This year's 麻豆传媒映画Marathon runners were once again treated to spectacular views while in Stanley Park, but one man is raising issues with something more upsetting he saw on the route: Garbage left by runners.
With that many people running together, there's a lot of cleanup needed. A recent trend in running—gel packets for energy on the go—has compounded the litter issue, as some runners drop the little packets after draining them.
One man cleanup crew
After Vancouver's marathon on May 4, there were lots of the gel packets left in Stanley Park.
So many, in fact, that Kristians K膩rkli艈š took it upon himself to spend hours cleaning up along the seawall and in the park, something he thinks the city or organizers should do.
He'd gone for a walk in the park when he noticed the gel packets. He came back on Monday, May 5, and spent hours cleaning up hundreds of packets.
"In my mind, the seawall in Stanley Park should've been cleaned up the same day, because of the wildlife, the trash getting in the water, and the simple reason it is a tourist hot spot," K膩rkli艈š tells V.I.A. through a chat on social media.
BMO 麻豆传媒映画marathon. Thanks, where do I send the invoice? It would be understandable if there were no sponsors, there was no cost to participate and the workforce weren’t volunteers. What movie is the quote at the end from? Runvan
Areas around water stations were cleaned up, he adds, but along the route, gel packets dotted the seawall.
"Telling people where to drop their trash, and cleaning up only those spots will never work, people are people, and that’s a cop out," K膩rkli艈š explains. "I can only speak on the Stanley Park seawall part, and hundreds of empty gel packets that were left behind and getting into the environment is unacceptable."
Videos he's posted of the garbage and his subsequent clean up garnered thousands of views on Instagram and TikTok, with the vast majority of comments speaking in support.
Who should have cleaned up?
In a joint statement provided to V.I.A., the City of 麻豆传媒映画and 麻豆传媒映画parks board said they tried to get people to use garbage stations, but admitted it wasn't completely effective.
"Runners and spectators are encouraged to dispose of items such as cups, gel packs, and wrappers at designated stations, rather than along the course," reads the statement. "Unfortunately, it appears that some litter was left behind on the route."
Clean up after the race, which is sponsored by BMO, involves a few moving parts.
"The BMO [Vancouver] Marathon cleanup was coordinated with race organizers, park board operations, and sanitation services. Green Chair Recycling, a third-party contractor, was hired to manage litter and recyclables along the race route," reads the joint statement.
In Stanley Park, extra garbage and recycling stations were set up by the marathon organizers, according to the statement, and then additional park board staff worked from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m to collect litter.
Parks staff were responsible for the post-marathon cleanup "on parts of the seawall along English Bay and around Stanley Park," the parks board adds in a separate statement. Other areas in the park, on downtown streets, and near the seawall were a group effort between the staff from the city, parks board, Green Chair, and marathon organizers.
The parks board said the cleanup was not completely satisfactory.
"There is definitely room for improvement with clean-up efforts following this event," continues the statement. "We thank residents for their patience and give a special thanks to those who have taken it upon themselves to clean up missed litter. Organizers will use this feedback to improve planning for future events."
