FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2012 Akron Marathon Earns Certification From
the Council For Responsible Sport For Its Sustainability Initiatives
March 21, 2013 - Portland, OR: The 2012 Akron Marathon, presented by Time
Warner Cable, has earned certification from the Council for Responsible
Sport for efforts to reduce the event's environmental footprint and
increase its social impact. The Akron Marathon's sustainability program is
titled Environmental Endurance.
"The Akron Marathon's list of accomplishments is long, as is its commitment
to the mission of promoting health and fitness, stimulating the local
economy, galvanizing the community and benefiting charitable
organizations," said Keith Peters, executive director of the Council for
Responsible Sport.
Among the many sustainability initiatives implemented and tracked
throughout the 2012 event weekend, there were a few in particular that were
notable and innovative:
77.7% of all waste was diverted from the landfill; of the 7.25 tons of
waste, 0.17 tons were composted and 5.46 tons were recycled.
1.85 tons of non-essential materials were completely eliminated in 2012 as
compared to 2011.
Much of the non-essential material that was eliminated were the typical
goodie bag inserts - coupons and flyers - and were replaced by an
innovative VIP Runner Rewards Card. With 11 discounts offered on the back
of the card, it is estimated that 143,000 pieces of paper were saved. And
the card included offers and discounts that are available all year long.
A special effort was made to collect chip bags, GU and PowerBar wrappers,
which were sent to Terracycle to be "upcycled" into new and useful
products.
"The Akron Marathon is thrilled to have been recognized by the Council for
Responsible Sport," said Anne Bitong, executive director. "We have put a
lot of effort into providing a community event that is socially and
environmentally responsible, and it's exciting to receive this
certification. With 15,000 participants it can be challenging, but it's
always worth it."
The 11th annual Akron Marathon, presented by Time Warner Cable, will be
held September 28, 2013. Registration is available at
www.AkronMarathon.org
The Council congratulates the Akron Marathon Staff and their Executive
Board of Directors for their accomplishments as well as their commitment to
an ongoing process of planning, deliberate actions, measuring progress and
continuous improvement.
About the Council for Responsible Sport:
Our vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the
norm.
Our mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the
socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing,
and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in
their communities.
Our Certification program provides a comprehensive method for event
directors to incorporate environmental and socially responsible initiatives
into their events, while informing stakeholders about events that adhere to
a rigorous set of standards. Certified events range in size from
ParalympicsGB Training Camps held at the University of Bath in the UK, with
some 150 athletes participating, to the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta,
Georgia, with 55,077 timed finishers. To date, 50 different events have
achieved certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, serving over
710,000 athletes in the process.
The current version of the Council's Certification standards was developed
by an outside working group of 18 sustainability experts and reviewed by a
wide range of stakeholders. Certification is modeled after the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System, which certifies
buildings and materials according to resource conservation and energy
efficiency criteria.
www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.orgw
About the Akron Marathon:
The Akron Marathon, presented by Time Warner Cable, is organized by the
Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation, a nonprofit group that is dedicated
to promoting health and fitness. Additional information on the Akron
Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay is available at AkronMarathon.org or
by calling (330) 434-2RUN (2786).
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