Restrooms Along the Course of a Race in Baltimore

Start, finish and route: three different crowds

The start, the finish and the route each have a different crowd, so each needs its own count and placement rather than a single set of units spread along the course.

At the start the crowd is runners who are waiting, cold and nervous, and the restroom demand is heavy in the last half hour before the gun. At the finish the demand is short and sharp, as runners need a unit within minutes of crossing the line. Along the route the demand is spread and steady, and it is driven by the spectators at fixed points.

A plan that treats the three as one will fail at the one that matters most for the race. We set each point on its own count and show the basis for it on the course map.

Placement against the course closures

Units sit outside the closure barriers and the runner lanes, so they can be reached by spectators and serviced by a truck while the race is running.

A closed course is a barrier to a service truck, and the truck has to be planned around the race rather than through it. The units are placed on the spectator side of the barriers where the route allows, and the servicing route is agreed with the organiser for the windows when the course is open.

The units are also placed so they do not sit in a runner lane or a medical lane. Each unit's position is checked against the course map before the day.

• Outside the barriers and the runner lanes
• Reachable by spectators without crossing the course
• Servicing route checked for each closure window
• Clear of the medical and emergency lanes

Finish-area flow and the first minutes after the line

At the finish a runner needs a unit close by and a flow that does not trap people, so the finish units are placed to one side and staffed for a short, sharp peak.

The first few minutes after the line are the hardest. Runners are tired and sometimes unsteady, and they want a unit within a few steps. A unit placed a long walk from the finish chute will be found by the wrong people in the wrong place, so the finish units go beside the chute's exit.

The finish area is also where the crowd gathers for finishers and friends. The units are set so the crowd does not block the chute and so the finishers can reach them without pushing through the families.

Clearing the course and reopening the streets

The course is cleared in the order the closure plan sets, so the units come out after the last runner and before the streets reopen to traffic.

The close-out has a fixed order. The sweep vehicle goes first, then the units are emptied and collected, and the street is inspected for litter and damage. Only then does the traffic plan reopen the route. A unit left in a lane after the reopening is a hazard and an offence against the closure permit.

The race organiser and the city's traffic staff agree the reopening time in advance. The restroom crew works to that time so the streets are clear when the plan says they should be.

Start-line waiting and the corral

Runners wait in the corral for a long time, and the units behind it have to be ready for that wait, with the stock and the cleaning timed to the last waves.

A runner in a corral may wait half an hour or more, and the demand is heavy in the final minutes before each wave is released. The units behind the corral are checked before the first wave and again before the last, so the waiting runners find a clean unit at the moment they need it.

The corral units are also the ones most likely to be left in a mess, because a crowd that is nervous uses them quickly. A supervisor walks the corral block between waves and clears any spill before the next group arrives.