GOING GREEN

The Big Sur International Marathon takes place on coastal Highway One which showcases one of the most scenic and pristine stretches of coastline in the country. 

We welcome runners and walkers to join us in April for a chance to run or walk along the "ragged edge of the western world."  Because our organization understands the importance and urgency of developing ecologically and environmentally sound practices surrounding our events, we are taking steps to increase our environmental sustainability.  Our events impact the surrounding Monterey Peninsula communities and our efforts to "reduce, re-use, and recycle" go a long way towards keeping our destination cities both "green and pristine.

The Big Sur International Marathon has earned Gold Certification for its greening efforts in the 2010 race, its 25^th Presentation. Cited as “one of the most progressive events in the world,” the certification was awarded by the Council for Responsible Sport, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the level of environment and social responsibility in sporting events.

The Council for Responsible Sport's certification program provides an independent, comprehensive validation of the Big Sur International Marathon's environmental and sustainability initiatives.  CRS has a set of guidelines and categories that will allow us to merge environmental responsibility into event operation.  The five certification categories include Waste, Climate, Materials & Equipment, Community & Outreach, and Health Promotion and Innovation. The Big Sur Marathon received 34 out of 41 credits and achieved a record 91.67 percent diversion rate on its recycling and food waste programs. Of the 5.4 tons of waste generated, 4.95 tons were diverted from the landfill.  Click HERE to see the credits we earned.

Below are some of the measures taken to divert waste, in turn saving us money by reducing hauling costs and disposal fees:

• Recycling bottles, cans, plastic and cardboard
• Composting food waste, including utensils, plates, and clear cups
• Diverting wooden pallets for reuse
• Donating leftover food
• Donating abandoned clothing for reuse
• Encouraging participants, especially our walkers, to take part in our "BYOB" program which reduces the number of paper cups used on the course

Other environmental choices with a positive impact include:

• Product selection, such as the purchase of compostable plates, cups, and utensils
• Choosing biodegradable toilet paper for use in porta-potties
• Using a triple green certified printing company for all printed materials
• Going paperless - 100% of registration is done online
• Using solar power at the finish
• Offering a "Virtual Goody Bag" in lieu of the traditional goody bag stuffed with thousands of pieces of paper, much of which gets tossed in the trash
• Producing a Virtual Results Book viewable online
• Renting/borrowing tents, fencing, vehicles (re-using, rather than purchasing)
• Reducing our carbon footprint by encouraging participants to come to the event via "Pickup Pal," a free carpooling service.

Please consider helping us offset our carbon footprint by giving a donation at the time you register for a Big Sur Marathon or Half Marathon event.  The money collected will be used to purchase green tags to offset the carbon emissions created by travel to the event, shuttles to the start, and energy used during the events.  Your financial support will go a long way in helping with this and we thank you in advance for your consideration.

“We couldn’t have achieved the Gold Certification without the involvement of so many dedicated organizations and individuals," stated Karen Ferlito, Chair of the Big Sur Marathon’s Green Team. Ferlito cites a core group of approximately 50 volunteers who worked on the greening of the event. Individuals from the California Conservation Corps provided hands-on race day support along with members of local non-profits and Big Sur Marathon board members to ensure that materials were properly sorted into trash, recyclables and compostable containers. Of all non trash material sent to the recycling and food waste facility, an impressive 97.88 percent was composted or recycled.

“The Big Sur International Marathon’s Green Team has raised the bar in zero waste efforts,” stated Kristin Cushman of The Offset Project, who helped guide the waste diversion program.

William Merry, General Manager of the MRWMD noted, “The logistics posed by the course of the Big Sur Marathon make it a particularly challenging coordination issue, and costs for recycling and waste pick up are no doubt higher because of that than at some other marathon course layouts. Yet the marathon’s leadership has worked over the last 10 years, one step at a time to persistently move forward with recycling, reduction of litter and reducing waste, thereby leading the way for other marathons and large venue events to reduce their waste.”

“This is a remarkable accomplishment for a race of this size,” added Bruce Rayner, Chief Green Officer of Athletes of a Fit Planet, the environmental services company that provided consulting and on-the-ground support to the Big Sur International Marathon.

In awarding the Gold Certification, Marisa McGilliard of the Council for Responsible Sport stated, “Your innovation and commitment to sustainability are profound, and will serve as a model for future races across the country.”

BYOB stands for "Bring Your Own Bottle" and represents an effort on the part of race organizers to reduce the usage of paper cups at aid stations.  If you wish to participate, you can carry one or more bottles that can be refilled at the BYOB stations on the course.

While not mandatory for runners, BYOB is a great alternative for those out there to enjoy the beauty of the course.  We strongly encourage all walkers to participate in BYOB.