FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marine Corps Marathon Earns Silver Certification
from the Council for Responsible Sport
Sustainable Innovations Abound at the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon
January 4, 2012 - Portland, OR: The Council for Responsible Sport (CRS)
announced today that the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) has earned Silver
Certification for sustainable efforts made during the event held on October
30, 2011.
"MCM organizers have a history of producing sustainable events," said Keith
Peters, Executive Director of the Council for Responsible Sport. "In
October 2009, the MCM organization first achieved Silver Certification and,
in May 2010, the MCM applied for and achieved CRS Certification for the
Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. To earn re-certification for the MCM
this year reinforces the organization's ongoing commitment to improvement
and sustainability."
"It has been a strategic goal of the MCM to incorporate sustainability
throughout the entire organization of the marathon," said Angela Huff, MCM
Deputy Director. "With long-range planning and coordination operationally,
logistically and even through marketing and promotional efforts, the MCM
has been able to maintain a smaller footprint with less impact on the
environment."
One of highlights of the Marine Corps Marathon's green initiatives this
year was having Robert Swan, OBE, who is one of the world's preeminent
polar explorers, speak at the Carbo Dinner held during MCM Weekend.
According to April Janssen, CRS evaluator for the event: "Swan was funny,
educational and inspirational. Hearing about his long, long walks to both
the North and South Poles, and the effects of climate change he observed
along the way was fascinating. And his environmental message had good
balance and wasn't overbearing." Swan also ran the 36th MCM and selected
two wounded warriors to accompany him on his next polar expedition.
As you might expect, event organizers went out of their way to encourage
and accommodate over 100 wheelchair and handcycle athletes, many of them
alumni of the Wounded Warrior Project.TM According to Peters: "The social
side of sustainability is often overlooked. Promoting healthy lifestyles
and removing barriers to participation for under-represented groups are
just as vital as diverting waste from landfills and reducing wasteful
practices."
The Council for Responsible Sport provides an independent, comprehensive
certification for event directors to incorporate environmental and socially
responsible initiatives into their events while informing consumers about
events that adhere to higher standards of sustainability. CRS Certified
races range in size from the Hawk Island Triathlon in Lansing, Michigan,
with 689 finishers, to the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia,
with 55,077 timed finishers. To date, 34 different events have achieved
certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, and six of those
events have become re-certified after their initial two-year certification
expired. Since 2008, 565,767 athletes have been served in CRS Certified
events. A complete listing of CRS Certified events can be found at:
http://www.councilforresponsiblesport.org/certification/certified-events/
The Council for Responsible Sport's updated certification standards for
2012 have been developed by an outside working group of 18 sustainability
experts and reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders. CRS 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.
About the Council for Responsible Sport: Founded in 2007 to empower
sporting event producers to incorporate sustainably into their events, the
Council for Responsible Sport is about inspired innovation and
unprecedented collaboration. The mission of CRS is to partner with
stakeholders in the sports industry as catalysts for sustainable change.
From half marathons to football games to lacrosse and snowboarding, the
Council believes athletes and spectators alike have the opportunity to
encourage sports to adopt sustainable practices.
In addition to administering a certification program for sports events, CRS
also offers peer-to-peer learning communities and access to online tools,
case studies and strategic partnerships to assist leaders and businesses
actively engaged in the sports industry.
About the Marine Corps Marathon: Voted the "Best Marathon for Families" and
the "Best Marathon in the Mid Atlantic," the Marine Corps Marathon honors
the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Runners
from all walks of life participate in the largest marathon not to offer
prize money, earning the name "The People's Marathon." The 37th MCM will be
held on October 28, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia. No federal or Marine Corps
endorsement is implied.
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