A Boston Marathon runner allegedly defecated in someone’s yard. Debate ensued.

The resident apparently posted a video of the incident to the “r/boston” subreddit. The initial post has since been removed by the subreddit’s moderators, but the conversation has continued elsewhere on the platform.

Runners start the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe

April 19, 2023

More on the 2023 Boston Marathon:

Who should pick up spilled popcorn on an airplane isn’t the only fierce internet debate this week.

A Redditor posted on the “r/boston” subreddit on Marathon Monday that a Boston Marathon runner had defecated in their yard. The post, which has since been removed by the subreddit’s moderators, apparently included a Ring video of the incident and garnered 95 comments, many of which have also been deleted.

The still-visible comments lean toward supporting the poster’s outrage over the incident, but some take the side of the runner.

“I’m sure the runner was really embarrassed to have to do that,” one Redditor wrote. “I [wouldn’t] call her out on it any further. If she had to go there was probably no time and unfortunately it was in your yard better than on [Comm. Ave.] in front of everyone.”

“Grow up, dude,” another said. “The embarrassment she’s probably feeling is enough.”

Others were incredulous that people were defending the runner’s actions.

“This is unacceptable behavior,” one said. “If she had to go, she could have given up on the race, walked to an actual bathroom, or knocked on [someone’s] door and asked to use a bathroom, and lost a few minutes. Instead she valued her own personal glory over basic decency, and totally disrespected you and your property. Contact the [authorities] and have the book thrown at her. People defending this are insane.”

“People are weird as hell man, I would be livid if someone took a [expletive] on my property, running a marathon or not,” another wrote.

Despite the “r/boston” thread being shut down, the conversation has continued as a post highlighting the initial one is now on the “r/SubredditDrama” front page, as Boston writer Megan Johnson noted on Twitter.

This new post has far eclipsed the original with 946 comments and counting.

According to one Redditor, it’s not an isolated incident.

“Ugh, yeah. When I lived in Natick, MA we had the marathon route go right down our street,” they wrote. “And we were basically the first house with tree cover and a back yard, so we had a lot of runners (and a couple non-runners) take the opportunity to [expletive] in our yard. Not much we could do about it but take a shovel and fling that dookie into the woods afterward.”

Comments took both sides but again appear to lean in support of the resident.

“LOL I love all the comments calling [original poster] a ‘NIMBY,’” one person wrote. “It’s like… yes. ‘Not in my backyard’ is an appropriate response to someone [expletive].”

“How much of a NIMBY are you?,” another chimed in. “You literally pay money to buy poop at Home Depot for your yard. Grow up and have some compassion.”

For many, it was just an opportunity to take it all in.

“Every day Reddit blesses me with something new and unexpected. It’s magical,” the top comment reads.