FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Earns Second Silver Certification from
the Council for Responsible for it's Sustainability Initiatives
Conley Sports Demonstrates an Ongoing Commitment to Producing Socially
and Environmentally Responsible Events.
June 11, 2013 - Portland, OR: Executive Director Keith Peters announced
today that the 2013 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon have been awarded
Silver Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, earning 43 of
the 45 certification credits they pursued. Conley Sports, the events'
producers, have been longtime proponents of sustainable sport, having
originally become certified by the Council in 2009, and upgrading to Silver
Certification in 2011.
"The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon have long been recognized as
industry-leaders in terms of sustainable race production practices,"said
Peters. "Back in November 2008, Runner's World called them the 'Greenest
Race in North America,' and they've built on that platform ever since. The
team at Conley Sports clearly has a set of core values they follow that
result in both consistency and innovation when it comes to their efforts to
reduce the environmental footprint and increase the social impact of their
events."
"When I began at Conley Sports, one of my first questions was 'How do we
feel about recycling?' said Michelle Sandquist, Conley Sports General
Manager. "We've come a long way since then, and we're proud to be
continually upping our green game and enhancing the Austin Marathon and
Half Marathon's positive impact on our community. Being recognized with a
Silver Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport is a huge
honor."
Among the many accomplishments of the 2013 Austin Marathon and Half
Marathon, the following are most remarkable:
"Over the course of the year, four "Run, Recycle, Refuel"trash collection
runs were held, bringing local runners together for an evening of community
service through running, literally, to clean up portions of the marathon
course.
"The events 26 for 26 charity fundraising effort resulted in $344,655 being
raised for local non-profit organizations.
"A "Responsible Runner Pledge"was added to the race registration process,
asking runners to pledge to support waste collection efforts, minimize
transportation impacts and use reusable water bottles whenever possible.
In addition, Conley Sports recently emptied their race warehouse of
leftover single-serve water bottles, donating them to hurricane relief
efforts in Moore, Oklahoma.
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, 54 different events have
achieved certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, serving over
7555,000 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.org
About the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon®:
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is one of the largest combined
marathon and half marathons in the United States. It has hosted runners
from all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. The race
began as the Motorola Marathon in 1992 with 605 marathon runners and in
2013, hosted more than 15,000 runners in the marathon and half marathon
categories. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has a Silver
Certification for sustainability efforts from the Council for Responsible
Sport and continues to be among the most environmentally friendly public
event in the country. In its 22-year history, the race has helped
nonprofits raise more than $5 million to support their causes. The 2014
race will take place on Sunday, February 16. For more information visit
www.youraustinmarathon.com.
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