Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 111, October 2018 | Page 27

PAPERLESS OR RECYCLED
However, it’s not just about refreshment
tables. The ‘greening’ commences with
registration where online entries are an ideal
means of reducing the carbon costs, and can
save a mass of trees. At Satara Hills, the 6000
entries sell out in just three hours – Indian
running is going to be very big soon – and
as with the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half
Marathon here in SA, Satara Hills has no real
reason for printing an entry form, other than to
ensure the opportunity exists for all to enter.
Entries for London, New York, Berlin, even
Mumbai, etc focus on the digital mechanisms,
but even they have a portion of manual hard-
print materials. Unsurprisingly, the printed
option is greater in less developed regions
such as the Middle East, Africa and India.
However, races in these countries or regions do not lack innovation, or the
willpower, to make their greening contribution. For instance, the ‘goodie bag’ is
moving from using a sponsor’s plastic bag,
to instead using a recyclable tog bag that
can be used for shopping and other future
purposes. Even the nylon ‘shoe bag’ is being
replaced. And these new bags frequently carry
a motivating environmental awareness slogan,
reminding runners of the overall objective.
Also, in India, races have a tradition of
providing a post-race breakfast for the
runners, which in Satara came in another
small ‘collectable’ recycled multi-purpose
bag. The Chembur 10km went one better with
its goodie bag, which was constructed from
newspaper by underprivileged communities,
which gave those communities an opportunity to earn some money. This hit
the spot in so many ways that it will be adopted for the 2019 Navi Mumbai Half
Marathon, which attracts 9000 runners.
GLOBAL EFFORT
Greening has become an important point for all race organisers, and in road
running worldwide. In June this year, AIMS (Association of International Marathons
and Distance Races) issued its fifth version of the AIMS Green CD, with new and
greater concepts, recommendations and checklists, and the IAAF were amongst
the first signatories to the sporting world’s commitment to green procedures. There
are also a myriad of ways that organisers can reduce their use of plastic and paper,
and the effect of their race on the environment — and because of the high public
profile of road running, events that don’t become more environmentally-friendly will
become targets in their local community.
However, the greatest contribution that running can make is a much-needed
change in attitude and culture towards littering, waste management and use of
single-use plastics. Of course, the potential contradictions that exist highlight the
need for this cultural attitude change… After all, the supporters of trail running or
MTB cycling who go in search of ‘nature’ are often amongst the most vociferous
complainants about road running, but it’s not unusual for them to drive to their
events in large SUV vehicles, or travel with less than full vehicles.
The point is that greening is not an event, nor an action, it’s an attitude and
culture, and that is where the power of road racing comes into the picture. With
an estimated 1% to 2% of the world’s population being runners, the sport makes
it possible to reach a mass of people and hopefully change their attitude, and to
increase their awareness not simply of alternatives, but just as important, of what
to do with waste when there is not a viable or practical alternative. The real impact
of these mass events is the lessons we can learn, the attitudes that can change,
and the message and actions we take away and use in the future. We all need to
be part of it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Norrie has represented Scotland, Great Britain and South
Africa in ultra-distance running and triathlon, and he is an IAAF-accredited coach
and course measurer. You can read more from him at www.coachnorrie.co.za.
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