Two weekends ago I participated in the Pacific Crest Half Ironman in Bend, OR.  The 1.2-mile swim, 58-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run was a curious challenge in 95-degree heat.  I probably went through 50 paper cups filled with water and electrolytes.  No sweat.  (Well, at least about the paper cups).  Kind of like the "paper v. plastic" debate, there's a broader sustainability picture to be painted when talking about waste generation at mass sporting events. 

Lucky for you, a local Portland effort has already blazed the trail and developed five metrics -- waste, climate, materials & equipment, community outreach, and health -- for evaluating the sustainability of mass sporting events.  It's kind of like LEED certification meets athletes.  Check it out.

It's called the Council for Responsible Sporting.  It's run by two Portlanders, both accomplished triathletes, both with a mind for making sporting events a bit more mindful.  From sourcing snacks locally... to developing a computer program to help athletes offset their carbon emissions when traveling to an event (or carpooling!)... to making less waste (no packets full of crap)... the standards seem solid.   (In the interest of full transparency, I helped a little bit with developing the standards.)  For anyone putting on (or participating) in an event this summer, bring these ideas to the table.


Here are the standards.


Here is a case study of the 2007 Portland Triathlon, and the unique ways they set out to make a truly "green" event.

One thing I thought was cool at the Pacific Crest Half Ironman was that, on the bike ride, they had you throw your water bottle at the aid station.  Only then would they give you a new one.  That way, no one threw their bottles on the side of the road.  I have no illusions that keeping water bottles off the side of the road made my participation "sustainable", but it seemed a nice gesture at keeping the beautiful landscape a little more pristine. 

Pedaling forward,

Meredith