Why You Need a Portable Sink at Your Marathon, Half-Marathon, or 5K

As the organizer of a marathon, half-marathon, or 5K, you probably have a lot on your mind. You’ve got to plan the course, provide plenty of drinking water for the participants, and make sure registration and check-in go smoothly. One thing that may not be on your mind is portable sinks. After all, why would someone need a sink at a race?

Well, there are lots of reasons why you need portable sinks at your event. In some cases, you may be required to provide them, and in others, you may want to provide them. Either way, portable sinks can help you create a clean and hygienic experience for everyone.

Are Portable Sinks Required at a Marathon, Half-Marathon, or 5K?

In a word, maybe.

Portable sinks and portable toilets may be required at your marathon, half-marathon, or 5K event. It depends on state and local rules regarding public or outdoor events. If you’re required to have portable sinks, it’s likely because you’re required to have portable toilets on site or your event serves food. To be clear, just having water stations may be enough to trigger the need for portable sinks.

Assuming you need a portable sink at your marathon, half-marathon, or 5K, the local health department or government department that issues event permits will let you know if you need portable sinks, how many portable sinks you need, and how many of those portable sinks must be ADA-compliant.

Should I Have Portable Sinks When They Aren’t Required?

Not every marathon, half-marathon, or 5K will be required to provide portable sinks or portable toilets, but you may want them anyway.

For starters, hand sanitizer isn’t as effective at removing germs and cleaning dirt off hands as soap and running water are. Portable sinks give runners, event staff, and spectators the ability to wash up using a safe and effective method.

There’s no regulatory or governing body that sets rules for marathons, half-marathons, or 5Ks, but the Road Runners Club of America’s (RRCA) Safe Event Guidelines recommends that organizers provide portable toilets. While the Guidelines don’t specifically mention portable sinks, providing portable sinks instead of sanitizer can significantly impact how people view and remember your event.

But there’s one more crucial reason why you should have a portable sink at your marathon, half-marathon, or 5K.

Without getting into the details, many runners often need to use the bathroom during the race. That’s why organizers place portable toilets at the beginning and end of the course as well as throughout. While runners may not want to wash their hands with running water during a race, they’ll likely want to use a handwashing sink if they use the bathroom before, during, and after the race.

How Many Portable Sinks Should Your Marathon, Half-Marathon, or 5K Have?

While the state or local authorities may set a minimum number of portable sinks or toilets you must or should have at your event, that number may not be enough to meet your needs. The Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) is a professional organization for the portable sanitation industry. While they don’t set rules or regulations, they do offer guidance on how many portable restrooms an event should provide.

Organizers can estimate the number of units they’ll likely need based on how long the event is and how many people are expected. For example, if your event is six hours long and you expect 500 people, PSAI recommends seven units. A four-hour event with 5,000 people would need 22 units, and a 10-hour event with 10,000 people might need as many as 125 units.

Interestingly, PSAI also notes that you may need more units than their estimates depending on the type of event and specifically mentions 5Ks: “At a 5K, nearly everyone wants to use the restroom at the same time…” Meaning, you may want to plan ahead and have extra units ready to go when the crowds hit!

While PSAI’s recommendations are for portable toilets, you can calculate the number of portable sinks you might need based on state or local requirements for outdoor events or by assuming one portable sink for every two portable toilets.

Ozark River Manufacturing’s Portable Sink Solutions

Even when you’re not required to provide portable sinks, you may want to give people at your marathon, half-marathon, or 5K an alternative to hand sanitizer. And while you can rent portable toilets with built-in sinks, having a few stand-alone portable sinks scattered throughout your event ensures everyone can access a handwashing sink when they need to.

Ozark River Manufacturing’s portable sinks are your no-plumbing solution. Our units arrive completely assembled and feature hot water, ADA-compliant faucet handles, and soap dispensers. All you need to do is plug it into a power source.

Check out all of our portable sink solutions and see how Ozark River Manufacturing can provide your marathon, half-marathon, or 5K with hygienic handwashing stations, or contact us today to discuss your options.