2025 TCS New York City Marathon Through the Eyes of NYRR Team for Climate Ambassador Tina Muir

Tina Muir, former elite runner and founder of Racing for Sustainability and Running for Real, is a leading advocate for sustainability in running. Through her podcast, book, and nonprofit, she empowers runners and race organizers to reduce their environmental impact while also championing athlete health and climate action. She is also the NYRR Team for Climate Ambassador.

“I work at the intersection of sustainability and running.”

A sentence I use almost daily.

A sentence that is often followed by a shifting around and an uncomfortable look from my conversation partner. I can almost see the thoughts in their head as they wonder how I am going to shame them for choices they make or how I will make them feel bad about themselves.

This is where I thrive. I love to walk people back from the thoughts about how quickly they can exit the conversation, and engage them in a conversation about sustainability, about living with the planet, that makes them feel good about themselves, not bad.

That is my challenge, and I love the thrill of it. But sometimes it does get exhausting. Sometimes I too feel like I am not doing enough, I have seen too much, and can easily slip into a state of overthinking everything I do. Sometimes I wonder if this movement will ever take hold, will we ever figure this out?

The entire TCS New York City Marathon weekend, I felt hope and optimism more than I ever have before.

The movement is coming to running, actually, it’s here.

Marathon Weekend Plogging Event

On Friday, October 31, 2025, over 70 runners ran along the streets of New York City and into Central Park, towards the finish line carrying trash bags, stopping every few steps to pick up trash, to clean up the streets in anticipation of the TCS New York City Marathon just a few days away.

Picking up other people’s trash might sound like an ‘ick’ activity, but instead, these 70 runners smiled, laughed, and bonded. The runners put on gloves and traveled along the 3K course in a state of joy. These runners inspired others they passed to make a positive choice in their own daily actions. They heard supportive, gratitude filled, upbeat words of affirmation from New Yorkers who typically move through the world in a state of irritation.

We ended our plog at the finish line, seeing bags and bags of waste we had diverted away from the drains that lead to the ocean. We removed the trash that represents disrespect for the streets we run on, and turned it into an action of respect, of love for our community and sport. Having Olympic Trials champion Fiona O’Keeffe join us for the entire plog, and then go on to finish as first American female in a time of 2:22 two days later, showed that it did not affect her performance.

The runners who participated could feel good about themselves, and their bodies going into the race.

It was a powerful moment, and it was only the beginning.

NYRR Team for Climate

On Sunday, November 2, nervous energy bounced around the NYRR Team for Climate tent. Approximately 200 runners were ready to take to the streets, most of us wearing NYRR Team for Climate singlets with Ed Hawkins climate stripes, demonstrating the rising average temperatures of our planet, and giving a visual for why we should be concerned.

I spoke to the group about why this mattered, why representing the planet, climate, and sustainability was a powerful choice to make. How the money they had raised not only had an impact but helped do their part as a human being in this world.

I told them a fundamental truth I believe in. That every choice they make has the potential to have a positive impact on the planet. Not every decision is going to be the right one, but every effort we can make that is environmentally conscious matters. The fact we had opted to be a part of the NYRR Team for Climate mattered. Choosing to take the Staten Island ferry mattered. Opting out of baggage mattered. Bringing our worn shoes to donate to Sneaker Impact mattered. I felt their eyes on me, engaged and attentive. They were proud, too.

An hour later, we stood on our own start line. After putting our final bites of bagel and coffee cups into the compost which, along with the compostable cups collected on course and the apple cores at the finish, will be broken down into soil by McEnroe Organic Farm. Any remaining waste items had been dropped off at the waste diversion stations to be sorted and recycled (including any battery packs for last minute charges of phones). Having thrown our extra layers into the donation bins that will be taken to All of Us Clothing to support New Yorkers in need, we were ready to go.

Running across the Verrazzano Bridge with other runners who understood the significance of what we were doing was a beautiful thing. We ran with gratitude, joy, and love for the streets we were about to run on, as well as our bodies for taking us towards our own finish lines.

Knowing I had teammates out there gave me strength when I found it hard, gave me hope when I felt I couldn’t go on, and inspired me to believe in the human spirit and what we are capable of.

I refilled my HydraPak bottle four times in the race, taking pride that I was not taking cups, not consuming more single-use materials than needed along the course. I stuffed my gel wrappers back into my pockets to be recycled through TerraCycle when I returned home. Each conscious choice I made to do a little better fueled me forward to my best.

A few hours after the lead runners and electric lead vehicles had woven their way through Central Park, I found myself emotional as I was immersed in nature, while absorbing energy from the collective action of humans. The two can work alongside one another, and we can do incredible things when we work together.

I crossed the finish line proud of my ability to bring together my greatest passion and a fast time. While others were most excited for the medals, for me, I couldn’t wait to be given an aluminum, refillable, reusable bottle from Culligan. A bottle that represents the future of running races. No longer plastic water bottles that are immediately recycled. Instead, a keepsake that can be used over and over to rehydrate our strained bodies. A keepsake we can take home with us to continue using. Another example of where NYRR has made a conscious effort to do their part, so it is easy for runners to do theirs.

As a surprise, I stood in the finish area for a few hours after the race, putting medals around the necks of the NYRR Team for Climate runners I had met that morning for the first time, but felt like old friends by the time we saw one another in Central Park. It was clear how much the race meant to them—blending passion for pushing themselves and caring for the planet. It was one of my favorite moments in all my years at the TCS New York City Marathon.

Not every choice is going to be a sustainable one. Holding ourselves to a standard that dictates or requires that is setting us up to fail. But much like running itself, we have to take one step at a time, one moment at a time to stay in it and do our best. Human beings are at their best when we come together for a common purpose, and this year’s TCS New York City Marathon showed me that this movement is coming, and I can’t wait to see where we go next.

At the intersection of purpose meets performance, there is so much more we can do.

TCS New York City Marathon Sustainability Efforts

• 9 waste diversion stations at the start and finish with Green Team volunteers helping runners sort their waste
• Leftover food was donated to City Harvest
• Race-day lead vehicles were 6 all-electric Volvo EX90s. The support vehicles were 14 hybrid Volvo XC90s. 
• All Gatorade and water cups on the course were compostable and composted at McEnroe Farms in Upstate NY
• New Balance race shirts were made from 100% recycled polyester 
• 123,000 pounds of discarded runner clothing was collected at the start and donated to All of Us Clothing to be distributed to New Yorkers in need 
• The Official NYRR App featured a sustainability survey during the marathon, allowing users to take the survey and receive their scores 
• The Expo featured a sustainability cube as well as digital screens displaying facts to learn more about NYRR’s sustainability efforts