It’s the early morning moment we all dread, stepping in to a dark start line porta-potty, breath held and praying for the best.
Will there be toilet paper? Will it smell? Will you be able to see? Will you drop your phone in, while trying to juggle your water?
And yet let’s be honest, one of the first things I mention in most of my review is whether the race had enough porta-potties!! WE NEED THEM.
If you’re actually looking for helpful advice, checkout: handling runners diarrhea and peeing while running.
…otherwise we’re here to laugh.
Some funny runner moments to help us all bond over our shared love of this crazy sport that convinces us to give up sleeping in, to pay to stand in long bathroom lines before the sunrise and of course run for the reward of a banana.
I don’t think it’s a love hate in line with the foam roller, but it’s probably around there somewhere, which is why we all gotta take a moment to laugh and appreciate our toilets.
VIPee Runner
Years ago Brooks Running took up creating VIP porta-potties at races. Most runners found it to frivolous to pay for access to the trailers with running water and sinks, but I’m gonna tell you that I used it and it was sweet, sweet relief.
No smells, no lines and I think they outta bring it back. Although I like how this race did it too.
Source
Running Costumes
I love a good race costume, but I gotta admit the porta-potty doesn’t exactly meet my qualifications for what’s comfy. I give them made props for the group effort!
Cheap Housing
We all know race prices keep climbing and sometimes you need to cut corners. One college kid cut out the middleman by sleeping in a porta-potty at the race start and oh yes, he still ran a 1:02 half marathon the following day! Read the whole story.
Porta-Potty PR
One ultramarathoner ended up in hot water after it was discovered that he had been hiding in porta-potties on a looped course.
“He was witnessed circling back at the start/finish staging area after completing a lap, spending over 7 minutes in a portable restroom and then ‘completing’ the lap and going on for his next without actually running the mile plus loop,’ organizers wrote.”
[bctt tweet=”A good laugh for any runner whose waited for a porta-potty at the start line #runchat #bibchat” username=”runtothefinish”]Porta-Potty Racing
If you thinking being inside for 30 seconds is smelly, imagine this…at the Preakness Infield a tradition was started by the extremely drunk of RUNNING along the top of the porta-potties!
Because it was getting out of control, they tried to control it in 2018 by changing the spacing. Of course, we racers know that just means a new challenge…the long jump.
The Mad Pooper
If you don’t live in Colorado maybe this story missed you, but it was a doozy. A woman out on her daily morning runs, apparently had some bathroom needs to take care of and instead of changing her route…she kept eh hem, squatting in yards!!!
That’s right, not a on a trail, in people’s yards! Clearly not a long time runner or she’d have mapped out routes that plenty of restrooms. We all know where they are.
Cheer Stations
Listen we’ll take a great running sign anywhere we can get it, including the john.
Any other great porta-potty stories I need to know about??
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OMG these are ridiculous and disgusting but as a runner and triathlete who used the porto at least 3 times before a race just yesterday, I understand all of it all too well!! But, sleeping in one to save money the night before the race? Oh hell no!!!!
I had to share, these cracked me up… running across the top of them?!
This is too funny! Maybe I’d sleep in a porta-potty if it was brand new off the assembly line. Otherwise, no. This wasn’t at a race but I once had to use a porta-potty and found snakes swimming in it. Needless to say I did my business behind a tree and now I always look into the toilet before squatting. Ewww.
OMG I would have started the race right then to get away!
I always said I’d never use a porta potty… and then I took up running… :-) Never say never.
Every race starts in the same place….. the line to the porta-potty. Have some great conversations there. 😉
it’s so true, you totally get to know other runners there!