RESOURCES FOR RACE DIRECTORS

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 36^th 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.™ 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.

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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 37^th MCM will be held on October 28, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied.

For information about the award presentation or about the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon, contact Tami Faram, MCM Public Relations Coordinator at 703-432-1840 or tami.faram@usmc.mil.