All the News That’s Fit

September 23 – This month and next are incredibly busy for FitPlanet. Here’s a quick summary of some of the recent races we have helped to ‘green’ and some of the upcoming events we will be attending. If you’re participating in or attending any of these races, please come say hello!

September 18-19 – Reach the Beach Relay, NH. Thanks to the Stonyfield Organics this 24-hour, 200-mile point-to-point relay race was the greenest ever. We recycled from start to finish and runners made voluntary contributions to href=”http://www.outdoors.org”>Appalachian Mountain Club that will go to AMC projects to reduce carbon emissions.

September 20 – CVS Caremark Downtown 5K, Providence RI. About 8,000 runners participated in Rhode Island’s largest road race. FitPlanet helped the race divert about 65% of the 2.6 tons of waste from landfill to recycling.

September 27 – Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.. FitPlanet is helping the race recycle from start to finish and compost the water and Gatorade cups. We believe it’ll be the first such composting effort in Canada! In addition, we’ll be encouraging runners to carpool and use public transport to get to and from the race in an effort to reduce the Marathon’s carbon footprint.

Scheduled for the same weekend is the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Cup Professional Criterium on Saturday Sept. 26 and the Hub on Wheels bike ride through the streets of downtown Boston on Sunday Sept. 27. Both are taking steps to be as green as possible.

October 4 – Rock n Roll Half Marathon San Jose. FitPlanet will be exhibiting at the pre-race expo so stop by to say hello and sign the EcoPledge. The race is pulling out all the stops this year to be green, including recycling, composting, carbon reductions and a variety of other initiatives.

October 18 – Amica Marathon Newport, RI. We’ll have a comprehensive recycling and compost plan in place for this race as well as carbon emissions reduction and offset options.

October 25 – Marine Corps Marathon Arlington VA. The “People’s Marathon” will attract over 25,000 runners and will be among the greenest of the big city marathons in the country. Why? Because MCM is applying for certification to the Council for Responsible Sport standard.

If you’re a race director looking for help greening your race or interested in the Pledge of Sustainability, please call or email Bruce Rayner at 508-429-0976 and bruce@afitplanet.com

Toronto, Ontario (September 24, 2009) — More than 50,000 runners and spectators from 40 different countries will gather in downtown Toronto on Sunday, September 27, 2009 in the hope of setting personal bests, new records for speed and fundraising at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half & 5k. Among the feats accomplished during the celebrated marathon’s 20th anniversary will be its first-ever green plan that aims to reduce the event’s impact on the environment by collecting recyclables, composting and reducing carbon emissions.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) environmental plan has been created in collaboration with partners including Aquafina® water and Boston-based Athletes for a FitPlanet.

Through the Aquafina sponsorship of the STWM, the brand will provide 240,000 compostable drink cups, 72 recycling bins, and a dozen staff to manage the collection activities, as well as sponsorship funds to execute the program.

Athletes for a FitPlanet was brought on board by the Aquafina brand to develop a comprehensive green plan for the event. The company will audit and measure the success of this year’s green program and build on it in the years ahead. Future plans include adding new environmental initiatives and gaining eco-accreditation for the STWM.

This is the first time the STWM will undertake a major recycling and composting effort, as well as reduce carbon emissions by asking runners and spectators to ride share and take public transit. The STWM environmental plan has also launched a Green Page on its website www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com, which provides information about the recycling and composting efforts, as well as offering transportation alternatives like public transit information and marathon ride share options via www.pickuppal.com. The marathon’s environmental partners will also interact with race participants during the marathon’s Expo, held September 25 and 26, at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre (Exhibit Hall D), where they will communicate details about the green initiatives being undertaken at the waterfront marathon.

According to Race Director Alan Brookes, who is leading the greening project, the plan was undertaken because environmental awareness is integral to the marathon’s future success.

“There is no doubt that the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is becoming more and more of a signature event for the city. The race has quadrupled in size since 2003,” Brookes says.

“We wanted to commit resources to effectively reduce the environmental impact created when we draw so many thousands of people together,” he continues. “And also show that we share a vision of Toronto as being a great, green, world-class city. As a result, we’re going to make the STWM as environmentally-friendly as possible.”

“This is the beginning of our commitment towards environmental stewardship and social responsibility, and we envision ourselves leading the way in greening Canadian marathons through this new environmental program.”

Brookes says he was delighted when the Aquafina brand approached the STWM to offer their partnership. “After seeing the Aquafina green initiatives at the Chicago, Marine Corps and Los Angeles marathons, we jumped at the chance to expand the partnership to Canada,” Brookes says. “Aquafina brings a great deal of experience and support including enhanced on-the-ground recycling capabilities and sponsorship of our first environmental assessment. Together with our partners, including the City of Toronto, we can make a big impact. Partnerships like this, between public and private sectors, are a key to success for many large events especially when it comes to preserving the local environment and taking responsibility for the communities we live and run in.”

According to Cheryl Radisa, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, PepsiCo Beverages Canada, “We wanted the Aquafina brand to be a significant part of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to demonstrate our commitment to being an active partner in an effort to enhance recycling capacity in communities, parklands and public spaces. This marathon is part of the fabric of Toronto, and it is such an exciting event for thousands of athletes and attendees including our consumers who come to Toronto to enjoy the race. We are proud to be part of this program and look forward helping it evolve in the future to maximize the sustainability efforts of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.”

ABOUT THE SCOTIABANK TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON:

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5k is the flagship event of the Canada Running Series, and is both an international-class race and a major community festival. The 42km marathon is currently the third largest in Canada, and was the site for the fastest marathon ever run on Canadian soil in 2007. Its Neighbourhood Challenge and Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge tie the sporting event strongly into the broader Toronto community, and this year, 99 local charities expect to raise a record of more than $1.5 million that will go back into the neighbourhoods, communities and families of the GTA. The STWM has the distinction of being one of only five IAAF Label marathons in North America, along with New York, Boston, Chicago and Ottawa.

It was also recognized as one of “Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals” for 2008 and 2009, and was recently voted “Best Marathon in Eastern Canada” by Get Out There magazine.
ABOUT ATHLETES FOR A FIT PLANET:

Athletes for a Fit Planet is a leading provider of environmental services to organizers of athletic events, including running, multi-sport, cycling and walking events. Fit Planet’s Pledge of Sustainability and Green Events Directory provide a cost-effective way for event organizers to communicate their green practices to athletes, and for athletes to make informed decisions about the events they participate in. The company also offers environmentally-responsible companies creative marketing solutions for reaching the athlete community.
ABOUT THE AQUAFINA® COMMUNITY RECYCLING INITIATIVE:

The Aquafina® Community Recycling Initiative is a sustainability program whereby Aquafina water, part of the PepsiCo Canada family of beverages, develops working partnerships with local communities and large-scale event organizers to help enhance on-the-ground recycling capacity within parklands and other public spaces. The Aquafina brand recycling support offers communities the resources to strengthen their recycling infrastructure, better enabling them to collect recyclable materials, divert waste from landfills, and ensure public spaces can ‘go and stay green.’ Community recycling projects are part of the Aquafina brand’s global effort to support communities by being actively involved in sustainability programs that help restore and preserve the local environment. Community leaders, organizers, and recycling experts join forces to develop the right recycling plans in order to have measurable impact.
ABOUT PEPSICO BEVERAGES CANADA:

PepsiCo Beverages Canada is a leader in the Canadian beverages industry and markets a variety of beverages under the following trademarks: PEPSI, DIET PEPSI, 7UP, MOUNTAIN DEW, MUG, AQUAFINA, SOBE, LIPTON and BRISK ICED TEAS, STARBUCKS BOTTLED FRAPPUCCINO, and GATORADE.

More from Matt Hill, half of the Run for One Planet duo. Stephanie Tait and Matt, two intrepid Canadian, ran 11,000 miles across Canada and around the US to raise awareness and funds for environmental education.

It’s Sunday, August 16th, the day after my Mom’s 81st birthday! Happy Birthday to the youngest 81 year old on the Planet!

I sit here typing in a little coffee shack in Penticton BC called, “Smith & Company.” I’ve re-fueled here many times over the last 3 years at this locals spot in Ironman City Canada. As you know, I’ve completed 7 Ironman Canada’s and when Steph and I were beginning to plan the Run for One Planet tour waaaaaay back in January 2007, we spent an afternoon here madly typing our wish list of the most desired team and the tour’s first quarterly goals.

It’s amazing as I reflect back how many things came true as a result of us spending time that cold winter day planning our newly hatched tour to inspire people to be better stewards for our Planet. I remember like it was yesterday, going back and forth with “let’s contact that person and wouldn’t it be amazing to put this together.” We picked most of our team and many sponsors on that day even if “they” didn’t know it at the time.

Luckily Steph and I had ebullient enthusiasm and endless energy reserves, as little did we know what we were embarking on and just how much sacrifice it was going to take in order to pull this tour off.

We were never afraid of hard work and knew it would be a winding, twisting journey. It is a gift now to be writing a book to share with the world about the Run for One Planet Tour.

We had our very first Board of Directors meeting this week filled with members of our original R41P team plus new members, fresh with energy, ideas and inspiration. We are very much looking forward to these next four months as we create the Legacy vision & mission.

So long from Ironman City Canada and the wee coffee shop known as S&Co that helped Steph & me get clear on our biggest dream and who, how, and when we were going to make it happen.

Please contact me, Matt Hill, if your company, or someone you know is looking for a presentation from two road warriors. We are available starting in September. We will be working with a few speakers bureaus to reach out to community and corporate folks to share our message and some stories from the always entertaining, ever-changing Run For One Planet highway of dreams. Matt Hill

Here’s a summary of the announcement from Active Network about the partnership with FitPlanet and the launching of the Pledge of Sustainability. Not an Active client? Not to worry, you too can take the Pledge of Sustainability just click here to get started.

SAN DIEGO, CA – August 17, 2009 – The Active Network, Inc. (Active), a leading provider of technology and marketing solutions for community service and sports organizations, today announced the launch of its “Go Green” program in partnership with Athletes for a Fit Planet LLC, an organization that provides environmentally responsible solutions for endurance race and event organizers. Designed to encourage and enable the endurance sports community to embrace green practices, Active’s “Go Green” program recognizes and rewards race organizations that commit to adopting environmentally responsible practices, and gives consumers access to an extensive directory of green races around the country.

Active worked with Athletes for a Fit Planet, to identify criteria for its “Go Green” program that includes a Pledge of Sustainability. By signing up for the program and taking the Pledge of Sustainability, race organizations make a public commitment to initiate a minimum of 10 specific practices to reduce the environmental impact of their events. Active’s list of “Go Green” criteria range from the elimination of paper registration forms and providing on-site recycling bins to supporting local environment causes.

“Athletes for a Fit Planet is excited to be partnering with Active to integrate the Pledge of Sustainability into Active’s ‘Go Green’ program,” said Bruce Rayner, founder and chief green officer of Athletes for a Fit Planet. “Athletes looking for green events can now register with confidence because the Pledge of Sustainability criteria will be available on Active’s Go Green listing and Athletes for a Fit Planet’s Green Events Directory.”

By registering for Active’s “Go Green” program and taking the Pledge of Sustainability, event organizations receive a number of benefits including:

– Pledge of Sustainability seal that can be featured on their event site, banners and other materials
– Events will be posted on a special Protect Your Playground section on Active.com, the largest participatory sports site in the world, and on the Athletes for a Fit Planet event calendar
– Access to the Athletes for a Fit Planet Resource Center that includes a Green Events Handbook, Green Business Directory and other valuable resources
– Exclusive discounts on Active and Athletes for a Fit Planet services and products

Upon completion of the event, the event organizer will provide Athletes for a Fit Planet with documentation that verifies that the event met its Pledge criteria. The event will receive a Verification Certificate and their seal will be updated with a “Verified” stamp on both Active.com and Athletes for a Fit Planet’s website to indicate the event has met its Pledge.

“Unlike any other organization in the nation, Active has relationships with more than 15,000 endurance races and events,” said Eric McCue, general manager of Active’s ActiveEndurance division. “We realized that by introducing a green validation program to race organizations and offering incentives to participate, we could make a significant impact in helping drive green practices. Interest from race organizers has been overwhelming, and we expect to see more and more participants seeking out races that feature the Athletes for a Fit Planet Pledge of Sustainability.”

Active’s “Go Green” program is part of Active Endurance, a division of The Active Network that delivers industry-leading online technology and marketing solutions to over 15,000 endurance events and organizations. Endurance race organizers interested in more information about Active’s “Go Green” program can contact Michael Wilson at (858) 964-3886 or go to www.ActiveEndurance.com.

About The Active Network, Inc.
The Active Network delivers integrated technology solutions, marketing services and online media properties that enable and encourage participation in activities and events.

I’ve been thinking a lot about garbage recently. Actually, to be more accurate, I’ve been thinking about the composition of my weekly garbage and the amount of organic waste present. As a devoted recycler and someone who tries to avoid buying many packaged goods, most of the landfill waste that I produce is in the form of the discarded food scraps (egg shells, peels, used coffee grounds, etc.).
The fate of my food waste is a pretty dismal one, as its nutrients end up in the dead end of a landfill. The EPA estimates that food residuals, combined with yard waste, contribute a whopping 24% of the municipal solid waste stream in this country. A great, efficient alternative for this organic matter is that it be composted, creating a useful product.
Like most people, I have some misgivings about composting, based on childhood memories of the sprawling, stinky compost pile in the corner of our property. Our monstrously overgrown zucchini would be tossed among layers of rotting grass clippings, left to brew in the summer heat. At the end of the growing season, my dad would distribute the resulting sludgy organic matter to his various flower and vegetable beds. His gardens were always lush and highly productive; partly the result of the ideal growing conditions of Upstate New York, partly due to his inherited “green thumb,” but also due to the stinky compost.
In order to have the beautiful, non-odoriferous compost that gardeners dream of (sorry, Dad!), I have always assumed that the process was highly labor intensive and complicated. Fortunately, composting is pretty easy if you follow some basic guidelines regarding composition and conditions. And there are some really neat composting bins currently available on the market that make the process even easier.
While other folks might drool over Italian shoes or carbon bike frames, I am currently dreaming about my future composting bin. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this in public, but I can’t wait for the day that I get my very own indoor composting bin, complete with wiggly earthworms! Massive zucchini will be optional.

This is the first in a regular FitPlanet blog by Matt Hill and Stephanie Brooke Tait, two intrepid Canadians who ran across Canada and around the US to bring attention to Climate Change. They are living proof that you can “be the change you want to see in the world,” as MK Gandhi said many years ago.

It all started as a crazy dream to run around North America in order to inspire people to take Action for our Planet’s health, one small step at a time. The two of us figured if we could run a marathon each, per tour day, we could inspire 1 million new single actions (from our website’s top 10 action steps list) and raise $1 million dollars, to start a legacy for kids, to fund their “green dreams” in schools and communities we ran through.

So after 18 months of training and planning, we hit the ground running on May 4th, 2008. In the course of a year, we ran about 215 marathons each, destroyed 14 pairs of Asics, and burned about 1.5 million calories (each). And we were privileged to present to over 30,000 elementary school children along our Run for One Planet highway.

Why would a couple of Canadians decide to do such a thing? We believe in action and felt this was how we could channel our energy to make a difference for younger generations as they learn habits and ways of connecting with our Earth. We passionately wanted to reach as many as our two sets of legs would take us and through an amazing team of 30-plus volunteers we were able to reach out to our “pint-sized eco-warriors” in 200 presentations.

The road was long. The hills were many. But the power of the human spirit kept us moving forward. Every single day we met more local hero’s who welcomed us like old friends and proved that the human spirit is indeed alive and well.

Now that we have been home for almost three months, and have had a few days of rest, we are creating a Legacy and thrilled to begin the book-writing process to share our story. And we are speaking to audiences about the journey about the richest, most amazing experience of our lives.

We hope our experience will encourage people to start to think about the impact they have on our Planet’s health. And we ask that you consider taking our Action Challenge and commit to doing one new action for our Planet’s health. It
will make a difference. And you never know what your one action will lead to and whom it may inspire.

If you’re inspired to help fund our “pint-sized eco-warriors green dreams,” then we ask you to donate to our Legacy Project.

7.13.09 – Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce support for Winning Time Americas’ commitment to environmentally responsible practices. FitPlanet will be providing environmental consulting and support to Winning Time America’s timing solutions providers and the event directors they serve.
Winning Time Americas Inc., a leading global timing solutions company for running, triathlon, and cycling events, has been making strides to green it’s own operations as well as the operations of the races it supports.
“We are excited to be supporting Winning Time’s efforts to encourage green practices,” said Bruce Rayner, FitPlanet’s Chief Green Officer. “Many race directors recognize the need to become more environmentally responsible and Winning Time is providing them with a path to achieve this goal.”
Winning Time recently earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise certification. The EPA program office works with companies to promote environmentally conscious business practices. Winning Time is the only timing company to date that has been awarded the certificate based on its design of reusable timing chips and its use of recycled materials.
Winning Time was selected this year as the timing system provider by Lilac Bloomsday Run and the Boulder Marathon in part due to the company’s commitment to environmental practices.

FitPlanet partners with ChronoTrack Systems to develop a recycling program to minimize the environmental impact of the innovative single-use timing system

Evansville, IN-based ChronoTrack Systems, maker of the popular D-Tag event timing system, is working with Athletes for a Fit Planet to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the single-use D-Tag.

Working with ChronoTrack Systems, FitPlanet will introduce a program that encourages event organizers to collect used D-Tags post race and return the D-Tags to ChronoTrack for recycling and reuse.

“ChronoTrack Systems is committed to providing the highest quality timing system for timers, race directors and athletes,” said Dan Howell, President of ChronoTrack Systems. “We feel strongly that our commitment to quality includes minimizing the environmental impact of the D-Tag.”

The single-use D-Tag contains a UHF generation 2 radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag manufactured by Seattle-based Impinj, Inc. The RFID tag includes a silicon chip and aluminum antenna placed on a PET (polyethylene terephtalate) substrate. The RFID tag is encased in laminated paper to create the single-use D-Tag. The D-Tag is attached to the race bib, which is shipped to a race. At race registration, the athlete receives their bib, peels off the D-Tag, and attaches the D-Tag to their shoe.

The popularity of the D-Tag timing system has been increasing dramatically for a variety of reasons, including the time and resource savings it affords race directors. Earlier this month, ChronoTrack announced it had shipped 2 million D-Tags since introducing the technology in September 2008. That figure is expected to top 8 million in 2010 as more races adopt the single-use technology.

“Until now, the athlete has been responsible for the safe disposal of the D-Tag,” said Bruce Rayner, founder and chief green officer at Athletes for a Fit Planet. “While the electronic components in the single-use D-Tag are relatively environmentally benign, ChronoTrack recognizes that as the number of D-Tags in landfills rises into the tens of millions of units, the environmental impact also rises.”

“ChronoTrack is doing the right thing by addressing the waste issue head on with a formal take-back and recycling program.” said Rayner.

FitPlanet will work with ChronoTrack Systems to immediately implement a recycling program for events in 2009.

Dear Mayor Rick Baker,
I had the privilege of competing in the St Anthony’s Triathlon in April and was greatly impressed by the beauty and the friendliness of the people of St. Petersburg. I am delighted that the community is so supportive of the triathlon and I can understand why it is one of the most beloved and prestigious races in the country.

When I was in St Petersburg, however, I was surprised there was no no recycling at the race. And I found out there is no curbside recycling in the city. I discussed this with some of the locals at the race and they suggested that I write a letter to you.

I realize that the city is doing some recycling. From what I’ve read, you have concerns about the cost of recycling, a valid issue considering this economy. In Colorado Springs, the community where I live, I currently pay about $6 more per month for recycling. I am sure that many members of your community would be willing to pay such a fee to do their part in minimizing waste.

I also realize that you have concerns about the greenhouse gas emissions in the collection and processing of recyclable materials. From the studies that I have seen, however, the net environmental benefits of reusing materials outweighs the waste produced in collecting and processing recyclables.

Recycling is about more than minimizing landfill waste, as recycling also creates jobs, saves energy (it usually takes less energy to make recycled products), saves natural resources by reducing the need for virgin materials and saves clean water and air, as creating products from recycled materials typically creates less pollution than manufacturing using virgin products. Recycling also helps keep plastics from entering our oceans and killing sea birds, marine mammals, sea turtles and other marine life.

While in St Petersburg, I saw dolphins out by the pier and prolific waterfowl. It is heart wrenching to think that a community can be so in touch with marine wildlife and still not make a token gesture, in the form of recycling, to help protect these animals from man’s waste.

I look forward to returning to the City of St. Petersburg to participate in the St Anthony’s Triathlon in the future. The event showcases the beauty of your city and the local environment, making it one of the best triathlon venues in the world.

I hope that the next time that I am there, I will have the comfort of knowing that the plastic water bottle handed to me after the race will not end up in a landfill, but rather be processed through a city-wide recycling effort.

Sincerely,

Sarah Groff
Professional Triathlete

Athletes for a Fit Planet provides consulting and on-the-ground support to help the LA Marathon achieve certification to the Council for Responsible Sport standard

Athletes for a Fit Planet is pleased to announce that the Los Angeles Marathon has earned certification to the Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) standard, the leading environmental standard for athletic events in the US. The LA Marathon is the largest marathon to date to achieve CRS certification.

“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with the LA Marathon to support their efforts to go green,” said Bruce Rayner, Founder and Chief Green Officer of Athletes for a Fit Planet. “The commitment of time and resources the LA Marathon team made to the process was significant. They have set the bar very high for other large events to aim for.”

FitPlanet worked with the LA Marathon to ensure the race earned 26 out of a possible 41 CRS credits in six categories: Waste, Climate, Equipment & Materials, Community & Outreach, Health Promotion, and Innovation.

Here are some of the results the LA Marathon achieved:
1. Reduced landfill waste to less than half a pound per athlete.
2. Runners received an online “virtual” goodie bag promoting race sponsors that eliminated the need to print about 1 million pieces of paper.
3. Provided “green” portable toilets at the start and finish that used non-toxic chemicals and recycled paper.
4. Incinerated and converted to electricity all the aid-station cups to show that refuse-to-energy is a viable alternative to landfill.
5. Encouraged runners to rideshare or use public transportation to get to and from the expo and the race in order to reduce carbon emissions.
6. Raised awareness of and funds for Heal the Bay, the official environmental charity of the LA Marathon that strives to make Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean.

“All running events should think seriously about undertaking this process,” said Nick Curl, the LA Marathon Race Director. “While we significantly decreased the environmental impact of the LA Marathon, the experience also encouraged us to build a stronger relationship with our community based on a shared belief that we can do well by doing good.”

In addition to the LA Marathon, 10 other races have earned certification to the CRS standard to date, three of which are FitPlanet clients: Marin County Triathlon, San Rafael CA; Portland Urban Epic, Portland ME; and the Nashua 10K Run for Food and Shelter, Nashua NH. FitPlanet is currently working with a number of events to help them achieve CRS certification in 2009.