All the News That’s Fit

8.25.08 Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce it is working with the EDF Energy Birmingham Half Marathon to support its efforts to go green.

The inaugural race takes place October 26, 2008, in Birmingham, England. Billed as the ‘Race Against Climate Change,’ the EDF Energy Birmingham Half Marathon marks the first non-US race that FitPlanet is supporting. UK-based professional triathlete Toby Radcliffe, FitPlanet’s Senior European Consultant, is working with the City of Birmingham and EDF Energy as the Race Sustainability Director.

For the official EDDF Energy Birmingham Half Marathon announcement about FitPlanet’s involvement click here.

By Bruce Rayner

The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon has a lot going for it. In early October the weather is usually cool and crisp making for good running weather. The fast, flat course is perfect for setting a PR. And San Jose is within easy reach of Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Napa Valley wine country, so there’s a lot to do before and after the race. Then of course there are the bands - 14 in all - one every mile along the course plus one at the finish to keep you pumped up.

But there’s another reason why FitPlanet likes the RNRSJ: its strong environmental ethic. In fact, it’s one of 30 races profiled on the Runner’s World GreenTeam website. The list includes the Austin, Des Moines, Portland, San Francisco and St. Louis marathons, among other races. All are doing at least a few things to be more environmentally responsible. RNRSJ’s a standout because it’s doing more than just a few things.

The list of RNRSJ’s green initiatives includes a healthy dose of the three R’s:
• Reduce
o All participants are provided with information encouraging them to use public transportation.
o The expo, start, finish and concert site are within one mile of each other so there’s no need for a car.
o All early confirmation packets are emailed, saving 15,000 packets from being printed.
• Reuse
o All extra food is donated to a local food bank.
o Soles4Souls collects “gently” used shoes at the expo and finish line and donates them to those in need.
• Recycle
o Plastic and cardboard are recycled at the finish line.
o All plastic bottles used on-course at the aid stations are recycled.

The driving force behind RNRSJ’s green efforts is Elizabeth O’Brien, the race’s general manager. O’Brien is a seven-year veteran of San Diego-based Elite Racing, now part of the Competitor Group, and has been managing the San Jose race since it was launched three years ago. Each year she adds a few more green practices.

“I was born to a flower child,” said O’Brien. “I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life and I’ve always been very environmentally conscious.”

A passion for the cause is essential. With 12,000-plus participants expected to show up on October 5, O’Brien works 60-hour weeks and wears many hats. There are the permits to secure, the planning meetings to attend, the marketing campaign to organize, and all the back and forth with the bands, sponsors, vendors, and athletes.

With limited time on her hands, O’Brien tries to select sponsors and suppliers that can reinforce the environmental message. For instance, RNRSJ is partnering with Aquafina this year for its bottled water. The Pepsico subsidiary is providing giant recycling bins that it will place around the finish line.

While plastic water bottles are not exactly green, all Aquafina bottles will be recycled, as will the sports drink bottles supplied by Cytomax. Race volunteers bag the bottles at the seven aid stations and at the start and finish of the race. The City of San Jose, in coordination with the race’s recycler, picks up the bottles and other recyclables such as cardboard, metal, and glass, and hauls them to the local recycling facility. Last year, the race recycled over 26,000 plastic bottles, according to O’Brien.

Another eco-friendly race partner is PickupPal. The Montreal-based company provides registered athletes with a convenient online tool for arranging carpools. The PickupPal link will be on the RNRSJ website by the end of August.

Ridesharing is just one way that O’Brien is looking to reduce the race’s carbon footprint. The race website encourages the 50% of participants who live in the Bay Area to use public transportation to get to and from the race. The commuter rail CalTrans operates between San Francisco and San Jose and the local San Jose light rail trains stop at the race site. “On race day, every train is full to the gills,” said O’Brien.

Wish List

Of course, being environmentally responsible isn’t free, even though the investment pays dividends. “It’s easy to say we should really start instituting changes, but it does get expensive when you’re talking about large races,” she said.

One item on her wish list is to work with certified FSC-certified green printers, and use 100% recycled paper and biodegradable vegetable inks. “But it adds cost and we haven’t been able to go that route yet,” O’Brien said.

Still, the race has made major strides to reduce paper use. Three years ago, RNRSJ printed 1.5 million marketing brochures. This year that number has been cut in half and the size of the race brochure has been reduced from a 6-panel brochure to a postcard.

Also, most communication is now done online. About 90% of participants register online and early confirmations are sent by email. O’Brien is looking forward to the day when the race is 100% online.

And then there’s the race packet (AKA the “goodie” bag) that all athletes must pick up before the race. These bags include important stuff like race numbers, timing chips, and official race information, but they typically include a lot of marketing literature that many athletes throw away.

“We call them goodie bags but sometimes they are not so goodie,” said O’Brien. “This year we are making them more goodie.”

O’Brien has eliminated most of the paper from this year’s bags and instead provides sponsors with space on the race’s website to provide information for athletes. “We contemplated doing away with the goodie bags entirely until several companies stepped up with products instead of paper,” she said.

Products that will be in this year’s bags include a couple of food samples, a shoe insole, a bracelet, and a packet of shaving gel. The bags also include product coupons.

Even the bags themselves are more “goodie” this year - instead of the typical thin plastic that usually ends up in the trash, RNRSJ is using heavy-duty reusable plastic totes that can be reused as shopping bags.

Planning Ahead

O’Brien is always thinking ahead about how to make the next race more environmentally responsible. On her “To Do” list is green printing, composting, and finding a replacement for the non-recyclable aid-station cups.

Composting is just not a practical option at this time, said O’Brien. The next best thing that the race does is donate all extra food to Second Harvest, a local San Jose-based food bank.

The problem with aid-station paper cups is the polyethylene (PE) lining. Last year, the race used about 200,000 cups and they all ended up in landfill. That’s a problem because PE is petroleum based, does not biodegrade, and cannot be recycled. O’Brien is looking at alternatives such as compostable cups made from corn starch or sugarcane.

If you’re planning to run RNRSJ, drop FitPlanet an email at info@afitplanet.com after the race and tell us how you did and your impressions of how eco-friendly the race was.

And if you happen to run into Elizabeth O’Brien at the race please tell her “thank you.”

8.21.08 Today FitPlanet launches Profiles in Green to spotlight events and athletes that are making a difference for the environment. Our hope is that these stories will inspire you to make some postive changes in your own life. And if you’re a race director, to set you on the path to creating more environmentally responsible events.

Today we are posting our first race Profile in Green : The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon.

And tomorrow we’ll post our first individual Profile in Green : The amazing story of Tommy Neeson.

Do you have a candidate for a Profile in Green? Drop us an email at info@afitplanet.com

08.08.08 — Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce it is supporting Sustainable Sports Foundation’s Marin County Triathlon and Marin County Marathon to ensure both will be environmentally responsible and sustainable events.

From inception, Sustainable Sports Foundation President Mark Liebert has made a commitment that both events will be environmentally responsible, with the goals of zero waste to landfill and carbon neutrality. The race will be powered by solar energy, waste will be recycled or composted, athletes with receive organic cotton race t-shirts, and Sustainable Sports Foundation will offset the carbon emissions from the travel of all participating athletes. FitPlanet will provide support in the planning and execution of these initiatives.

The Olympic distance triathlon takes place October 26 in San Rafael, California along the bay just north of the Golden Gate Bridge and the marathon (full, half, 10K) takes place April 19, 2009 in the same very scenic area.

Both events are donating ALL of their net proceeds to charity. This year’s Marin County Triathlon will benefit The Lupus Foundation, Girls on the Run and Jenny’s Light.

“We are excited to be working with FitPlanet to implement our environmental plans,” said Liebert. “FitPlanet brings the knowledge and depth of experience that will help make the Marin County Triathlon and Marin County Marathon environmental successes.”

“Sustainable Sports Foundation is setting the bar very high,” said FitPlanet’s Chief Green Officer Bruce Rayner. “From zero waste to carbon neutrality, these two races will be examples of what is possible and important examples for other race directors to learn from.”

About Sustainable Sports Foundation
Sustainable Sports Foundation was created by coffee and tea entrepreneur, avid triathlete and philanthropist Mark Liebert by blending together his passions for life.
As a way of giving back to the community, the Marin County Triathlon and the Marin County Marathon will be amazing annual events with all net proceeds going to charity.
At the forefront of each race will be to highlight the beauty of Marin County and how we need to take care of our world in a sustainable manner, and to keep it that way for many years to come.
For more information, please visit: www.marintriathlon.com

5.20.08 — Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce it is partnering with Sun Multisport Events to implement environmentally responsible practices at two premier New England triathlons., the July 5th Patriot Triathlon, a half iron distance race in Freetown, MA, and the August 24th Cranberry Country Triathlon, an Olympic-distance race in Lakeville, MA.
“Environmental sustainability is important to both the athletic community we serve and to the core principles of Sun Multisport Events,” said Eric Averill, Sun Multisport Events founder and lead Race Director. “We are excited to be working with FitPlanet to help us make significant changes at this year’s races and to develop a long-term environmental plan for 2009 and beyond.”
FitPlanet has customized a set of initiatives for 2008 that include, among other things, a comprehensive recycling plan, the use of green portable toilets, and a campaign to encourage athletes to reduce and offset their carbon emissions. In addition, FitPlanet is working with Sun Multisport Events to tailor a plan for rolling out additional environmental initiatives over the next three years.
“What’s important is that Sun Multisport Events has made environmental responsibility a long-term objective,” said Bruce Rayner, FitPlanet’s Chief Green Officer. “We will introduce many changes at this year’s events but just as important we will build on these successes in future years to create truly sustainable events.”
Surveys conducted by FitPlanet show overwhelming demand by athletes for race directors to become more environmentally responsible. “The investment and commitment Sun Multisport Events is making today will pay dividends in the future,” said Rayner.

About Sun Multisport Events
A leading Massachusetts-based event management company, Sun Multisport Events’ mission is to create high-quality and environmentally responsible multisport events. Sun Multisport Events produces the Patriot Triathlon, a half iron distance race now in its second year, and the Cranberry Country Triathlon, an Olympic distance race in its seventh year. In addition, Sun Multisport Events produces Multisport World Conference and Expo every March in the Boston area. Multisport World
is a unique event designed to jump start the New England multisport season and features the largest multisport expo of any event on the east coast with more than 80 participating sponsors. For more information contact Mark Walter, President, Sun Multisport Events at Info@SunMultisportEvents.com

5.22.08 – Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce an exclusive partnership with US Collegiate Triathlon to provide environmental consulting and support to the US Collegiate Triathlon Series.

US Collegiate Triathlon is the first and only national race series devoted exclusively to collegiate triathlon. It will launch the inaugural Collegiate Triathlon Series this coming academic year with six campus events scheduled in the fall and spring semesters. The Series debuts September 14 with a Sprint distance race on the campus of Penn State. In addition to Penn State, host universities for the 2008-2009 racing season include Michigan State, Florida State, Texas A&M, Boise State, and Stanford University. A

thletes for a Fit Planet will support all US Collegiate Triathlon races to ensure they are adopting environmentally responsible practices. These practices include reducing and recycling waste, reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring the race site is left as clean as, or cleaner than, before the race.

“Collegiate triathletes are attuned to environmental issues and are demanding that their events be environmentally responsible,” said US Collegiate Triathlon founder Bart Davis. “We support their commitment and embrace environmental responsibility as a core value of US Collegiate Triathlon. We look forward to working with Athletes for a Fit Planet to achieve this goal.”

“Athletes for a Fit Planet is excited to be working with US Collegiate Triathlon and the collegiate community they serve,” said Bruce Rayner, Athletes for a Fit Planet’s Chief Green Officer. “It’s this generation of triathletes that will set the environmental standards of the future not only for collegiate races but for all triathlons.”

Visit www.usctri.com for more information on US Collegiate Triathlon or contact Bart Davis, Race Promoter, at bart@usctri.com.

4.14.08 — If you’re going to be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this weekend for the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship and the US Olympic Team Trials, be sure to stop by and say hello to Athletes for a Fit Planet. We’ll have a booth at the Expo on Friday, April 18, in the Athletes Village, located on the corner of Jack Warner Parkway and Greensboro Avenue in Tuscaloosa.

The Collegiate race gets underway at 7 am Saturday morning and the Olympic Trials take place in the afternoon: noon for the women and 2:30 pm for the men.

If you’re concerned about the environment and want to see triathlons become greener, then stop by our booth between 10 am and 6 pm Friday and take the FitPlanet EcoSurvey and sign the FitPlanet EcoPledge. We’ll have FitPlanet bamboo T-shirts for sale plus eco-friendly giveaways.

See you in Tuscaloosa!

4.14.08 — Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce that Chief Green Officer Bruce Rayner is participating in the recently formed USA Triathlon Sustainability Task Force.

USA Triathlon, which has over 100,000 athlete members and is the sanctioning body for over 2,000 triathlons in the US annually, announced the formation of the four-member Sustainability Task Force in the spring issue of USA Triathlon Life. The Sustainability Task Force is led by Kathy Matejka, USAT’s Director of Event Services. In addition to FitPlanet’s Rayner, the Task Force includes Jeff Henderson, USAT-Certified Race Director and co-founder of the Council for Responsible Sport, and Jay Udelhoven, USAT member and Senior Policy Advisor for The Nature Conservancy.

The Sustainability Task Force will assess and consider USAT’s strategic position and plan for supporting race venue environmental impact and sustainability, according to Matejka. “We will lay the foundation for a broader strategy by the federation’s constituents to address this key issue that becomes more important with each passing day,” she added.

“USA Triathlon is taking a leadership role in addressing the issue of environmental responsibility,” said FitPlanet’s Rayner. “Because of its large and growing membership base and its strong relationships with the triathlon racing community, USA Triathlon can have a profound impact on the awareness and practices of race organizers, athletes, and all multisport stakeholders,” said Rayner.

USA Triathlon is the sanctioning authority for more than 2,000 diverse events ranging from grassroots to high-profile races nationwide. The organization works to create interest and participation in a variety of programs including camps, clinics, races and educational opportunities.

USAT’s 100,000-strong membership is comprised of athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents and fans striving together to strengthen multisport. The sactioning body’s mission is to provide excellence in leadership, structure and education for the growth and development of the sport. USAT’s vision is to set the standard of excellence as a world leader in the sport by promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging participation and achievement.

March 24, 2008 - Athletes for a Fit Planet LLC is pleased to announce that it is working with three prominent New England race organizations in 2008 to help green their events. These organizations are known for providing their athlete communities with first-class events. Now they are distinguishing themselves by offering first-class environmentally responsible events.

The three race directors are Reach the Beach Relay, Hopkinton, MA, Tri-Maine, Portland, ME, and EndureIT Multisports, Washington, CT. They share a common long-term goal of reducing waste and carbon emissions, as well as working with their communities of athletes and sponsors to promote broader environmental responsibility. However, they have unique challenges that require tailoring their green initiatives.

Reach the Beach Relay, one of the most prestigious long-distance relay road races in the country, is focusing on two environmental initiatives: reducing its carbon footprint and recycling waste.

The logistics challenges of this 24-hour New Hampshire relay race are significant, according to Race Director Richard Mazzola. Three hundred and fifty teams of up to 12 people each — that’s over 4,000 runners — need to be shuttled along the 200-mile course from Franconia Notch in the White Mountains to Hampton Beach on the coast.

Reducing and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions and providing recycling services along the course will require cooperation from the teams and sponsors and coordination with a number of federal, state, and local agencies and organizations, including the National Forest Service. Working with FitPlanet, Mazzola and fellow Race Director Mike Dionne plan to introduce some innovative solutions in 2008 and then build on their successes in 2009.

Tri-Maine, one of Maine’s premier triathlon race organizers, debuted the successful and innovative Zone Urban Epic Olympic distance triathlon in 2007 and, according to Tri-Maine Race Director Will Thomas, has big plans for both growing and greening the race in 2008.

This year’s Zone Urban Epic, which takes place in July in the heart of the City of Portland, has been selected as one of 12 national case studies, or “Seedlings,” by the Council for Responsible Sport, a non-profit organization working to establish comprehensive certification standards for sustainable athletic events. As part of the Seedling program, CRS will work with the Zone Urban Epic and use the findings to refine the standards.

FitPlanet will work with Tri-Maine to develop a long-term environmental plan for the Zone Urban Epic and implement a number of green initiatives in 2008. Many of these initiatives, including recycling and reuse of materials, reducing emissions, and coordinating efforts with sponsors, will be applied to other events Tri-Maine produces.

EndureIT Multisports, based in the heart of Connecticut’s Berkshire Mountains, is implementing its eco-initiative for its full 2008 race series and training camps, with a special focus on the Nutmegman, the only Half-Ironman distance triathlon in the state. Plans include working closely with race sponsors to showcase environmentally sound products and services, according to Race Director Amanda Braverman. This includes providing local organic food for the post-race party, and a commitment to recycling and composting waste. In addition, EndureIT Multisports will be promoting energy conservation for its athletes by encouraging carpooling and the voluntary purchase of carbon offsets.

These three FitPlanet charter members share the belief that a commitment to environmental responsibility requires a long-term view. “You can’t do everything all at once,” said FitPlanet’s Chief Green Officer Bruce Rayner. “Achieving zero-waste-to-landfill or carbon neutrality takes time.”

What’s important, added Rayner, is that these race directors are making environmental responsibility central to their business and are implementing meaningful change. “Their actions today will pay dividends in years to come.”