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.

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.

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.

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.

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

@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.

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.

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.

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

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!

That's nice dear

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

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

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.

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

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.

Some MNers are precious!

I am too. Very very annoying!!

The motorists expressing such deep concern here for the emergency services and for the plight of the old and the vulnerable must be totally different motorists to the ones that routinely block the access of fire engines and ambulances and obstruct roads, pavements, dropped kerbs, cycle lanes etc with their dangerous driving and selfish parking.

We are surrounded every year for a local 10k.

We were very upset this year because MIL had been rushed to A&E a few times in the previous weeks. The blooming road closures blocked us from going to her care home or the hospital.

Not in a wheelchair.

Yeah people never think what it's like to navigate the world in a wheelchair

I agree, for people with mobility issues it is not right if you can't even access the pavement outside your own home, but i was directing it more at people with no mobility issues.

Oh, they do.

They just don't care.

Which is right an proper, of course. Why waste time on people who can't walk ?

We have the Oxford Half Marathon this weekend and I'm just hoping that they don't have the band playing that they've had in previous years that only seems to know 3 songs that they play for 2 or 3 hours on a loop! It's loud, pretty much outside our block of flats and ruins our Sunday morning!
To be fair to the organisers, they've got it pretty sorted over the past few years with the speed that they lay out the course and clear it afterwards, so the thing is over by about 1pm, it's just the band playing music that I really see no need for! It's loud and intrusive.