Running Events Evaluating Impact on the Environment

A couple of years ago, I got back into running after a brief post-law-school-no-time-for-anything-but-work hiatus. I am not a fast runner, but I have determination that can carry me pretty far, so I have participated in a variety of runs from the 5k to the marathon.

I have also helped organize a couple of races, so it is no surprise that greening initiatives in these types of events caught my eye.

About the only thing green about the typical running event is that the participants race on foot and not in cars. Running events are simply not very green. Just off the top of my head, some of the waste includes:

1. Travel to/from the event. Half the excitement can be the destination. Some runs are historic and monumental--Boston, for example. Others, like Barcelona, are just in great locations. Who wouldn't rather run their marathon in Barcelona than in their hometown? Many 5k/10k/half-marathons are more local.
2. Marketing. Brochures, postcards, etc.
3. Signage. Thousands of runners converging in one spot means lots of signs, banners and maps.
4. The Bag. There are always a couple of good things in the bag but everything else is a waste. Not to mention the plastic bag they put it in.
5. The shirt. Either give me a tech-t (I'll get good use out of that), or give me an opt-out. I like the idea of getting a small discount because I don't take a shirt. The popular Bolder Boulder has a different solution that also works. You can opt to pay a bit more for a tech-t or Crocs (the infamous shoes from a Boulder-based company).
6. The cups. Runners tend to require a lot of water and they don't want to carry water containers (and even if they did, having runners line up at a water cooler will not make for a successful event). Water is handed out in small, individual plastic cups. That's a lot of cups. I actually thought of this in Napa last week, while drinking out of one of these cups from Fabri-Kal, made of corn. I realize that these still need to be produced and that uses energy, but it's still better than plastic.
7. Garbage. Everywhere.

Can running events become more environmentally responsible? Runner's World thinks so. On its Green Team website, it features some events that have agreed to become "green-friendly." They also have a list of things race directors can do to make their races more green, including recycling, using email instead of US Mail, and offering off-sets to participants.

I think the Green Team is a good first step for running events, but I hope to see us stretch further in the future. At some point, things like recycling bins need to be as natural as trash cans.

If one of the Green Teams races takes place near you, check it out and let me know how you think it fared.