Need a ride? London park flooded with ‘sea’ of Lime bikes after half marathon

Racers taking part in the Hackney Half-marathon this weekend spotted the ‘sea of Lime bikes’ after the athletic event.

Mabley Green was packed to the brim with the e-bikes this weekend, lined up in rows in the green park.

Social media users jokingly compared the phenomenon to migrating animals, with one Instagram user posting a video of the bikes accompanied by a voice clip of David Attenborough speaking about ‘migrating herds’.

Marathon runner Lizzy Pollot, 43, who has been competing in the Hackney Half since 2015, says she takes Lime bikes everywhere around London.

In a post on social media, the stand-up comedian from Highbury, north London, referred to the event as the ‘Super Bowl’ for the rental e-bikes.

She said: ‘I always Lime bike around London, because it’s just the best, it’s the fastest, it’s the most sustainable.

‘All the roads are closed during race days, so it’s one of the main ways everyone gets there. Lime is really good, because the organizers tell you in advance where to park up, and they have designated parking areas.’

But Lizzy, who has run marathons around the world, said she saw ‘hundreds’ of the e-bikes parked in the designated areas near the event.

‘With the New York marathon, famously, you have to get a boat and then you’re put on a school bus – it’s trickier, and it takes a lot longer,’ she added.

‘With New York, you already feel like you’ve run a marathon, because just getting to the start is such a long journey. Which is why it’s just such a breath of fresh air in places like London, where there’s plenty of Limes to take the stress out of the day, I guess.’

Race organizers said they worked with e-bike operators to ‘install a geo-fence around the race route’, meaning bikes could not be parked outside of designated zones.

Not every area in London is a fan of the e-bikes, however. In December, Islington threatened to kick out Lime and Forest e-bikes if the companies didn’t resolve ‘persistent problems’ plaguing residents.

Islington Council sent a letter to the rental e-bike operators Lime and Forest telling them to tackle ongoing issues like obstructive parking, nighttime noise and antisocial behavior, which ‘remain unresolved.’

The leader of Islington Council, Una O’Halloran, and executive council member Rowena Champion, urged the operators to address obstructive parking blocking pavements and causing hazards, to activate geofencing on estates, and to make sure bays are not overflowing.

Lime and Forest also have to tell the council how many bikes are available in the borough, and improve enforcement, such as bike removal, good pavement access, and bike tracking.

Residents have complained of e-bike ‘madness,’ with bikes seen blocking pavements and taking up residents’ parking spaces in streets like Avenell Road, and on the Greens Lane and Clissold Park corner.

Forest’s head of policy, Alex Berwin, said: ‘As London’s homegrown shared e-bike operator, we care deeply about making a positive impact in the city and the communities we serve. Millions of journeys are made on Forest bikes in Islington each year, helping cut congestion and improve air quality, and we remain committed to being a responsible operator and a constructive partner to Islington Council.

‘We recognize that the service must work well for everyone, and we take the issues raised seriously. That is why we are investing heavily in better parking technology, in-app guidance and clear instructions to help users park responsibly and reduce street clutter. Our local team also responds quickly when issues are reported to help ensure bikes don’t cause obstruction or inconvenience.’

A spokesperson for Lime said: ‘We’ve worked in partnership with Islington Council for 6 years, and share their view that rental e-bikes play a valuable role in improving congestion, air quality, and public health in the borough and across London.

‘Record demand for our service has led to some parking challenges in Islington, which we’re working to address through our London Action Plan, with more investment in dedicated parking bays. This includes helping fund over 100 in Islington this year – and an increased on-street team tidying misparked bikes and overcrowded bays faster than ever.’

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