More and more races are asking participants what they think of the event’s efforts to green things up, typically as part of a post-event survey. But I can’t recall having a client ask runners about their green initiatives pre-race, specifically as part of the registration process.

In the there’s-a-first-time-for-everything category, the Chevron Houston Marathon folks are doing just that. And the response rate is not only high, but the rate of positive responses is very encouraging:

• When asked “are you aware of the Houston Marathon Committee’s efforts to go green,” 53% of registrants (8,188 runners) answered yes.
• When asked “is participating in a certified green event important to you,” 51% of runners (7,942 runners) answered yes.

In regards to the second bullet, Houston runners should be pleased: the Houston Marathon Committee intends to pursue certification from the Council for Responsible Sport next January.

By the way, Houston’s numbers compare very favorably with recent post-race survey results from the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run:

• 63% of respondents said they were aware of Cherry Blossom’s application for CRS Certification, and
• 82% of respondents said that green certification was important to them.

Other tidbits from the Cherry Blossom survey included:

• 79% of respondents said there were “concerned” to “extremely concerned” about the environmental impact of running events, and
• 81% preferred receiving an iGiftBag Virtual Goodie Bag over a conventional goodie bag.

If you’ve got interesting survey results to share on the subject of greening races, please do so via the comments box.

One of our clients, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, is taking a multi-faceted approach to reducing its many transportation impacts. Even though their circumstances are unique, I think this a good case study in creating problem solving.

To begin with, the event takes place in the heart of Washington DC, with the start/finish area near the Washington Monument — in the midst of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, no less. Needless to say, parking is an issue. So, long before their “carbon footprint” became a topic of conversation, race organizers forged a relationship with Metro to promote subway ridership to and from the race.

With a 7:30 am race start, however, there was a big challenge to overcome: Metro stations typically open at 7 am on Sunday mornings. Undaunted, race organizers struck a deal with Metro to have the stations open at 5 am on race day, and the program has taken off. Last year 13,900 runners, spectators and volunteers rode Metro to the event!

Of course, Metro isn’t a convenient option for everyone, so race organizers offer the ability to purchase carbon offsets from NativeEnergy as part of the online race registration process. For $3.60, the average price of a Metro round-trip fare, runners could contribute to the Northeast Farms Separation project, which removes volatile solids from dairy farm manure, thus preventing anaerobic decomposition that would normally produce methane. This year 1177 runners contributed a total of $4237.20 to the cause, which will offset 303 short tons of carbon emissions. (As a point of reference, last year 1090 race participants purchased NativeEnergy co2 offsets that helped build the Greensburg Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kansas, which prevented over 260 short tons of carbon emissions.)

And, for those lucky enough to be able to ride their bikes to the race, Cherry Blossom organizers have worked with the National Park Service to provide a bike parking lot at 14th and Independence Avenue SW.

Finally, race organizers are working with EnviroRide to source buses that use alternative fuel for elite athlete transportation to/from the race as well as for picking up stragglers at the end of the race. In addition, battery-powered golf carts will be used throughout the start/finish area to haul trash, recycling and compostables to a central collection area.

Lots of challenges, lots of good choices made to reduce Cherry Blossom’s various transportation impacts. Kudos to the race organizers!

By the way, each of the above mentioned tactics contribute to what is hoped to be a successful application for certification from the Council for Responsible Sport — the only credible, third-party verified certification system for sports events. Stay tuned for more news about Cherry Blossom’s application after the race this weekend — once the documentation that backs up their many initiatives becomes available.