The 2023 London Marathon has included a $32 (£26) charge in the entry fee for participants, as part of efforts to reduce the event’s carbon footprint and protect the environment.
Amidst rising concerns about climate protection, especially during events like the marathon, the 2023 London Marathon Events is working in partnership with the Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) to monitor the social and environmental impact of this year’s competition.
With around 50,000 local and international runners participating in this year’s event, travel has a significant environmental impact on the competition.
In addition, marathons are known to leave behind a large pile of trash. In previous events, the London marathon has generated up to seven tonnes of refuse and four tonnes of recycled material.
To offset these carbon effects by “investing in certified projects to balance CO2 emissions from participant travel”, the event planners have decided to add the $32 charge to the entry fee.
According to the London Marathon website, international participant travel is “the largest contributor to the carbon footprint of the event, accounting for more than 90 percent of it.”
The website expressed the organisers eagerness to not only protect the environment but to inspire participants to do the same.
Meanwhile, in efforts to contribute to the environmental protection efforts, over 2,500 prospective runners have decided against receiving the traditional race T-shirt as part of London’s ‘Trees Not Tees’ program which offers participants the option to have a tree planted instead.
Also water bottles and finisher bags to be distributed on the race day are recyclable, and leftover food will be donated to a food waste charity.
London is also currently running a “drink, drain, drop” campaign to encourage runners to drain their bottles before tossing them away, since bottles with water in them cannot be recycled.
The CRS will assess the environmental impact of the marathon using a number of important metrics, such as the amount of money raised for charity. Over £58 million ($72 million) was raised at the 2022 London Marathon.
For the Marathon event organisers, getting the CRS’s highest “Evergreen” certification is the reward to look forward to. Only four global events have earned that certification within the last one year.
“We’ve always taken a balanced approach between environmental, social and economic responsibility for mass participation events…and the legacy that’s left behind and the economic impact,” said CRS board member Kevin Phelan.
The 2023 London Marathon will take place on Sunday the 23rd of April, 2023.
