It's that time of year again, when the eyes of the world will focus on Boston -- on the sweat, the tears, the glory. The Marathon.
But there is one aspect of the race that officials don't want the world to see this year: the unpleasant practice of runners relieving themselves on front lawns, backyards, garages, and trees along the route.
"Being a runner, I understand that they're nervous, they've just hydrated, they're looking for a port-a-john, and they can't find one," race director Dave McGillivray said in an interview yesterday. "But we're just trying to do what's right."
Race officials this year are mounting a massive effort, positioning 471 portable toilets near the starting line in Hopkinton, placing dozens of "good will ambassadors" to direct runners to toilets, and creating a hotline that residents can call to report runners and others answering the call of nature where they shouldn't. A sanitation team will be standing by, just in case, to clean up the mess.
Committee -- formed more than 20 years ago to address the fouling of property during the event -- after an unprecedented flood of complaints about runners not only urinating, but defecating, applying Vaseline to private parts, and changing tampons within public view
"Our town loves to have the marathon, everything is wonderful, except for this peeing thing," said Carl Barker-Hook, a Grove Street resident. "It's pretty vile."
Full Story - Boston.Com
But there is one aspect of the race that officials don't want the world to see this year: the unpleasant practice of runners relieving themselves on front lawns, backyards, garages, and trees along the route.
"Being a runner, I understand that they're nervous, they've just hydrated, they're looking for a port-a-john, and they can't find one," race director Dave McGillivray said in an interview yesterday. "But we're just trying to do what's right."
Race officials this year are mounting a massive effort, positioning 471 portable toilets near the starting line in Hopkinton, placing dozens of "good will ambassadors" to direct runners to toilets, and creating a hotline that residents can call to report runners and others answering the call of nature where they shouldn't. A sanitation team will be standing by, just in case, to clean up the mess.
Committee -- formed more than 20 years ago to address the fouling of property during the event -- after an unprecedented flood of complaints about runners not only urinating, but defecating, applying Vaseline to private parts, and changing tampons within public view
"Our town loves to have the marathon, everything is wonderful, except for this peeing thing," said Carl Barker-Hook, a Grove Street resident. "It's pretty vile."
Full Story - Boston.Com
