On Sunday 21st April, more than 250 runners completed a 10.7k or half marathon race around Rathfinny Wine Estate. The sun was shining and many of us enjoyed a glass of Sussex on the finishing line!
This is the third event and one we are very keen to continue as an annual tradition. As a B Corp, considering the environmental and social impact of hosting a race event is essential and it wouldn’t be possible without race director Darren Evans who went above and beyond to ensure every aspect of the race was as sustainable as possible.
Darren came to us with the idea of a race around Rathfinny Estate a few years ago having enjoyed epic runs around the South Downs and watching the vineyard take shape over the years. He’s a phenomenal member of the East Sussex community, volunteering as a brand ambassador for local cancer charity, WOLO and acting as a Director for the Green Runners who raise awareness about reducing carbon footprint through running. He’s also a UK Athletics coach and supports the work of Plastic Free Seaford. If you live locally, you’ll know he’s a top guy!
By prioritising carbon neutrality, Darren was able to make a lot of simple yet effective decisions that demonstrate real impact, here are a few:
Charities
Not only is this a fun and challenging race for any runner on a personal level, it is rewarding to know that this a race that offers subsidised spaces for runners to raise money for the local charities we support at Rathfinny. We had people running and raising money for WOLO, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and Cycling Without Age. We hope to see even more fundraising spaces next year!
Medals & Trophies
We awarded recycled slate medals to all runners who completed the course and a Seed of Hope pack of pollinator seeds for every runner that entered. Seed of Hope are a community interest company (CIC) that helps people with mental health issues through recovery-based social and therapeutic gardening. The trophies were made of reclaimed oak by a local carpenter.
Kit
Pair Ups trainer repair kits were available to runners to help upcycle shoes in need of a bit of TLC instead of contribute to the millions of pairs of trainers that are sent to landfill each year. We also organised a ‘kit swap shop’ for anyone looking to donate and breathe new life into unwanted clothing.
Hydration & Nutrition
Darren was passionate about making this a cup-less event so we turned to Meetpat UK to trial a new portable refill water station. It was super popular and encouraging to see so many runners using the foldable running cup hack (simply cut a Tetra Pak carton in half). We also kept everyone fuelled with locally produced vegan flapjack/malt loaf, watermelon, oranges and banana and One Good Thing energy bars who make wrapper-free protein bars with an edible coating!
Transport
Travel tends to account for 90% of the carbon emissions of any running event so we provided runners with the option to be picked up from local train stations in an electric mini bus. We also charged £10 for single occupancy cars or free parking for cars with 2 or more to incentivise car sharing.
The total CO2e generated by runner travel is 0.97 tonnes. We will therefore plant 35 trees to offset the carbon travel.
Waste and Recycling
All food waste was composted on site and all packaging was collected, separated and recycled to ensure no trace is left in the environment we run in.
If you enjoy participating in sporting events, you can take inspiration from The Green Runners whose mission is ‘Running without the footprint’. They have four pillars that speak to their purpose and are worth us all considering if entering a race:
1. How we travel
2. How we kit up
3. How we eat
4. How we speak out
Find out more info about The Green Runners here: www.thegreenrunners.com
If you have any more ideas about how we can make this race even better, please get in touch. Hope to see you on the start line next year!
