Start and finish banks
The largest banks sit at the start and finish areas, where the crowd is densest before the run and after it. The units are sized to the expected crowd and include accessible units on a clear route.
Serving San Francisco County
Race and Marathon Portable Restrooms in San Francisco
Portable restrooms staged in banks along San Francisco road races and marathon courses, from start to finish.
- Standard units, ADA units and restroom trailers
- Street-space permits, retrofits and events
- Delivery and servicing planned around access
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Fastest: call (888) 351-0294. Or send this and we call you back.
Races
Race and Marathon Restrooms: what it covers
Quick answer
A road race or marathon in San Francisco is served by units placed in banks along the course rather than at a single site. The plan follows the route, the start and finish, and the stretches where the course crosses the bridge or runs through a park, with accessible units in each bank.
A race is a linear job. Units are placed along a course that can run for many miles, through closed streets, across a bridge and back through a park, and the restroom plan has to follow the route rather than sit in one place. The two best-known runs in the city show the range. Bay to Breakers is a 12K that runs from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach and crosses the width of the city. The San Francisco Marathon runs through the Embarcadero, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Golden Gate Park and along Haight Street before finishing near the Bay Bridge.
Because the route is long, the units are staged in banks instead of a single cluster. A bank is a small group of units at a point along the course, placed clear of the course line and close enough to be found by a runner who needs them. The start and finish are the largest banks, since the crowd is densest there. The units along the route are spaced so that a runner is never far from one, and the crew checks the spacing against the route map before the banks are placed.
The route is set by the event organizer and the permits that cover it, and the restroom plan follows both. The Golden Gate Bridge is operated by its own district, and on the marathon day the bridge's vehicle lanes stayed open while the pedestrian and bike sidewalks were closed for the run. The crew works with the organizer to confirm each closure and each stretch before the units go in. For the approvals behind a closed street, the closure permit guide gives the detail, and the unit count guide explains how the counts are set.
- Service area
- San Francisco & San Francisco County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local provider
- Phone
- (888) 351-0294
How many units does a race need, and where do they go?
The unit count follows the route, the expected field and the spectator crowd, set through the permit paperwork. Units are placed in banks along the course, with the largest banks at the start and finish.
A race is planned as a set of banks, not a single cluster. The organizer gives the expected field and the crowd at the start and finish, and the permit sets the unit count from those figures and the share of accessible units. The crew spreads the count across the banks so that a runner has a bank within reach at every stretch of the course.
What does a race course crossing a bridge change?
A bridge stretch changes where the units can go, because the bridge's own rules and the course permit decide what can be placed on the sidewalk. The units are usually placed at the bridge ends rather than on the span.
On the marathon day the Golden Gate Bridge's vehicle lanes stayed open while the pedestrian and bike sidewalks were closed for the run. The crew does not assume a unit can be placed on the bridge sidewalk, because the bridge district's rules and the course permit decide that. The usual approach is a bank at each bridge end, with the route between them kept clear.
How is a race course's route planned around closed streets?
The route is planned from the organizer's course map and the closures for each stretch. Banks are set on the closed streets, the park paths and the sidewalks the permit allows, and no unit is placed on an open lane.
The organizer's map shows the closed streets and the hours each one is closed. The crew reads the closure for each stretch and matches it to the permit, because a stretch closed for the run may reopen earlier or later than the start. The banks are set on the closed streets, and the crew checks the spacing so that the banks do not block the course or the spectator areas.
How do you keep banks steady on exposed ground?
Banks on open ground are staked or braced against the wind, and the bracing is checked after each service visit. Summer fog and wind make the exposed sections the main concern.
A bank set on an open stretch, such as a bridge approach or a park lawn, has no building to shelter it. Wind on the course can move a unit that is not staked, and a unit that shifts can block the course or the runners. The crew braces each unit on exposed ground and checks it after every visit and every gust.
What moves the price of a race's restroom plan up or down?
The quote depends on the length of the course, the number of banks, the number of service visits and any bridge or park stretch that needs extra work. The provider confirms the price before delivery.
A longer course needs more banks, and each bank adds placement and removal time. Service visits add to the quote, and the busiest banks at the start and finish need more visits than the route banks. A bridge stretch or a park stretch that needs extra bracing or a different placement adds planning time to the job.
Warning signs
Signs you need race and marathon restrooms
A homeowner or organizer should not place portable restrooms on a race course, a bridge approach or a park path without the course permit and the organizer's map in hand. Keep the course line and the runners' path clear of units and straps. Do not let spectators climb on a bank or move a unit into the course. Report a unit that has shifted or a bank that blocks the route to the organizer and the provider at once.
- A bank of units set on the edge of the course, with a volunteer or staff member at the nearest one.
- Route signs at each bank, showing the next bank and the distance to it.
- A cluster of units at the start line, set back from the runners and the corrals.
- A row of units set on a sidewalk or a park path, clear of the course line.
- Fog or wind on a morning run, with the crew checking the bracing on the exposed banks.
- A service truck waiting on a side street while the course is still closed to traffic.
- A bank at the finish area with accessible units marked by the symbol and a clear route from the course.
Our process
How our race and marathon restrooms visit works
Get the route and the permit
The crew gets the course map from the organizer and checks it against the permits that cover each stretch. The closures, the hours and the sidewalk limits differ from one stretch to another, so the crew reads the permit for each section.
Map the banks
The crew marks the bank locations along the course, with the largest banks at the start and finish. Each bank is placed clear of the course line and the spectator areas, and the spacing is checked so that no runner is far from a bank.
Stage the start and finish
The start and finish areas get the largest banks, because the crowd is densest there before and after the run. The units are set back from the corrals and the finish chutes, and the accessible units sit on a route that runs from the street or the course edge.
Place the route banks
The route banks are set on the closed streets, the park paths and the sidewalks the permit allows, one bank at a time. Each bank is staked or braced against the wind on exposed ground, and the crew keeps the path of the course clear.
Service during and remove after
The crew services the banks during the run, with the busiest banks visited more often, and it removes the units after the closures end. The service truck waits on a side street until the course is clear, so it does not cross the route while runners are on it.
Options
Types and options for race and marathon restrooms
Route banks on closed streets
Banks along the course on closed city streets are spaced so a runner is never far from one. Each bank is set clear of the course line and the spectator areas.
Bridge or sidewalk stretch
Where the course crosses a bridge, the bridge district's rules and the course permit set what can be placed on the sidewalk. Units are placed only where those rules allow, and the crew plans the bank locations at the bridge ends rather than on the span.
Park and panhandle staging
Units staged in a park or along a panhandle sit on the park paths and grass edges, clear of the course. The Recreation and Park Department sets the rules for the park, and the crew plans the banks around the trees, paths and open lawns.
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San Francisco County
Why race and marathon restrooms is different in San Francisco and the northern Peninsula
The city's racing routes cross very different ground in one run. The Embarcadero is flat and paved, the bridge is exposed and windy, and the park is grass and trees. The crew plans each stretch on its own terms, and the bank plan changes from one stretch to the next.
Bay to Breakers is held in May and ends at Ocean Beach, where the summer fog and wind can arrive early in the morning. Ocean Beach runs along the same coast, so the crew plans the finish-area banks around the coastal weather and the sand around the units.
Downtown San Francisco is where many races start and finish, so the course, the closures and the other events on the same streets all meet there. A downtown race plan is built from the closures on the same blocks, so the crew checks the full calendar before placing the start banks.
Related
Related services
Street Fair and Parade Restrooms
Portable restrooms for street fairs and parades on closed San Francisco streets, planned around city approvals.
Festival and Concert Restrooms
Portable restrooms for multi-day festivals and concerts in San Francisco parks and on waterfront sites.
Street and Sidewalk Placements
Portable toilets on San Francisco streets and sidewalks, with the permit limits and placard rules that apply.
ADA Accessible Portable Toilet Rental
Accessible single-user units marked with the International Symbol of Accessibility, placed with a usable route from the street.
Where we work
Race and Marathon Restrooms across San Francisco County
- Races in Downtown and Central San Francisco
- Races in Brisbane
- Races in Daly City
- Races in Sausalito
- Races in Belvedere and Tiburon
- Races in South San Francisco
- Races in Emeryville
- Races in Alameda
- Races in San Bruno
- Races in Albany
- Races in Mill Valley
- Races in Berkeley
- Races in Oakland
- Races in Piedmont
- Races in Pacifica
- Races in Corte Madera
- Races in El Cerrito
- Races in Richmond
- Races in Millbrae
- Races in Larkspur
- Races in Kentfield
- Races in San Pablo
- Races in Burlingame
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Event Restroom Counts in San Francisco: Getting the Current Requirement
San Francisco has no single citywide toilets-per-guest rule that can be cited, and the figures circulating online disagree.
FAQ
Race and Marathon Restrooms FAQs
How many portable toilets does a marathon need?
The count is set from the permit paperwork, using the expected field and the crowd at the start and finish, along with the share of accessible units. The count is spread across banks along the route. No figure is given here, because the reported counts for the city's largest runs conflict and are not confirmed.
Can a unit be placed on the Golden Gate Bridge sidewalk?
Not by default. The bridge district's rules and the course permit decide what can be placed on the bridge, and the usual approach is a bank at each bridge end. The crew confirms any bridge placement with the organizer before the event day.
Where do the largest banks go on a race course?
The largest banks go at the start and the finish, where the crowd is densest before and after the run. Those banks are serviced most often and include accessible units on a clear route from the course edge.
Does a race use a street closure permit?
Yes. A race that closes streets goes through the ISCOTT approval, and the closure hours set when the units can be placed and removed. A park stretch is covered by the Recreation and Park Department permit, and each permit is checked before the banks go in.
How are banks kept steady in fog and wind?
Banks on exposed ground are staked or braced, and the bracing is checked after each service visit. Morning fog and wind on the west side and at the coast can change the set-up, so the crew sets the bracing on the morning of the run.
Are there accessible units along a race route?
Yes. Each bank includes accessible units, with California's building code setting five percent of the units at each cluster as accessible and no fewer than one. The accessible units sit on a clear route from the course edge, and the course map marks where they are.