need to work with portaloo companies to design some kind of runners' loo that's more of a big trough where lots of people cn pee at once. Something that doesn't slow them down as much as portaloos, would cope witht he huge surges of people needing to pee, and would still collect all the effluent so it isn't left all in one place at the start of a race. It doesn't sound like privacy as that big a deal to runners so maybe more like communal urinals than individual cubicles.

I think the concern that charities won't make as much money if they have to pay for proper facilities is appaling when you think about it - it's basically saying that charities should be able to make money by allowing supporters to piss on other people's property without their consent.

Maybe they need to think outside the box? Rather than portaloos, porta urinals, at least for the men. Would be a lot quicker and they obviously don't mind missing in front of others.

For the women, I dunno really.

Several marathons run past my flat every year. It's horrible the number of people pissing in the flowerbeds of residences and/or being sick. Obviously they don't plan to be sick, but still, at least one person is each time...

If it's not possible to cater for the needs of the 5000 people attracted/invited to the event then the event shouldn't be going ahead. Or shouldn't be allowed to be that big.

The needs in this particular case being enough loos for all 5000 to go at once.

Spiderman That's proper rank. Dirty bastards.

Usually, local businesses are really happy to have these big events locally though. Some residents might be glad to see the back of them but the business community wouldn't.

The residents will have their way if thousands of people come to the area and piss all over the ground like animals.

I'm a runner with a weak bladder and I think this is absolutely unacceptable behaviour from anyone.

Just vile.

Imagine thinking your stupid amateur running by race was so important that it justified fouling up the place where other people live.

Some races do have porta-urinals for men - it looks like a fountain and basically has four plastic urinals back to back with small screens between them. Hubby (runner/cyclist) thinks they are great! Someone just needs to invent a female version...

Try reading the book "Tricurious" where someone said a guy actually weed on her while she was waiting in the start pen at the Berlin marathon! How disgusting can you get? It was another Brit and said what was she complaining about as she'd get a shower at the end!

Races very rarely have enough loos but this is pretty disgusting. It's true that however many times you go before a race you need to go again, but I've been to races where I've not had to wait for more than a couple of minutes, so it can be done.

Usually the organisers will put out a notice next year to tell runners not to do it. Local residents can get a bit arsey about these events even though they only happen once a year and they get months and months' notice (but still insist on needing to use a closed road during the 30 minutes it is closed) but this is pretty horrible.

But some people being happy with a big event taking place (because the downsides don't affect them personally) does not make it viable. I'm sure the local buisnesses are indeed thrilled to have loads of people spending their cash that day.

But an event attracting 5000 people has to work so that everyone in the area is happy. People pissing on the streets and behind houses because it is impossible to provide the right number of toilet facilities is no small matter easily outweighed by some businesses making a bit of money!

London marathon has she-wees and lots of urinals. That's what big races need to do.

As a runner this is such a tough one. It is really hard to hydrate correctly for a race, and then find yourself not able to get to a toilet at the start. You have to go! And what can you do? I've had to go behind trees and in bushes before because there weren't enough toilets, or the queues were so long I literally couldn't hold it in.
Obviously weeing in someone's property is beyond the pale, but in a natural area....
Paris marathon was the very worst! Once you are in the pens, they will not let you out, and the toilets were really limited. Men were weeing openly along the Champs d'Elysee. Yuck.

TriJo, they did have female urinals when I did London in 2012 (don't know if they've repeated it) They were handing out cardboard shewees, which had a mixed reception.

trijo There is a female version (as mentioned above, before I read your message).

Rows of female urinals in a tent. The queue moved SO quickly. I used them three time and didn't get too much on my shorts

Usually, local businesses are really happy to have these big events locally though. Some residents might be glad to see the back of them but the business community wouldn't.

Perhaps the business should invite the runners to piss on their shop doorways and windows? Do you think they would still welcome the race if that happened?

You are making excuses. No matter how you present this it is unacceptable and badly organised. It shouldnt be going ahead under it's current conditions.

YABU, and I say that as a runner. It's a small patch of trees near houses.

If it's a large event, it needs to be better organised and have the right number of portaloos OR runners just need to accept that they will have to be organised and queue.

The other issue here is that not everyone will be going in just for a wee - I suspect that is what has pushed these residents over the edge,

I was also wondering how keen the local businesses would be on these races if the runners pissed by their shops.

SurlyCue, I'm not making excuses. I'm not one of the organisers and I queued for the toilets, what do I need to make excuses for?

I'm trying to see all sides. A very small number of people are, justifiably, upset v 1000s who think it's a great event, businesses who do well out of it and a charity that has benefited a lot for a lot of years.

If the area were hosed down afterwards, would that get rid of the smell and dilute any urine-related problems? Just as a short term solution.

Is this a race that's grown a lot? How has it not been a problem in the 20 years previously?

As a runner myself, I know this is a problem. TBH, I don't want to wee with lots of other people with me (and having people shout at me! That would be awful!). I hate having men get their knobs out and pissing all over the shop (looking at you GNR). It also isn't ideal starting a race needing a wee though.... so I think better organisation altogether is needed. Haven't done the VLM but people who have tell me that there are loads of toilets at the start.

And Superexcited i agree. Runners spend a lot of time trying to avoid dogs hit (and over "friendly" dogs!). But we all should try and keep our environment as pleasant as possible, whether you're a two or four legged wee-er