RUNNING USA – Austin Marathon, Conley Sports Lauded by Council for Responsible Sport

PORTLAND, Ore. – Executive Director Keith Peters announced 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.

Find out more about the Council for Responsible Sport at www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org

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

 

RUNNING USA

Source: Council for Responsible Sport Date: June 15, 2013