Litter at Borrowdale

[Norman Bates]

Whilst marshalling a summit checkpoint at Borrowdale and desperately trying to obtain the runners numbers I was handed an sticky empty gel wrapper by one of the runners. At the time I took it but afterwards when everone had safely passed through I thought what a cheeky selfish bugger expecting a marshal to carry his rubbish of the hill,after all just how difficult is it to stick it in your bum bag. Even more disturbing after leaving the checkpoint and retracing the race route I came across 2 more empty gel wrappers. This sadly seems to be a sign of the times these days and something you never used to see. I always imagined that fellrunners/racers ran the fells out of enjoyment of the countryside and their surroundings but when you see this kind of thing that must not be the case anymore. A minority of mindless people are giving the rest of us a bad name, the wrappers I found were obviously dropped by runners in the race, I suspect that most runners seeing somone drop litter would tell them about it I certainly would. Please...dont expect marshalls to take your rubbish that is just bloody selfish and dont drop litter.

[GeoffB]

Couldn't agree more. However, I must say I didn't see too much rubbish on Saturday. I did pick up a bottle of that blue energy drink stuff on the way up Dale Head. Obviously I drank half of it, then put the bottle in my bumbag and carried it to the finish. I almost considered handing it to the marshal at the summit, but soon realised that wasn't on. No doubt this had been dropped accidentally, but I don't recall seeing any gel wrappers.

[emmilou]

Me neither. Didn't see any litter at all on saturday, and believe me it wasn't often I wasn't nose down and looking at the ground! I'm sure it must have been accidental, and being at the back it may have been that runners ahead picked up any litter they saw hence me seeing none at all

[ALaurie]

I see this a lot when out cycling aswell. Some people seem to think that as they are "serious" about their sport it is alright to drop gel wrappers and throw bottles into hedges. You are not in the TDF, you are cycling along a country road and you are being a tool.

[Stolly]

I was well down the field and the only piece of rubbish I saw was a banana skin stuck under a rock. so I think we did good on the litter front.

To be fair I did leave quite a bit of skin behind, all gouged out on the scree slide off of Scafell Pike and hacking through the slate on the final descent - apologies for not stopping to pick it up .

[IanDarkpeak]

Me neither. Didn't see any litter at all on saturday, and believe me it wasn't often I wasn't nose down and looking at the ground! I'm sure it must have been accidental, and being at the back it may have been that runners ahead picked up any litter they saw hence me seeing none at all

were you on the same route as every one else Em

I only saw 1 gel wrapper on a steep Descent where you needed your wits about you so I would Imagine that this has fallen from a bum bag as you wouldn't have been eating at that point. Over all I was impressed with how clear the route was compared to some other races/routes.

I don't think it's fair on marshall to take rubbish off an hill but I do think that a bin bag by road crossings would help.

[stevefoster]

I saw one gel wrapper and picked it up and stuffed it in my bumbag, the tight sod hadn't left any gel in it though
Marshalls have enough to do i reckon

[Oscar]

I see this a lot when out cycling aswell. Some people seem to think that as they are "serious" about their sport it is alright to drop gel wrappers and throw bottles into hedges. You are not in the TDF, you are cycling along a country road and you are being a tool.

Well put.

I'm afraid the "accidental" defence doesn't really wash. Runners need to take care to stash the wrappers somewhere they will stay put until the end of the race.

I race in a pair of shorts which in addition to the key pocket in the back,has a relatively large zip pocket down the side and I stash all my empty wrappers there.

[Norman Bates]

Lots of Thank You for Marshalling though including one from the FRA chairman.

[wharfeego]

Can't understand the mentality of people that leave anything but footprints, saliva, carbon dioxide, urine and the odd defacation (we've all been caught short whilst out ont'fells!).

One o'these days I might catch one of the gel-pack culprits on film...I would firstly make them aware that they had dropped their left-over then dependin' on the response I would 'appily make an example of one of these modern-day litter-louts.

I don't want to see these people on my fells