Our Sustainability Statement
The Akron Marathon commits to consider the social, economic and environmental impacts while putting on a world-class event. We seek to incorporate environmentally responsible practices through a process of planning, deliberate actions, measuring progress, and continuous improvement. These practices will help to reduce waste and energy consumption, encourage economic advancement and healthy living.
The Akron Marathon Race Series is a proud member of Racing For Sustainability.
Sneaker Donation Program
In partnership with Sneakers4Good, we are giving shoes to those in need, displacing CO2 emissions, and conserving water.
If you have gently used shoes, we can help you pass them on and reduce waste!
During our Health & Fitness Expo presented by Akron Area YMCA, you can choose two ways to donate your shoes:
Bring your shoes to the Health & Fitness Expo!
Take a pre-labeled shipping bag to send shoes in at a later date!
Waste Diversion & Recycle Stations
Why use a recycle station? Diversion can be confusing, so we make it easy! Watch our video on sorting to understand the process about proper process. By utilizing our recycling stations at the finish line, our trained Green Team takes the sorting process out of your hands, literally.
Q: What is a waste diversion rate?
A: At Akron Marathon Race Series events, we do our best to divert all possible material out of landfills. The diversion rate is a percentage of all potential waste that an event generates that is diverted from a landfill. The higher the percentage, the closer our event is to achieving zero waste status.
Q: What contributes to the diversion rate?
A: Material that can be recycled, composted, or donated all contribute to the diversion rate. Since 2012, the Akron Marathon has recycled, composted, and donated material to help calculate our own diversion rate.
Q: Why is diverting important?
A- Ultimately diversion of materials supports a circular economy. We mitigate the amount of material sent to a landfill that could otherwise be reused or recycled. Less in the landfill is a reduction to soil and water pollution, greenhouse gases, and emissions.
What We Divert
Compostable Material: proper food waste, select food vendor material (like bowls, spoons, and napkins) gets composted with Rubber City Reuse!
Standard Recycling: Paper, aluminum, cardboard, and select plastics are recycled with the City of Akron and Rubber City Reuse.
Hard to Recycle Plastics: Not all plastic is easily recyclable! Thanks to our partnership with Alterra, we recycle hard to recycle plastics (heat sheets, chip bags, granola bar wrappers, & bottle caps) instead of putting them in the landfill.
Donations: When you discard your clothing at our Start Line or Relay Exchange Zones, we donate it to a local shelter for reuse. We also donate any leftover food or fluids from our Finish Line to ensure it does not go to waste.
Past Diversion Numbers
Go Reusable on the Course
Every year, over 20 million trees are cut down to produce the single use cups. Marathon participants, on average, use 55 cups from start to finish. Our goal at the Akron Marathon is to reduce our dependability on single use cups to make less of an impact on the environment. You can help by committing to carrying your own hydration. Whether it’s a HydraPak Speedcup or a water bottle, our fluid stations can refill with water and sports drink.
HOW THE SPEED CUP WORKS
How to use the Speedcup: Pack | Clip | Stash | Hold
PACK – Collapse or fold the cup and tuck it in your short, belt or pack pocket.
CLIP – Use a mini carabiner to clip the cup to your belt, pack or bra strap.
STASH – Tuck in arm sleeve, compression shorts or stash in your sports bra.
HOLD – Use the finger loop to carry the cup in your hand.
Approaching Fluid Stations
Signage on the course will notify you when you are approaching a fluid station. Volunteers at stations will be ready to fill your Speedcup using pitchers.
Instead of approaching a volunteer to grab a cup of fluid, approach an open volunteer who will fill your cup.
Keep on going! You can slow down and move to the side to drink your fluid as normal, or pinch the top of the cup to drink and keep moving. Store your cup as you did and get back to moving!
Fluid stations will be equipped to fill cups with both water and sports drink.
Plogging Events
A combination of the Sweedish term “plocka upp” which means to pick up and the act of jogging. Plogging is the act of picking up litter while you run, jog, or walk. It’s easy to incorporate it into your training routine and it makes a big impact!
You can come plogging with us to help cleanup the race course! Learn more about plogging and sign up for any of our plogging events on our plogging page.
Our Sustainability Partners
