Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 125, December 2019 | Page 33

While acknowledging the pros and cons of all packaging used at water tables, the real problem lies with the runners and race organisers. The first move towards a solution is clear: It is the ‘littering’ on the road that emphasises and highlights the issues. Photos taken during and after races show a relative mass of waste around the tables. If runners were to be more responsible in how they handled the use of sachets, cups, bottles and caps, there would be less concern about these problems – at least until better solutions can be found. The reality is that this must be a co-operation between runner and organiser. The runner must stop dropping the sachet, cup or bottle on the road, and must ensure that waste is put into official waste areas provided by the organisers – not small bins, but rather demarcated areas around 1.5m wide and 2-3m long. These need to be provided 20-30 metres after the tables, and need to be put them on both sides of the running zone. It is a high, or increased, risk for a runner to cross in front of other runners to get to the side of the road to drop into the current small 400mm by 400mm rubbish boxes. It’s not going to happen, so organisers must identify large areas for waste and provide manpower using brushes or rakes to collect the waste and put it into the bags for disposal. one’s VO2 is reduced, as this metric is measured per kilogram of body weight. Secondly, like all carry your own options, the system requires the runner to stop and refill roughly every 90 to 100 minutes per litre carried. Let’s be clear that trail running is a different sport to road running. On the road, the focus is on performance, hence road running has records at world, continental, national, provincial, club, race and personal levels, where comparisons are done between events of the same distance. In contrast, trail running has a different objective for the majority of runners – it’s about the scenery, the challenge of the route, and technique – and comparison between events is impossible. As with cross country, it’s more about position than time. It is therefore unreasonable for people to demand that road running be changed to meet their personal preference based on trail running. That would be like rugby league, or Irish or Australian rules players, insisting that rugby union change its rules to match these other sports. This should be complimented by agreements for the waste to be recycled. This can also be linked into projects to convert this waste into useful objects, so that runners can see that their non-littering action is contributing to the community or a good cause. This then opens the door for realistic application of the anti-littering rules, which are established in both IAAF and ASA rules. Policing Their Peers The only practical way for this to be implemented is for clubs to take ownership of their sport and these standards. The first step is to speak out to your fellow members who you see dropping litter away from the collection areas. Highlight the bad image they are presenting for the club. If excessive or continuous, they should be reported to the committee and there should be standard punishments for offenders. It could be working the clubhouse bar, or looking after the club tent at the next race, or timing the weekly time trial. And if clubs are not seen to take action against their littering members, they can be reported to their provincial body for sanctioning. Once we reach that stage, it becomes possible for technical officials to apply the littering rules, with warnings and even disqualifications meted out to intentional offenders. It’s all about education, and incentive for runners to do the correct thing, but it requires the assistance of the organisers to provide practical areas for the waste to be thrown or dropped, and it requires clubs to ensure they are well represented by their members. It’s not just about getting the waste to the correct place, but also what happens to the waste when it’s been collected, so recycling is another area where education is needed. The other necessity for runner education is how to use the sachet. Why oh why do runners need to rip off the corner of the sachet? There is zero need for this. Simply pierce the bag with your teeth, don’t rip it off. If for some reason your teeth are not able to pierce the bag, carry a big safety pin and puncture it with that. Sachets may have disadvantages and risks, but they also have advantages, and currently are the most effective means of getting water into the runner, handle cooling and can even be carried… and can be recycled if handled correctly. Until such time as more practical solutions can be found, this is still one of the potentially best solutions given the importance of water, trees and paper. Where to from here? This article has attempted to give something of an overview and pros and cons of factors affecting refreshment stations in road running. The hope is that it gives a diversity of information and will now open the door for other writers to put forward ideas or concepts that may lead to practical solutions to a major problem that simply must be addressed. I look forward to seeing the response in future editions of the magazine. If you want to contribute to this debate, please send contributions to [email protected]. Workable Carry Your Own There is currently one potentially practical carry your own option, but it is dependent on the runner. It is possible for every runner to carry a soft or foldable silicone cup, or a bag, that can be scooped through a trough of water, and then used either for drinking or cooling. We don’t even need an expensive silicone cup... for years I have run shorter trail races with a bank bag to scoop water from rivers. If I need extra energy, I simply add one of the effervescent tablets I carry. This can easily be used on road events, but it would require runners to respect the basic hygiene rules if water is supplied in troughs or similar containers. Having tanks of water with taps would require stopping, which again is not aligned to the basic concept of road running and performance. Sure, some runners treat road races as a social activity – that is their choice – but any hydration solution must allow the basic principles of road racing to be maintained. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Norrie represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous ultra-distance events, then emigrated and represented South Africa in triathlon. He is an IAAF-accredited coach and course measurer, and travels all over the world to work on events, including the Olympics. He has authored two books (Everyman’s Guide to Distance Running and Every Beginner’s Guide to Walking & Running), and counts 21 Comrades medals amongst his more than 150 ultra-marathon medals. You can read more from him at www.coachnorrie.co.za. 33