Races Go Green

Remember the last time you ran through a water stop or the finish line of a road race? Do you recall seeing a recycling bin for plastic bottles or paper cups? Probably not.

But there's a fast-growing movement to make more races environmentally-friendly. A recent article in The New York Times highlighted the efforts of a group called Athletes for a Fit Planet, which helps race directors find ways to make their events a bit greener.

Check out these examples of how large races are going green:

• The ING Hartford Marathon created a 40-foot long water fountain that could serve 40 marathon finishers at a time. The unique fountain saved 10,000 plastic water bottles and paper cups from the local landfill in 2007.
• The IMT Des Moines Marathon will be recycling cardboard and plastic at the expo, start/finish line and on the course.
• The Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon is donating extra food to a local food bank and will be collecting any "gently" used shoes for Soles4Souls at the expo and finish line. Race organizers emailed all early confirmation packets will be emailed, saving 15,000 packets from being printed.
• The Nature's Path Whidbey Island Marathon uses 100% post-consumer recycled paper bags for the participant goodie bags distributed at the event expo. They also print their event brochures on a partial post-consumer recycled paper.

Related Links:

• Recycle Your Running Shoes
• Austin Marathon Goes Green
• The GreenTeam

_{Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images}