FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Presented by Freescale
Earns Fourth Consecutive Certification
by the Council for Responsible Sport
September 8, 2015. EUGENE, OR. The 2015 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon
presented by Freescale, has earned Silver Level certification by the
Council for Responsible Sport (Council) for its social and environmental
initiatives. In earning the accolades, the event becomes the first-ever
event to earn certification four consecutive times--the first was in 2009.
The certification is good for two years.
Organizers met criteria for 39 of the best practice standards set forth by
the Council across five categories, including: planning and communications,
procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy.
Nearly 15,000 participants joined the weekend of events as around 20,000 s
spectators looked on.
"The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is an event defined by consistency
and commitment", said race director John Conley. Earning the Council's
certification four consecutive times is a concrete reflection of these core
values and fits our vision for how we can be a 'force for good' in our
community.
Highlights from the event weekend included diverting 76 percent of the
waste generated from the landfill through extensive volunteer sorting and
user education efforts. 946 pounds of discarded clothing from the start
line was donated to Goodwill of Central Texas, while over 3,000 pounds of
un-served food and beverages were given to the Capital Area Food Bank of
Texas.
The event sought to reduce parking congestion and its visitors'
contribution to climate change by promoting a variety of alternative
transportation methods. A promotion with Lyft for a free ride, the city
metro and B-cycle, Austin's bike share system, plus a bike valet were all
featured in pre-event communications. Additionally, over 300 people o
opted-in during the registration process on a small surcharge to purchase
offsets for the carbon footprint of their travel to and from the event,
indicating an increasing level of awareness about the climate impacts of
fossil-fuels. Participant and spectator travel generally constitutes
between 80-95% of an event's 'carbon footprint,' according to the Council.
As part of the Austin Gives Miles charity program, the "Don't Beat Ben"
campaign offered a local runner the opportunity to start in last place with
the promise that Conley Sports would donate $1 to the communities' choice
charity on behalf of every runner he passed during the race. Through social
media outreach, the Children's Heart Foundation Texas Chapter was the
beneficiary of $3,053 donated for the number of people "Ben beat".
"The Austin Marathon team has shown a sustained commitment to leadership in
presenting socially and environmentally responsible events--a commitment
solidified with this fourth certification effort. The event weekend is a
great opportunity to not only run or witness a great race and course, but
also to connect, learn about and support the great work being done by
community groups all around Austin", said Shelley Villalobos,
certification director at the Council for Responsible Sport.
About the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Presented by Freescale:
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Freescale is the
flagship running event in the City of Austin, and will be celebrating its
25th anniversary on February 14, 2016. The Austin Marathon and Half
Marathon presented by Freescale has hosted nearly 200,000 runners since its
inception in 1992 and generates over $20 million annually for the local
Austin economy. A member of Running USA, and sanctioned by USA Track &
Field, the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Freescale was
inducted into the Texas Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2011.
www.youraustinmarathon.com.
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. The current version of the Council's Certification
standards (v.4.1) was developed by an outside working group of both
sustainability and sport industry experts, reviewed by a wide range of s
stakeholders throughout 2013 and implemented in January 2014.
www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org
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