In the run up to the Paris marathon, Stefan Gröschl, Professor of Management and Co-director of the Chair of Leadership and Diversity at ESSEC Business School, looks at the paradox of how this healthy event creates unhealthy levels of pollution and asks the question of whether Paris can learn from other cities.
Running Green: Sustainability at the Paris Marathon by Stefan Gröschl.
Running wild
This year, Paris will host its annual marathon, welcoming tens of thousands of endurance athletes from around the world. Last year’s event, for example, featured over 57,000 participants… as well as almost half a million plastic bottles of water; 83,000 gels, fruit boosters and energy bars wrapped up in plastic; and 42,600 litres of isotonic and energy drinks served in little plastic and paper cups.
In fact, the Paris marathon is just one event among many hundreds scheduled around the world. In 2017 there were 816 marathons scheduled in the US alone! Together, they are likely producing countless tons of plastic waste.
Meanwhile, runners train for these events in local woodlands, forests, and city parks. These same natural environments provide event organizers with inexpensive venues. So, how could organizers and participants return the favor and protect the environments on which they so heavily rely?
Doing good, while doing well
First, the Paris marathon could learn from similar events around the world. The Athens marathon, for example, has introduced voluntary recycling initiatives and environmental awareness programs.
The Chamonix marathon goes even further by making their races semi-autonomous, meaning they offer fewer aid stations and water refilling facilities rather than bottled water. The Royal Parks race in England uses recycled polyester from used water bottles to make its event T-shirts. Several Ironman triathlon events in the US have also partnered-up with NGOs to become more sustainable and eco-friendly.
Second, they could take advantage of frameworks provided by organizations like the United Nations Environmental Program and other associations and non-governmental organizations, which offer guidelines and recommendations for increasing the sustainability of these types of events. They provide suggestions like:
- Providing paperless registration and online race information;
- Providing low flow toilets and no-flow urinals, grey-water recycling systems, and other efficient water technologies;
- Minimizing packaging of products from Expo and race vendors;
- Minimizing food and packaging waste and maximize composting and recycling;
- Providing free public transportation on race-day;
- Encouraging participants to use camel bags and be semi-autonomous;
- Providing refilling stations for participants to refill their camel bags;
- Engaging sponsors in providing sustainable products, services, and programs.
Where there’s muck, there’s grass
Best of all, by “greening” events like the Paris marathon, we’re making them more economical for both organizers and participants. Entry fees usually range between 40 and 100 Euro for marathons, and can reach up to 800 Euros for long-distance triathlons. But by saving money on bottles of water, for example, organizers may be able to pass operational savings on to participants. Indeed, lower entry fees can help make an event more competitive internationally.
Or, these savings could be reinvested and put towards promoting the event. Becoming known as a greener event might help organizers grab the attention of potential corporate sponsors who are looking to underscore their brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Greening the Paris marathon means doing good – having a positive impact on the environment – while doing well – saving costs and increasing an events global competitiveness.
With kind acknowledgement to ESSEC Knowledge
Useful links:
- Visit Stefan’s website
- Read a related article: The Sports Industry: A game plan for responsible business
- Discover the ESSEC Business School Global MBA and EMBA programmes.
Learn more about the Council on Business & Society
The Council on Business & Society (The CoBS), visionary in its conception and purpose, was created in 2011, and is dedicated to promoting responsible leadership and tackling issues at the crossroads of business and society including sustainability, diversity, ethical leadership and the place responsible business has to play in contributing to the common good.
Member schools are all “Triple Crown” accredited AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA and leaders in their respective countries.
- ESSEC Business School, France-Singapore-Morocco
- FGV-EAESP, Brazil
- School of Management Fudan University, China
- IE Business School, Spain
- Keio Business School, Japan
- Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
- Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Warwick Business School, United Kingdom.
