Marathons for the Environmentally Conscious

If you have ever participated in a marathon or cheered a friend on while running, you probably noticed the graveyard of paper cups littering the sidewalk. Marathons use a lot of resources, including vehicles (belonging to runners and non-runners) traveling to the event, cups, liquids, gel pack wrappers, energy to power the awards ceremony and music and food. That boils down to a lot of waste, a lot of energy and a lot of carbon emissions.

Some marathons around the country are quite eco-forward in their practices. Here are a few races that you can feel good about running.

The Portland Marathon works to promote sustainability by distributing leftover food and left-behind clothing to appropriate local charities. Since 1993, if you cross the finish line at this marathon, you’ll receive a tree seedling to plant. The hope is that by planting a new tree, runners will help offset carbon emissions, since trees absorb carbon dioxide. Workers manage the course primarily by bicycle, eliminating the need for cars along the course. This race even has solar panels at the start/finish lines to conserve energy. Volunteer “green teams” work the day of the race to oversee recycling efforts and promote recycling.

The San Francisco Marathon is a leader in conservation.

The ING Hartford Marathon in Connecticut is taking part in a pilot program for the Council for Responsible Sport that is examining sustainability at sporting events in hopes of implementing strict environmental guidelines for certification. In 2010, this marathon will be carbon neutral. Instead of receiving bottled water or disposable cups at the end of the race, runners drink directly from the UTC water bubbler, which saved 10,000 bottles from the trash in 2007. The ING Hartford Marathon also promotes sneaker recycling, which is used to create new sport surfaces for playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, tracks and soccer and football fields around the country. Runners are served organic, local or all-natural food at the end of the race.

The Great Lakes Endurance folks are serious about sustainability. The organization puts on several races in Wisconsin, and its website is powered completely by wind energy. In the Grand Island Race, runners are disqualified if they litter on the course. The race is on an island, and mass transportation is provided (free of charge) by shuttle buses and ferryboats. Runners at Great Lakes Endurance races must carry a 20-oz. bottle of their own (if you forget it, you don’t run), and the race volunteers will provide filling stations along the course. After the race, a cookout takes place featuring foods grown, produced or raised in northeast Wisconsin — all sourced from within 100 miles of the race. The proceeds of the race go to the Navarino Nature Center’s environmental education efforts. Medals are made of blown glass or ceramic from local artists.

The San Francisco Marathon is going green by using compostable cups during the race, using pace bicycles instead of pace vehicles, donating food, shoes and other products to charities and separating recycling, composting and trash. At the awards ceremony, the stage runs on energy generated from human-powered bicycles. This marathon even has green goals for the future, including a water bubbler (or other alternative) to eliminate plastic bottles at the finish line, using solar panels at the start and finish, harnessing human energy by installing energy pads along the course and partnering with an environmental nonprofit.