Urine from thousands of women participating in the London Marathon is poised to be collected and transformed into fertilizer for agricultural use.

Approximately 1,000 liters of urine will be gathered from nine women’s urinals set up at the marathon’s start line.

NPK Recovery, a Bristol-based start-up, will convert this urine into a safe fertilizer ideal for wheat, which requires nitrogen—a key component found in urine. The processed fertilizer will undergo field trials to enhance its formulation and assess its effectiveness on wheat crops.

Susan Farrell, a participant running for the NSPCC, commented: “It’s fantastic to think that the anxious moments of thousands of women can contribute to a meaningful cause.”

The method of converting urine into liquid fertilizer closely resembles the treatment of wastewater.

By introducing bacteria to the urine, it is decomposed into ammonium nitrate, an essential nutrient for plant growth.

NPK Recovery expressed its intention to contribute to lowering the carbon footprint associated with this well-known marathon.

Hannah Vandenbergh, the company’s founder, stated: “Urine doesn’t have to be treated as waste, and we are excited to play a role in advancing the sustainability initiatives of the renowned TCS London Marathon.”

Kate Chapman, who oversees sustainability efforts at London Marathon Events, noted: “Our environmental strategy includes finding ways to repurpose all waste produced at our events—such as composting, reusing, and upcycling. We are thrilled that the urine collected from the urinals can be utilized positively instead of going to waste.”

NPK Recovery indicated that had last year’s 53,700 marathon finishers’ urine been collected, it could have produced enough fertilizer for wheat to bake approximately 3,142 loaves of bread.