Time to ban downtown marathons?

[Admiral Beez]

Just a few weeks ago we have the water front marathon clogging up our downtown streets. Then today, I'm with my family in the car trying to get from Cabbagetown to Lakeshore/Kipling. We left our house at 12:30pm, and there was absolutely no way to get to the west end. University Ave was blocked from top to bottom, and Lakeshore and the Gardiner were both completely jammed from Parliament westward. Basically with these marathons they cut those in the east from those in the west of downtown.

Why can't they run these marathons at night? Is it time to ban these things, or at least limit them to one per year?

 

[GraphicMatt]

Nope!

 

[GenerationW]

Obviously it's time for Toronto to build a huge Subway Marathon Centre. Or how about an LRT Marathon Centre?

 

[Second_in_pie]

I was just rollerblading today down around UoT where there was that marathon going on. It was great; the roads were totally cleared, tonnes of space to move around. The weather couldn't be better either.

I don't see any reason to ban marathons. They're great for encouraging physical fitness, and many (like run for the cure) help raise awareness or raise money for important issues. Either way, people enjoy them, and I think car-goers can suffer a downed University Avenue once a month or so. It's not even during weekdays either, so it's not like it'll disrupt commuters or tens of thousands of people.

 

[Edward Skira]

Booked a car from zipcar at Commerce Court for this morning. Got the car and started to exit. Cars were stopped at the exit as the marathon passed by on Wellington. Stuck there for 15 minutes until security tells us to drive on the sidewalk eastward 15 feet or so to where there's an alley that we take to get to Melinda Street. Got home, got the car ready and started north on the DVP where I could see people still running down Bayview towards Wellington and beyond. I could have been stuck for an hour or more had the security not helped out as the only way out of this garage was Wellington.

Other than that I'm fine with the runners.

 

[wyliepoon]

Why can't they run these marathons at night?

Trying to play Julius Caesar here?

I`d imagine that these events bring a lot of suburban athletes into the city, and this benefits downtown businesses. I see no problem with that.

 

[MetroMan]

I think car-goers can suffer a downed University Avenue once a month or so.

Car-goers aren't the only ones suffering. I had a gig near Yonge & Dundas and was on the Queen Eastbound streetcar with heavy equipment. Traffic was backed up all the way to near Spadina for 20 minutes. I was late for my gig because I had no other option than to wait it out on the streetcar. I couldn't just carry my equipment the rest of the way.

With what criteria does the city grant these licenses? I'm gonna start a marathon in support of allowing monkeys as pets. Or maybe I'll start one in support of allowing chickens on apartment balconies.

I understand that these marathons help bring awareness to certain causes but where does it end? There are unlimited causes. Are we going to have a marathon, parade or march every single weekend then?

There should be a single major annual marathon in Toronto for sport purposes and each organization can raise money from runners who choose who to support. If organizations want to have a marathon for exclusively their organization, they can do it in one of the many parks in the Toronto area without disrupting people's lives. Not everybody works 9-5, Mon-Fri.

 

[jn_12]

As far as I'm aware there are only two marathons in the city. The one from this weekend and the larger Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. It's not like we have weekly marathons clogging up the city.

I find it hilarious and sad that people in other cities around the world love and support their marathons and people here find them to be a nuisance. People in New York and Boston line the streets to watch and cheer on the runners. Maybe it's time we look at ours as events worth celebrating.

Also, I have little sympathy for people who don't plan ahead. It's not like the marathon was only announced the night before. Signs for the route were put up before Nuit Blanche and I've seen ads and coverage in various places. In a city like Toronto where events are going on all the time, it's no fault but your own if you aren't aware of what's going on. Personally, I was coming from St Catharines by bus and knowing that the Marathon was on today, I expected an hour delay getting into the city. It ended up being only 45mins and I ended up getting off at St Lawrence Market because of the traffic. Did I care? nope!

 

[Archivist]

jn, the fact is, I don't think most people do complain in Toronto about this marathon or other street closures. There were lots of people out supporting the marathon. I would imagine that a few people do complain in other cities as well, but we are simply not there to hear it. I doubt Toronto is any different from any other city in this regard.

And your point about planning ahead is well taken. You simply need to know what is happening when in the city - same thing when the Gardiner and Don Valley close for the Ride for Heart. If you don't know what is closed and when, you only have yourself to blame, and suggesting that an entire fundraising marathon should be cancelled because you have been inconvenienced seems the very height of self-importance to me.

 

[OttoSchloss]

Street closures and general inconvenience are part of city life.

Nothing is supposed to be easy.

 

[Asterix]

Why can't they run these marathons at night? Is it time to ban these things, or at least limit them to one per year?

I presume you are just being sarcastic with that first question.

When demanding a ban or limitation, on what criteria do you use?

I presume your issue isn't that it happens to be thousands of runners, but that the roads are closed, regardless of the reason. You do realize that in a major city like Toronto there are dozens of such road closures that have a significant impact on traffic?

All kinds of parades, Santa Claus, Pride, Labour Day, etc block off key streets for hours, usually in much higher demand periods than the two marathons. Then there is road work (summer weekend DVP closures?)

Both marathons have a cut-off of 12 minutes per mile pace (they re-open the roads at a rolling rate of 12 minutes/mile or 5 miles/hour). This means other than the immediate vicinity around the finish, everything is clear 6 hours after the start.

This weekend's Goodlife Toronto marathon started at 9am (half started at 8am), so most of Yonge was clear by 11, University by mid-afternoon. On a Sunday morning, about the lowest traffic demand you are going to find.

Waterfront marathon started at 7:30 (and had less city bisecting impact as it was primarily run east and west near the lake, only coming up north as far as just north of Queen on Bay). That means early afternoon for no east-west impacts.

As for positives, as others have mentioned, both events not only get thousands of people active, but bring in hundreds (if not thousands) of out of towners. Total participants through all events are on the order of 20,000 for Waterfront and 15,000 for Goodlife.

Have a look at the hometowns of those in each of the full and half marathons:
Goodlife Toronto:
http://results.sportstats.ca/res2009/torontom.htm (full)
http://results.sportstats.ca/res2009/torontoh.htm (half)

Waterfront:
http://results.sportstats.ca/res2009/scotiam.htm (full)
http://results.sportstats.ca/res2009/scotiah.htm (half)

Not only does that bring in dollars, but having such major events is a fundamental part of what makes a city a city and not just a large number of people who happen to live and work in close proximity. Just like parades, street festivals and major exhibitions.

 

[Therion]

Yeah, ban something that happens twice a year? That's a good call there, Lou. Seriously, one of the advantages of urban living is exposure to all kinds of different events. The marathon started yesterday right outside my window on Beecroft (I'm not kidding, I could have yelled down to the runners), and I thought it was great, even though I couldn't have driven my car anywhere between around 7am and 9am.

You just have to plan around these things, they are all announced well in advance.

 

[Blovertis]

Well, if it was just a matter of two marathons a year, it wouldn't be such a problem, but you also have to factor in other regular disruptions such as parades, charity runs, demonstrations and road repairs. Road closure permits should be handed out very judiciously.

I'm with Beez on this one (and that doesn't happen very often).

 

[MuchoGrande]

Twice a year on Sunday mornings, what's the big deal? In other cities (Boston, NY, Chicago) marathons are celebrated and a matter of civic pride; here they are source of driver aggravation and friction.

However, having two marathons within weeks of each other never made much sense to me (and others apparently).

 

[cdr108]

ban ... no, but they could change the route and use Queen's Park circle.

i think that would be an ideal route being surrounded by trees, blocking off Wellesley at Bay and Devonshire, QP at Bloor and College shouldn't affect the city too much.