NYRR Debuts Team for Climate at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon

Lou Mialhe, NYRR's sustainability and social responsibility coordinator, worked to ensure the success of NYRR Team for Climate in its inaugural year leading up to race week and on race day. Lou wrote about her experience supporting runners who made a commitment to protect the environment. 

New York Road Runners debuted NYRR Team for Climate in June 2024, becoming the first major marathon in the industry to launch an entry method tied to sustainability efforts, providing runners the opportunity to run and fundraise to showcase their commitment to protecting our environment. In addition to helping NYRR on its journey toward Net Zero by 2040 and helping reduce the carbon footprint of the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon, runners received exclusive perks by joining Team for Climate.

As the sustainability and corporate social responsibility coordinator for NYRR, much of my work leading up to the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon focused on ensuring the success of this initiative in its inaugural year. Seeing it come to life was incredibly fulfilling.

At the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance our brand-new Team for Climate bib pickup desk was easy to spot as runners entered the Expo. The most popular item was the team’s New Balance singlet, which was emblazoned with the Climate Stripes, an amalgamation of colorful lines, each representing the average temperature for a single year relative to the average temperature over the period as a whole. This was my first in-person interaction with our team, and it left me feeling excited, grateful, and curious, energizing me for the rest of the weekend.



On Friday, November 1, NYRR hosted its largest plogging event to date, bringing together around 65 participants at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub for a shakeout run combined with a trash cleanup. While plogging may not change the world, it serves as a reminder that small, collective actions can inspire greater outcomes and create a ripple effect beyond ourselves. Special guests were Tina Muir, former elite marathoner, bestselling author, and climate activist and Ginger Zee, chief climate correspondent at ABC News.



NYRR also hosted a panel on the Citizens Stage at the Expo, "Introducing NYRR Team for Climate,” featuring panelists Zahra Biahani, member of NYRR Team Inspire and Team for Climate member, Tina Muir, Jordan Marie Whetstone, founder of Rising Hearts, advocate, and filmmaker, and moderator Matt Brickman, NBC New York meteorologist. This introductory panel explored the purpose of the new initiative and delved into key topics such as climate justice, shifting runners’ perspectives on sustainability, and the deep interconnectedness between nature and humanity.

On race day, after the Team for Climate runners’ journey on the low emissions transportation option, the Staten Island Ferry, they were greeted at a sustainability-focused tent in the marathon Start Village. Powered by electric generators and stocked with pre-race snacks, the area was filled with runners proudly wearing their Team for Climate singlets. It provided our first glimpse into the energy and emotions of the group as they spent their final preparatory moments prior to the race. Tina Muir delivered a pep talk emphasizing the power of imperfect actions in sustainability and the importance of cultivating climate consciousness.

After completing 26.2 miles across the five boroughs of New York City, many Team for Climate runners—several of whom were taking on the distance for the first time—were greeted by Ginger Zee and presented with their finisher medals. I was fortunate to personally greet and medal a few finishers myself, including the father/daughter duo pictured below; their sense of accomplishment and gratitude was palpable.



From surpassing the fundraising goal of $600,000 to receiving countless positive runner testimonials after the event, I can confidently say that Team for Climate, the first program of its kind, was a resounding success.

My hope is that by fundraising for this cause and training for the race concurrently, our team was able to draw meaningful connections between running and protecting the natural environment. This idea aligns with NYRR’s vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running—an effort that also includes ensuring future generations have access to clean air, green spaces, and a healthy world to run in.

Next year, runners can fundraise with NYRR Team for Climate for the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half, the 2025 RBC Brooklyn Half, and the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.

Read more about NYRR's sustainability efforts at this year's TCS New York City Marathon.