AIBU to be fucked off at road marathons?

[JesusOnAYamaha]

Once a year in London is one thing but they're bloody everywhere now and it's not like the organisers put diversions in so you can get to where you're going. We had one in our town a couple of months ago and I couldn't leave my (no through) street because they blocked it off so people could spend a day running past it. I mean I couldn't even cross the road at the end of my street, on foot. Now I've just found out that I can't get to where I need to be for a family event later this month because another load of joggers are closing down a bunch of roads into/in this other place.

AIBU to think they could just run round a park? Or a field? Or a racecourse? Or a hill? Or somewhere where they're not in the way of residents and other people who just want to go about their business.

I know I probably am BU. It's probably nice that people get to run around if they like running. They probably enjoy spending a day running past my street and I should be happy for them. But, I am a bit fucked off with it all.

Yanbu but I bet most will disagree. My town has a half marathon and it annoys me too. I know a lady who is a home carer and she has to park away and walk 10 mins to a couple of her clients which is time she just doesn't have to spare.

I feel your pain. My street is being closed to traffic, most the town is and surrounding countryside for a triathlon. Problem is that there's multiple length races so it's no just 4 hours.

YANBU, I don't know why they don't just do laps of the park, it must be very annoying, DH does a lot of marathons but usually trail ones, he said that town ones are generally quite expensive to do because of paying for the road closures, surely it would be better for everyone if they just done laps of somewhere that didn't involve all these closures. I think cycling events cause the same bother

@HiCandles that's awful. I couldn't even park anywhere near where I live the night before because all the streets around had parking restrictions on them. They didn't leaflet us or anything, bastards.

YABU, I've never seen a road event without marshalled crossing points. There are plenty of warnings, so move your car and park it somewhere else the night before. These people being fit saves the NHS loads and that's a really good thing. Much better than relying on cars.

You can be fit without doing road marathons, DH does loads of marathons and manages to avoid these.

I am also fit despite not spending my weekends running around city centres.

Did I read this right? You couldn't even get out of your road on foot? I think I need a diagram.

Both roads at the ends of my street are closed during my cities marathon, as well as every single main road. I can't drive anywhere that day.

It's annoying but it's only so often and it's good people are taking care of their health

@Kendodd ok I guess I exaggerated. I could leave my street to walk down one side of the road they were all running along. A most stimulating and enjoyable Sunday activity.

You don't need to run round a city to take care of your health, there are plenty of events where you can run laps around lakes instead

But they're not very frequent though. Even if there are a lot across the whole country, you won't be affected by each one. My town has one, and it is a bit annoying, but it's one Sunday a year. And it's not even the whole day.

If it's a day or 2 per year then you need to just get on with it. If it's more then yes I think they need too look at the disturbance to the residents.

So far you are at twice per year so I think you need to just accept it as part of life. There are lots of reasons roads are closed.

@DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace This is the third one this year that's interfered with my plans! I'm starting to think it's personal. Like, you know : look, there's Jesus. Quick, block all the roads and start jogging up and down them.

Trafford resident, by chance, OP?

I'm in two minds. In theory I enjoy streets being quiet and car free, but every year we have two street fairs on consecutive Sundays then a sodding marathon the Sunday after that, and the marathon is by far the worst. You can't walk on the course, are constantly being held up by marshals letting runners pass, the pavements are full of noisy onlookers, and people huff and tut at you if you don't clap the bloody runners.

I save my ire for when I get caught up in the thousands of fools paying ££ to watch 11 rich men chasing a ball every other Saturday 9 months a year. Unlike the road races, they don't put up signs weeks in advance to advise people when the gridlock will happen.

At least running events are annual and are about thousands of people keeping themselves fit, not watching other people being paid crazy money for it. They're also well publicised.

I grew up with a road race past my house. It was the 4 hour window of the year with no traffic noise and all the neighbours would come out into the street with a lovely community atmosphere.

It's one day a year usually. That marathon will raise ££££ for charity. Lots of visitors to your town spending money in shops and restaurants.

Residents affected are always notified in advance.
I've both ran and marshalled at my cities marathon. They are great events. And marshals will try and get a car out if asked nicely if absolutely necessary and won't endanger runners.

Read my name and guess where I stand on it 😂

It’s usually no more than a once a year thing in most places (sorry if you live in one of the bigger cities that does have more than one, I guess that is just one of things about living in a big city - there are big events and some of them close roads!) but these events are such a positive thing for so many for so many reasons, with the bigger ones usually raising lots of money for charity too as well as bringing money to local hospitality businesses. It isn’t great if they didn’t communicate to you but in my experience there are usually signs up with pointers to traffic info well in advance and it’ll have been in the local news… that’s my sensible bit of the YABU.

My more selfish bit is that whilst I enjoy off road running for fun, I love racing on the roads to go fast - most parks just aren’t big enough for a marathon without it being a tonne of laps which is just boring (and then the park users moan too - see parkrun threads 👀)

I was in London when the marathon was on and it was lovely to be around. Much less cars in the central areas because of the road closures it was peaceful and didn’t stink of car.

In each place it’s generally once a year for a marathon, and maybe a second date for a half but that will definitely only be half a day, as these tend to have time cut offs. As you’ve found out it’s well published in advance. Maybe alter the event to suit if it’s really inconvenient. The road outside my house is closed for 6 hours next week so they can mow the grass! We have a holiday house in the mountains and the road down was closed for a week because of rock fall. Would have had to have been helicoptered to hospital. People can and do survive without being able to drive to the big supermarket on one day. All events will have a system in place for emergency vehicles being able to get through. I am not a runner but have marshalled a few as a volunteer and runners are always told that there may be emergency services vehicles using the course and to be aware of them.

And FWIW to a PP, the only closed road mass participation bike ride in England that’s left was Ride London and that’s postponed for 2025 because of changes to the UCI calendar for the corresponding professional race which shares the road closure. Most cycling events are on open roads. There’s possibly still a couple in Scotland but that’s it, so for bike rides it won’t be more than once a year unless you are in a specific area of Scotland.

Not sure why your beef is with runners who turn up to enjoy advertised events, organised by other people.
Surely your issue is with the people who issue all the millions of permits to close your road?

Also, laps are the absolute WORST, nothing kills the vibe more than passing the same set of portaloos for the fourth time.
Did 10k of laps round a lake once & nearly DNF from boredom.

I don't think that residential homes should ever be cut off for people to have their jollies. Fuck off and do your shitty cycling / running / rally somewhere that doesn't impact loads of people who are just trying to go about their business in peace.

I'm sometimes glad that I live in quite a boring town that no one really goes to, well apart from our nice shopping mall, as I don't have to put up with crap like this, I guess that is the downfall of living in a fairly popular place.