Locals slam Tough Mudder after runners churned up huge swathes of park
Furious locals slam Tough Mudder organisers after runners churned up huge swathes of public park and ‘tramped through community orchard in the middle of bird nesting season’
- Tough Mudder held a two day event at London’s Finsbury Park on the weekend
- Has a Tough Mudder ruined your local park? [email protected]
Londoner’s have slammed an event that saw thousands of runners trawl through a much-loved local park, making it ‘unusable’ for the general public.
Locals said they are ‘devastated’ about the state that Finsbury Park, in North London, has been left in after the Tough Mudder event, which see’s fitness fanatics tackle obstacles surrounded by layers of mud and water, took place over the weekend.
Those who live in the neighbourhood said the event was an example of how public parks were being privatised ‘by stealth’ to be used for money-making events.
David Lammy, Labour MP for neary Tottenham, branded the event a ‘disgrace’ and said he was ‘utterly appalled’ by the damage that had been done to the park.
Others expressed concern over the effect the event would have on the park’s biodiversity, particularly as ‘bird nesting season’ had just started to ‘get underway’.
The aftermath of a two-day Tough Mudder event that took place in Finsbury Park, North London, over the weekend
Locals said they are ‘devastated’ about the state the park has been left in after the running event, which see’s fitness fanatics tackle obstacles surrounded by layers of mud and water, took place at the weekend.
Tough Mudder events, which were first created in 2010, are a chance for to take part in either a five km or 10 km obstacle challenge where they get covered in mud. Pictured: Participants at the Finsbury Park race on Saturday
Participants trying to climb up a slippery surface during the Tough Mudder race at Finsbury Park on Saturday
Video and pictures of the park this morning showed that large swathes of the area had become a no go for walkers because the ground was so churned up.
Tough Mudder events, which were first created in 2010, are a chance for to take part in either a five km or 10 km obstacle challenge where they get covered in mud.
Friends of Finsbury Park, a volunteer-led charity that works to create a ‘greener, healthier park for all’, said the event will have a ‘devastating’ impact on the biodiversity in the area.
They tweeted: ‘We have been back on site this morning and will be back again this afternoon assessing the damage from the @ToughMudder two-day event.
‘The damage is considerable, covers most of the park and will make lots of the park unusable for a good while. We are devastated.
‘We will be formally complaining and will share this publicly.’
The group urged people to complain to Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet and deputy Mike Hakata.
Their statement added: ‘If you think public parks and the residents and visitors that use them deserve more respect and protection, if you think the park needs to be better run with more oversight and care join us on 25th April 7.30pm at Muslim Welfare House where you can ask councillors what can be done to stop this destructive and unsustainable abuse of FinsburyPark.’
Mr Lammy added on Twitter: ‘I surveyed the damage today. Utterly appalled.
Labour MP for nearby Tottenham David Lammy said he was ‘utterly appalled’ by the state of Finsbury Park
Angry locals have slammed Haringey Council and Tough Mudder on Twitter for the state the much-loved park has been left in, questioning how the council could have let it happen in the first place
‘I have nothing against @Toughmudder but Finsbury Park is an inner-city urban park and the damage done is an environmental disgrace.
‘There are serious questions about how and why this licence was granted, enforced and policed.’
Cllr Hakata said on Sunday night that there was ‘no question the state of the park was pretty shocking and there’s a clear need for a thorough post-mortem.’
Cllr Sarah James also posted upsetting pictures showing churned and unusable ground of the park which was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian era.
She Tweeted: ‘Now that large tracts of Finsbury Park have been wrecked, who is responsible for its repair? @ToughMudder @haringeycouncil who is paying to put this right?’
One replied to her Tweets, saying: ‘Yes, terrible! @haringeycouncil approach to Finsbury Park seems to privatisation by stealth.
‘It treats the park as a cash-cow first and foremost and accepts that events-damage to our green space as well as restricted access for local residents is the price it’s happy to pay.’
Another responded: ‘I walked through about half an hour ago and I can honestly say its never looked so bad. Large sections are destroyed.
A file image of what Finsbury Park usually looks like
Locals said they are “devastated” after a Tough Mudder event at the weekend left huge swathes of a public Finsbury Park unusable
Aftermath from Tough Mudder’s two-day event in Finsbury Park, North London
One resident said that ‘Haringey council has outdone itself’ and has led to the ‘most wildlife-rich’ part of the park to be damaged
Friends of Finsbury Park, a volunteer-led charity that works to create a ‘greener, healthier park for all’, said the event will have a ‘devastating’ impact on the biodiversity in the area
‘My only hope is that the park were planning of replanting and replacing after the event.’
Resident Sarah Sudea said she was ‘absolutely furious. My children are incredulous: “Why does our council let people do this in our park?”‘
Another said: ‘This weekend Haringey council let @ToughMudder trash Finsbury Park.
‘Thousands of runners tramped through our community planted orchard in the middle of bird nesting season. Is this what you call coproduction, care of local people and biodiversity?’
Another angry resident said ‘shocking behaviour Haringey Council’ while another one added ‘surely that’s vandalism on a great scale, I hope toughmudder paid them enough to replant and restore.’
Tough Mudder and Haringey Council have been contacted for a statement.
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