Council moves to prevent repeat of extensive damage seen across the park from weekend’s race, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

The aftermath of the Tough Mudder event in Finsbury Park (credit Gordon Hutchison)

Tough Mudder will no longer be held in Finsbury Park following an uproar over damage caused during this year’s event.

Haringey Council’s deputy leader Mike Hakata made the announcement after revealing the event had caused “several weeks’ worth of damage to the park”.

He added: “To prevent the risk of this repeating, we have decided that this event will not be held in Finsbury Park going forward.”

Thousands of people took part in the Tough Mudder obstacle courses over the weekend, churning up the grass and leaving large trails of thick mud through sections of the 110-acre park.

Tottenham MP David Lammy slammed the damage done to the park during the event, which was held following a spell of wet weather last week, as an “environmental disgrace”.

The MP said on Twitter that he was “utterly appalled” by the damage and there were “serious questions about how and why this licence was granted, enforced and policed”. The council said no licence was required for the event.

The Friends of Finsbury Park group said it was “devastated” by the damage, which the charity claimed would “make lots of the park unusable for a good while”.

Posting on Twitter, the group added that Tough Mudder was “not a suitable event for a public park in a densely populated urban area” and that it would make a formal complaint to the council over the damage.

Tom Graham, co-chair of the friends group, said it brought into question the council’s ability to manage events Finsbury Park following the recent announcement that other big events would be allowed to run for five years in a row.

Finsbury Park hosts several major events each year, including the three-day Wireless Festival. Tough Mudder, which saw runners brave obstacle courses ranging from 5km to 10km through the park, is classed as a “large event” that attracts up to 10,000 people.

Numerous other Twitter users expressed outrage over the damage. Sarah James, a former Haringey councillor, posted: “The park is a public space for everyone. It is now not usable and is extremely depressing to walk through and see the vandalism that has been inflicted for profit. So many rely on the park as a place to relax and play and that has been lost. It will be like this for months.”

The aftermath of the Tough Mudder event in Finsbury Park (credit Gordon Hutchison)
The aftermath of the Tough Mudder event in Finsbury Park (credit Gordon Hutchison)
The aftermath of the Tough Mudder event in Finsbury Park (credit Gordon Hutchison)
The aftermath of the Tough Mudder event in Finsbury Park (credit Gordon Hutchison)

RedBird101 said: “Almost unbelievably, Haringey Council has outdone itself. They’ve let Tough Mudder set its course up right through the most wildlife-rich part of the park – just as the bird nesting season gets underway.”

Another posted: “Wow. Thanks for ruining a vitally important public space used by hundreds of thousands of people including families just as spring starts.”

The council said there was no damage to trees or other wildlife habitats as a result of the event. Under the local authority’s policies, organisers are required to pay an environmental impact fee for each event, with the money raised invested in the park.

Cllr Hakata, deputy leader of Haringey Council and cabinet member for climate action, environment and transport, said that following a visit to the park he was “upset to see the scale of damage that has been caused to grass areas across the site”.

He added: “We have seen considerable rainfall over recent weeks which has saturated the ground and will need repair. This will be rectified as soon as possible, and any cost will be covered by the event organisers.

“Tough Mudder events have taken place successfully for four years now, enabling thousands of people young and old to enjoy the outdoors and improve their health and wellbeing, at the same time as raising significant funds for charitable causes.

“The impact of the event this year has caused several weeks’ worth of damage to the park, and as a result we have had to rethink our approach. To prevent the risk of this repeating, we have decided that this event will not be held in Finsbury Park going forward.

“We are proud of our green spaces in Haringey and are working together with residents to make sure that our many wonderful parks remain vibrant and welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy.”

Tough Mudder said in a statement: “Tough Mudder prides itself on working in tandem with all its venues, local authorities and key stakeholders and has been in close communication with Haringey Council for the entire process and throughout the event at Finsbury Park. Together, we recognise the damage to the park and the impact it has had on the surrounding community. We are working with all relevant stakeholders to restore and repair the damaged areas of the park.

“Tough Mudder empowers people of all abilities to transform their lives through our unconventional experiences. Built on the principles of teamwork, courage and personal accomplishment, our events are designed to motivate people of all abilities to improve their physical and mental health, whilst also encouraging charitable fundraising locally across London and the UK. We will be using this ethos of togetherness to help restore the park with Haringey Council and the wider community.”

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