Quicklinks
Green Initiative
Building a plan to reduce our carbon footprint
It starts with donating the clothing discarded by our runners to a homeless shelter on race day. Or maybe a simple gesture of recycling our heat sheets or our excess Philadelphia Marathon medals after the race. The road to sustainability is paved through single steps. So, while our Marathon colors remain our signature red and black, we are now showing our true color -- green.
The Philadelphia Marathon proudly announces that it is doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint. And so, as our race grows (50,000 spectators, 25,000 competitors and 3,000 volunteers),we continue to make environmental strides by implementing green initiatives that both subtly and aggressively reduce waste, reuse resources and recycle materials. We may not save the planet alone, but we certainly are going to try to set an example for other sporting events. In the spirit of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability (for more information on the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, visit www.phila.gov/green), the Philadelphia Marathon is committed to becoming an environmentally-conscious event this year and in the future. Green, lean and clean is our mindset with nearly every planning decision we make.
So far, so good. Many of our choices have been successful. For example, our community-service endeavor in which our runners donate used athletic footwear to one of our charitable partners, the Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation (PPPF), has had great impact. The organization helps lift families out of poverty by increasing small-farm productivity in poor rural farm communities in Africa. It achieves this by collecting unwanted athletic shoes, which are sold in major metro areas to vendors, who, in turn, create jobs. The proceeds from the shoe sales provide training and tools to impoverished farms. Our marathoners have donated more than 3,000 much-needed running shoes in the last two years, allowing the Marathon to officially sponsor and “adopt” families in Ghana.
And on the path to a paperless race, registration for the Marathon, half marathon and Rothman Institute 8K was accessible through our website. We continue to strongly encourage participants to sign up on line, offering on-line discounts, and are happy to report that marathoners have responded overwhelmingly. The majority of our participants have registered electronically since 2008, the year we stepped up our push to go paperless.
This year, you will see that we are serious about instituting more environmental measures than ever before. And we will continue to think of new, efficient, responsible outside-the-box ways to operate. Please join us in our efforts to go green. And please feel free to share any of your eco-friendly ideas by contacting us at philadelphiamarathon@gmail.com .
Meanwhile, here are some of the earth-saving steps we are taking to sustainability:
- Encouraged the use of online registration, which has been significantly increased (97 percent in 2010; 95 percent in 2009 and 88 percent in 2008).
- Used e-cards instead of paper for discount offers.
- Reduced paper size of informational handouts by 50 percent.
- Used recycled paper and biodegradable official Philadelphia Marathon pens in marketing materials.
- Recycled cardboard and plastics on race course.
- Recycled discarded salvageable runners' clothes at race day starting line, filling more than 200 55-gallon bags.
- Recycled excess runners' bags. Items are sorted, then recycled or donated to local running clubs, school groups, and charity organizations
- Recycled runners' Heat Sheets, which are made of metalized polyester film.
- Recycled excess runners' medals.
- Donated excess food products such as water and/or runners' snacks to local shelters, charitable organizations, recreation programs, school groups and other competitive race organizations.
- Participated in a used-sneaker recycling project with the Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation (PPPF), a Philadelphia Marathon charitable partner, to assist with job-creating community outreach efforts in Ghana, Africa.
- Composting at least 500,000 cups along the route.
- Used formaldehyde-free, nontoxic alternative to traditional chemicals in portable toilets onsite.
- All portable toilets are stocked with recycled toilet paper.
- Monitored course and emergency functions primarily through the use of bicycles, scooter units, and ATV's, minimizing the carbon footprint as compared to fuel-guzzling vehicles and ambulances.
- Offered information on our website encouraging participants to travel around Philadelphia by public transportation.
Learn of more ways to calculate and offset your carbon footprint at www.eraseyourtrace.org.
Waste Watchers
The Mayor's Office of Sustainability is partnering with the Philadelphia Marathon, as well as a variety of other events this fall, to help go green and send less waste to landfills. Large crowds create a festive atmosphere, but they also produce a lot of waste in a small space. Become a member of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability's Waste Watchers team to help event-goers sort their trash, recycling, and compost into the right containers, keep the streets of Philadelphia clean and welcoming, and reduce the amount of trash our city's events send to the landfill.
At the Philadelphia Marathon on November 19th and 20th, Waste Watcher volunteers are needed at the Start/Finish and spectator areas. Waste Watcher volunteers will help participants and spectators sort their waste items. Volunteers will be provided with gloves and additional bags for bins, and will bag the trash and recycling and help load the items into the trucks. Waste Watcher volunteers who help out at the Marathon will receive a free Philadelphia Marathon sweatshirt!
CLICK HERE to sign up for one or more Waste Watcher shifts at the Philadelphia Marathon, or contact katie.morrison@phila.gov for more information.
