Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 112, November 2018 | Page 22

ROAD RUNNING
Running
Planet
for the
T
he story goes that a guy called Lancelot
from Sweden was out jogging one day in
his countryside home town in 2016 and was
disappointed to see how much litter was all over the
place, so he began picking it up as he ran, taking the
pieces of trash to the nearest bin, then continuing his
run while picking up more litter. Then when he moved to
the capital city, Stockholm, a short while later, and was
even more disappointed at the amount of litter on the
streets, he really got stuck in with picking up litter. Now
apparently the Swedish word for picking is ‘plogga,’
so he started using that hashtag
on social media with pics
of the litter he was
picking up.
The word
quickly
spread and
soon other
runners
were joining
in with the
clean-up runs,
or doing their
Plogging has been hailed as a new trend in
fitness, but it is so much more than just a new way
to get your daily exercise in, it is also a great way
to do your part for the environment and your local
community. All you need is a rubbish bag and some
motivation. – BY SEAN FALCONER
own plogga runs. That led to another Swede, Erik
Ahlström, creating the website Plogga to organise
the activity and encourage volunteers, and it really
kicked off from there. Now you see plogging groups
in cities all around the world, with running clubs or
training groups regularly doing plogging runs in their
towns or cities, getting in their daily run while also
doing their bit for the environment. For example, the
Plogging NYC group in New York in the USA has
about 100 members and their regular plogging runs
have become huge.
Here in South Africa, where the running community
has become increasingly aware of litter and the role of
runners in creating more waste during races, thanks
to various anti-litter campaigns such as #runclean,
#GoGreen and #ICarryMyOwn, plogging has found
a natural home, and the activity is slowly gaining
popularity.
Start Plogging
It’s pretty simple to start plogging. All you need is
a trash bag, at least one glove (the hygienic route if
you don’t want to touch some of the messier items
of litter), and your usual running gear. Then head out
and keep
a lookout
for litter along
your route. A few useful hints are to bend at
the knees, not the waist, when stopping to pick up
litter, to make sure your back does not cave in, and
alternate the arm carrying the bag of litter, which in
turn will give you a balanced upper body workout as
you run. Think of it as an alternate to hitting the gym –
squats and light weights with a great purpose added!
You might not run as fast as you normally would,
but it’s essentially fartlek training, where you run at
all kinds of speeds, depending on how much trash
you find out there. You might go slow in some areas,
then faster for a while as you hit a ‘cleaner’ part of
FREE Bins for Registered Races
A
s part of the Modern Athlete
#runclean campaign, Garbie
(East Rand Plastics) is
providing FREE fold-up cardboard bins
and plastic bin liners to any running or
walking event held in South Africa that
registers as a #runclean event.
To qualify, events must put the
#runclean and Garbie logos on
their entry form and website, and
must promote the #runclean message pre-race and at their event. Once an event is
registered and approved, Garbie will arrange the free delivery of the bins, liners and
bags, while Modern Athlete will promote the event as a #runclean event.
To register an event, go to http://modern-athlete.co.za/bf.php?fid=287 or sign
up 22
via the link
on 112
www.facebook.com/runclean.
Please note that races must apply
ISSUE
NOVEMBER 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za
for bins 60 days before race day to allow for processing of applications
and despatch of sponsored bins and liners.
As part of the #runclean commitment, we also encourage event
organisers to retain and store their used cardboard bins for the next
event, and to ensure that all their race waste is managed by a reputable
recycling company.
Garbie is the household name for refuse bags and available at
all leading retail stores, so please support the company that
supports runners and is helping us to #runclean!