Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 76, November 2015 | Page 33

Vital Winelands Run
Becomes First Race to

#RunClean

The first road running event to officially
pledge to support the Modern Athlete
#RunClean campaign is the Vital Winelands
Run in Stellenbosch in November, and we’re
challenging more events to sign up as we
work towards cleaning up the litter problem
in our races.

L

ate in September an e-mail arrived from Clinton Logie, head of the joint
organising committee at Helderberg Harriers AC and Run Walk For Life
Somerset West for the annual Vital Winelands Marathon, Half Marathon
& 10km event, saying that they want their event to officially support the
#RunClean Campaign. The Winelands has been on the calendar for over 30
years and is a very popular road run through the picturesque Stellenbosch
and Somerset West wine route area, so litter along the roads is a real
eyesore and something the organisers want to eradicate.

Clinton wrote that the organising committee met and
discussed ways to support the campaign, and came up with
the following ideas:

5. Supply cups at the finish area for water, instead of water sachets,
as the littering of sachets around the finish venue and parking areas
was quite a problem last year. Water canisters will then be positioned
just beyond the finish area for runners to fill their cups, and bins will be
prominently positioned for throwing away used cups.

6. Come up with an idea to incentivise runners to bring their plastic
rubbish to the finish and then photograph them throwing used sachets
into a special #RunClean bin at the finish line, with a prize courtesy of
the sponsors going to the best #RunClean supporter, as chosen by the
organisers, based on their efforts to #RunClean. A selection of these
photos of #RunClean runners will then be published and promoted on the
Modern Athlete website and in the magazine.

7. Ask runners to Tweet about their #RunClean efforts in the race, or pics of
them doing their part not to litter, also tagging the race and sponsor as well, and
one lucky tweeter, randomly selected, will also receive a prize from the sponsors.
As Clinton summarised in his mail, “The overall feeling in the committee is
that littering by the runners along the route is a problem, and we need to
keep on with the raising of awareness to stop this, and to do whatever it
takes to support the #RunClean campaign.”

1. Print posters that can be displayed at the various pre-race registration
points, promoting #RunClean and urging runners not to litter on the route
by using the bins, or carrying refuse to the next water station or the finish.

2. Commit to having more refuse bins on the route, placed in such

Images: Two Oceans Marathon and Jacques Marais

a way as to encourage runners to use them, perhaps with #RunClean
posters displayed at water tables as well.

3. Use social media and newsletter mailers to increase awareness of
the #RunClean campaign and the race’s efforts to support the campaign.

4. Get the race day announcer to promote the #RunClean theme and
urge runners not to litter on the route.

Modern Athlete would like to thank Helderberg Harriers, RWFL
Somerset West and Vital for coming on board with #RunClean,
and we trust this will be just the first of many events to do so.

We would love to hear from you about your efforts to #RunClean, so send your
letters, photographs or ideas to [e-mail].

Think before you throw - #RunClean
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