“It’s honestly embarrassing to brag about being a 42 km / 21 km finisher, yet not even be able to hold onto such light trash and throw it away at the next water station.”
A Malaysian netizen has taken to social media to call out runners at a recent marathon for littering empty energy gel packets along the race route.
In a Threads post, user manxfilm shared a photo showing a pile of discarded energy gel wrappers, which he said were collected along just 2 kilometres of the marathon route.
“It’s only 2 km and there’s already this much.
If trash were collected along the full 42 km, plus the half marathon route, roughly how many kilograms of rubbish would there be?”
He went on to criticise marathon and half-marathon runners for failing to take responsibility for their litter, pointing out that the empty packets were light and could easily be carried to the next water station for disposal.
“It’s honestly embarrassing to brag about being a 42 km / 21 km finisher, yet not even be able to hold onto such light trash and throw it away at the next water station.
“Weak!
“No wonder runners are hated by the public.”
Several Malaysian runners who participated in the event echoed his frustration in the comments section, sharing their own experiences during the race.
One netizen recounted witnessing the act firsthand:
“Shame, shame, shame. I literally saw a runner right in front of me just throw this packet away. Felt like scolding them, but at that moment I was fighting for my life. All I could do was shake my head.”
Another participant, who said they were among the last batch of full marathon runners, expressed shock at the amount of litter left behind even far beyond food tent areas, adding that it made them wonder how organisers and volunteers would manage the cleanup afterward.
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