Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 74, September 2015 | Page 25

Been there, cleaned that…

Denise Dippenaar: I have helped out at my club run at a water table
many times. You will not believe how far we have to walk to retrieve
sachets and other items runners have thrown willy-nilly into bushes, etc.
Francis Rogan: I have worked at water tables and I don’t mind picking
up litter around the table, but very annoying to do it past the water point
just because someone couldn’t be bothered to hold onto their sachet. I
always say, “If you can carry it full then you can carry it empty.”

Online Poll

Lecturing the Litterbugs

Johan Grassman: Spoilt brats. If you want to drink the water, then you
are responsible for disposing of your sachet properly. Littering on the road
or next to it should never be acceptable, whether you are in a race or
not. You want the privilege of waterpoints, then accept the responsibility
that comes with it. Stop mollycoddling the litterbugs.
Ruth Cameron: As a technical official I have spoken to people many times.
The bags are so light to carry with you. Some runners are just ridiculous!
Glynis Mauldon: While running the Easter 100 with my friends, we
spoke to some runners for throwing sachets in the bushes, or down
stormwater drains. Nine times out of 10 we were laughed at and told,
“Someone will pick it up.” Time to fine runners, because I am sure they
don’t do this at home.
Janine Nagel: Runners/walkers and cyclists, you found a clean path, so
keep it that way please.

Trail Runners (supposedly) do it better

Torrin Theron-Visser: If a trail runner can use a hydration pack or
waist belt and not litter, then so can a roadrunner!
Sue-Ann Fourie: Trail runners aren’t as innocent as they are made out
to be – if they didn’t run with their own supply, I guarantee you we’d see
a similar problem on the trails. I picked up eight empty energy sachets on
Sunday in a trail race... so I’ll add the litterbugs to my list of reasons for
coming in 11th from dead last.
Alexis Olds: Not all road runners litter and not all trail runners are
clean, but I do think it’s high time we change the water sachet/littering
mentality at races.

Learn from Triathlon

Petro Neethling: Coming from a triathlon background, where we are
DQ’d for littering outside of a non-litter zone, it has become second
nature to keep the empty water sachet or fuel wrapper in my shirt pocket
and only discard at bins provided.
Christelle van Rooyen: I’ve learnt from Ironman to stash my trash. If
you so much as throw away a banana peel and get caught, you get DQed.

Images: Sean Falconer, courtesy Two Oceans & Craig Pheiffer

The Pessimists…

Andries Kroese: Haha, can’t see the front speed freaks cleaning up, but
I certainly support the idea. It’s just too messy.
Tiaan Conradie: I just don’t get it, why do we need a campaign to
remind runners not to litter? How hard is it to either drop your sachet
at the water table itself or put it in your pocket until you get to the next
table or a bin?
Tracey McKay: This is excellent, but good luck trying to get runners to
actually do it! We have a culture now of littering!

Question: What do you do with used water sachets (or cups) in
road races?
• I always look for a bin – or carry them till I find one. 58.4%
• I stuff them in a pocket and throw them away later. 10.7%
• I drop them near the water table, to make it easier for the clean-up
crew. 27.5%
• I carry my own water – or don’t use the water tables. 2.7%
• I just drop them anywhere – the clean-up crew will clear the whole
route. 0.7%
The conclusion: It seems apparent that the majority of Modern
Athlete readers are not the cause of the litter problem in our races, but
there is still room for improvement.

Cleaning Crews, Please

Tanya Timms: I think the point of the story is for the runners to be
more pro-active in this approach and not give the organisers backbreaking work that is not necessary.
Natelie Kriel: I think runners just assume that the route will be cleared
by the organisers/waterpoint stations – that if you are paying to run a
race, you would assume that your fees would go towards cleaning. As
a fun run organiser, we hire cleaners to walk the route during and after
the race, and then re-ride the route to double-check it’s all clear. And by
hiring cleaners (at a minimal cost), it really does help job creation, too.
Luzuko 9ѥ