As the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon nears, plans for a more sustainable race day are well underway.
This year’s race will introduce several new initiatives as the marathon aims to receive a gold sustainability rating from the Council for Responsible Sports — an organization that certifies environmentally responsible event production practices.
The initiatives being introduced this year include water filling stations in Grant Park to reduce the need for single use plastic water bottles and an active presence of Green Team volunteers and sorting stations throughout the runner refreshment area.
Locally sourced food and beverages, including apples from Michigan Apple Committee and Goose Island beer brewed in Chicago, will also be available.
“The commitment to sustainably producing an event the size of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has broad impacts,” said Shelley Villalobos, certification director at the Council. “The Council is grateful for the dedication of the Marathon to being a global leader in the movement towards greater responsibility in sport.”
Certifications from the Council can be awarded on three levels — bronze, silver and gold. The marathon qualified at a “basic” level of sustainability in 2010 and 2012 and received a silver-level event sustainability certification in 2014, according to the Council’s website. It’s the largest marathon to have earned certification from the Council since the organization was founded in 2008.
Leading up the Oct. 9 event, the Abbott Health and Fitness Expo will also see revamped changes with efforts to reduce the event’s carbon footprint.
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The expo will be held in McCormick Place, the world’s largest convention center to be a certified sustainable venue under the APEX-ASTM standard, which judges venues based on their ability to hold sustainable events.
Free shuttles to the expo will be provided for participants in order to reduce carbon emissions associated with picking up race packets and all paper, plastic and aluminum waste generated at the Expo will be recycled.
“As an event, we realized early on the responsibility we have to the environment and the communities that our race runs through,” said Carey Pinkowski, executive race director. “It has been rewarding to see the positive impact of our sustainability initiatives and the enthusiasm put forth by our volunteers, sponsors, runners and spectators to make the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as sustainable as possible.”
