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.

Agree. The nerve of motorists complaining about this relatively minor occasional inconvenience. Completely oblivious to their own phenomenal daily selfishness.

Of course this is mumsnet where anyone who doesn’t drive is suspect so there is plenty of support for the OP.

Poor choice of words, @Ginmonkeyagain , but I’ve certainly never been consulted as a resident. I do find the attitude arrogant.

I was more supportive when there was more of a balance. There was always some inconvenience to us, but I felt it was reasonable in light of the benefits. The roads affected and length of time we are disrupted for have both increased over time to a point where I no longer feel positive about these events. I may have felt differently if organisers or, yes, the council considered those who are affected.

For those that have mentioned signing up to this kind of thing if you live in the city centre or the vicinity of Old Trafford (yes, it is that area), I’m in neither.

I was also assuming Manchester, from the related posts, but was waiting for confirmation so I could look up the events and possibly enter them. Manchester Marathon was (apart from London) by far the best event I have ever done from a crowd point of view. They were amazing - all the people outside their houses, and lining the route. I'd never experienced anything like it at the time. I remember telling a marshall at the end (who very kindly offered my and my friend her own mars bar when she overheard my friend say she would 'kill for a mars bar right now' that Manchester absolutely knocked spots off Liverpool when it came to how lovely the supporters were (sorry Liverpool, but it's true).

I totally get that road closures are an inconvenience - when our local race comes through it completely cuts off one part of our village - no cars are allowed out onto the main road, so we can't get anywhere. And there's no public transport at all. But we just get on with it. It's twice a year. There's plenty of notice. And yes - people still need to go and visit relatives, children still need taking to parties and clubs, people still have errands to run... but they either make alternative arrangements (for the handful of hours per year where it's an issue) or they wait.
Emergency vehicles will ALWAYS be able to get to a call out on a route, so that's a non-issue.

Carers getting to people's homes is the one scenario I have sympathy for, as I'm not sure how that's managed when roads are closed.

I spectated at the London Marathon this year and walked about 3 miles between cheering spaces. At some points I couldn't move for spectators and pedestrians, it was literal gridlock, and there were a lot of flats and residential places and I thought at the time, what a nightmare it would be if you needed to go out. I saw some people with suitcases either going or returning from holiday which would be really awkward.

It didn't seem all that different from what others are describing here

But it's one day a year. And it wouldn't have come as a surprise.

Roads to my village were closed by flooding for most of yesterday afternoon/evening. That was far more of an inconvenience!

I'm just making the point that some posters think it's different if you're in London, or that London marathon should be allowed but not others...and while large parts of the London marathon are on non residential roads, they're certainly will be a large number of residents not the king who are just as inconvenienced as people posting here.

People do stoically “get on with it” and have done for years.

And we often need to ditch plans. There is a diverse range of local residents; not all of whom can stride out for a good walk. The elderly lady who visits her daughter’s house for Sunday lunch will not be able to get on with it for instance. Lots of people drop their plans to work around these events.

And it’s unreasonable to expect specific areas to bear the load of this repeatedly.

Just listening to this debate and the assertion that emergency vehicles can get through - what does happen if a woman is in labour? It is obviously time critical, but not an ambulance matter (unless you really are held up too long) and not something you can just casually stroll several miles to your car, via crossing point detours. Ditto any injuries or illnesses where you need to go to A&E pretty damn quickly, but you don't need/can't wait for an ambulance? Carers and community nursing/end of life care at home falls into this same bracket. Do you just drive to the barriers, explain the situation and get let through?

Also, I’ve lived in London for 15+ years.

Working class people in the North and Londoners are treated very differently by authorities, in my experience.

The working class people in this area are expected to take this on the chin. And they do take it on the chin. That doesn’t make it fair or reasonable.

@FluffMagnet I think you would have to join a queue of stationary traffic… that’s if there is an exit point near you. I am not really sure to be honest and it’s always a worry. These days if you call an ambulance they often suggest it might be better to be driven there as response times might be four hours etc so who knows? I wouldn’t feel confident that it would be possible/easy.

But if they don't do it in the streets, how will everyone know how amazing they are for running marathons?

@FluffMagnet I can only speak for the races I've marshalled at but yes, exactly that. You'd approach a Marshall, they'd contact control who would advise everyone else in the appropriate section to be aware and you'd likely be escorted through by the section manager.

@FluffMagnet In fact I once had a bridal party on my section needing to cross the route to get to their car from their hotel. We all knew in advance in that situation, had an idea of the time and were ready to move barriers for them. She got a bigger cheer than some of the runners did!

I dont understsnd the stuck in the house thing, can't you do stuff without a car?

Isn't it part and parcel of living in a city, possibly why some might choose to live in quiter parts

The people I'm thinking of would not have a parking place within a reasonable walk (river one side, hill the other, so all side roads exit only on to the road that is closed), and the road is closed for the full day. Events are not always on a Sunday, in any case medical appointments do happen on Sundays. Perhaps you don't understand that other people's experience ma not be the same as yours?

Definitely not unreasonable, my local area gets cut off 5/6 times a year with fun runs, 5k, 10k, charity runs. All sorts, it's very annoying especially the charity runs as the stragglers take forever to finish.

It comes across as though you are quite advantaged @Allfur and perhaps don’t understand, as a result.

Re doing stuff without a car - other residents of my house have blue badges as they have disabilities. We have a motability car.

Re: living in a quieter part of a city. Sometimes people have to live in a part of a city that they live in. Not everyone gets to move/live where they please or fly off to another continent to watch someone doing a marathon.

Manchester Marathon was (apart from London) by far the best event I have ever done from a crowd point of view. They were amazing - all the people outside their houses, and lining the route

Absolutely agree. Manchester marathon is on a par with London and the Great North Run for the support you get along the way.
Pockets of the Brighton course are similar, eg the residential bit through Hove, but Brighton also has long sloggy sections with nobody around.

Indeed... not many people on the loooooooong drag out of Brighton and back in again! Or out towards the industrial estate (thank goodness that's not part of it any more). But another great example of a city where lots of people would have been unable to drive out of their roads for a good chunk of the day, but where the 10,000+ tourists are bringing a HUGE amount to the local economy. (overnight accommodation, meals out, drinks and coffees, parking fees etc etc).

For all the people who have a big issue with the road closures, talk to your councillors and your local council. These things don't happen on a whim. They all get approved at a local government level. So if you feel that strongly about it, then complain!

For all the people who have a big issue with the road closures, talk to your councillors and your local council. These things don't happen on a whim. They all get approved at a local government level. So if you feel that strongly about it, then complain

I am sure people do. That is why, for example, that running events often start really early, and far too early for public transport to get the runners to the event. so that roads can reopen in time eg for the shops to open (for shorter races). It would be much greener to have races starting at say 11 so people could use trains to get there. Even better would be if trains ran earlier on a Sunday!

I appreciate i am advantaged as in, i don't have any mobility issues, but I'm not sure everyone complaining about these events is doing so because of mobility issues. I also appreciate not everyone can choose where they live, but plenty of people do.

But another great example of a city where lots of people would have been unable to drive out of their roads for a good chunk of the day, but where the 10,000+ tourists are bringing a HUGE amount to the local economy. (overnight accommodation, meals out, drinks and coffees, parking fees etc etc)

This, with bells on. I've been doing the maths and our family of four will have put at least £500 back into the Brighton and Hove economy last April.
Two nights in a local hotel; meal out the night before the race; snacks and coffees and sandwiches afterwards all add up.

Agree with you re the industrial section going as well.. some hideous memories of running through that wood yard!! Very glad it's gone.

Not if you can't walk out of your road when they put barriers up for the bike races. Or if you are disabled and can't get about without a vehicle. Or you have to make 3 care visits an hour which can't be done on foot. Or you live somewhere with poor public transport so can't access work/shops/family without a car.

I walk to most places. Couldn't drive a car until 5 years ago. Not a car fan at all. But it's essential for many people nowadays. But car or no car, I can't walk out of my road when the bike races are on. Not sure how this is so hard to grasp.

Could the elderly lady go on the saturday and stay the night