Race clear up posts impressive results

The time taken to clean up Leeds’ streets after yesterday’s 10K race rivalled times posted by some of the events top runners.

The council’s street cleaning crews were out in force before, during and after the Asda Foundation Jane Tomlinson Run for all Leeds 10K to ensure that the thousands of runners, organisers, volunteers and spectators could enjoy a clean and safe race.

This year, the crews picked up around 1.5 tonnes of waste along the route and collected numerous items of racing gear left behind by runners.

Items will be held for two weeks and if not claimed will be donated to charity to be re-used or recycled.

Within an hour of race operations leaving the city centre, crews had swept through the streets leaving no indication that the area had been teeming with thousands of people merely a short time before.

Having completed the race himself for the fifth time, Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for the environmental protection and community safety, was impressed with the speed and scale of the clean-up operation.

Councillor Dobson said:

“When you’re taking part in events like this you’re focussed on your training and performance on the day. However, there are a whole host of people working away solidly in the background, who are going to great lengths to make sure everyone has a good day.

“Over the years, working with the organisers and volunteers, we’ve honed our street cleaning operations so that we can keep on top of the waste and litter that events like this create. Having run the 10K several times now I know that it seems like a major undertaking to keep litter collections ticking over, but I was glad to see the crews on standby, ready to clear up.

“As a city that attracts so many visitors and high quality events, we need to be sure that this little window on our world shows us off to our best advantage and to create a great impression. Thanks to some near athletic-like performances from our street cleaning crews this weekend, you’d barely even know that the race had been here.”