NYRR’s Sustainability Efforts at This Year's TCS New York City Marathon

Marathon week is here! NYRR’s vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running, which also means doing our part to ensure future generations have access to clean air, green spaces, and a healthy world in which to run. Read on to find out about some of our sustainability efforts during race week and race day.

Marathon-Week Sustainability Events

• Plogging event: featuring NYRR Team for Climate on Friday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m. at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub. More information and registration can be found here. Join us as we pick up trash during this special shakeout that ends at the TCS New York City Marathon finish line!
  
  
• NYRR Team for Climate panel: on Saturday, November 2 at 12:00 p.m. on the Citizens Stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance. The panel will introduce NYRR Team for Climate, a group of dedicated runners who have committed to aiding NYRR on its journey toward Net Zero. This event does not require registration and is open to the public!

What We're Doing on Race Day

• There will be 9 waste diversion stations at the Start and Finish areas with Green Team volunteers helping runners sort their waste.
• Leftover food will be donated to City Harvest.
• The race-day lead vehicles will be 5 all-electric Volvo EX90s.
• All Gatorade and water cups on the course will be compostable and composted at McEnroe Organic Farm in upstate New York.
• New Balance marathon race shirts are made from 100% recycled polyester.
• Discarded runner clothing will be collected at the Start area and donated to All of Us Clothing who will distribute to New Yorkers in need.
• The official TCS New York City Marathon App Powered by Tata Consultancy Services will feature a sustainability survey for the second time. Make sure to take the survey and receive your score!
• Take a minute to check out the sustainability cube at the Expo as well as the digital screens to learn more about NYRR’s sustainability efforts.

What Is NYRR Team for Climate?

In its inaugural year, 250 fundraisers are running with NYRR Team for Climate to help NYRR on its journey toward New Zero by helping reduce the carbon footprint of the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon.

All the money fundraised will go toward purchasing verified carbon credits for two improved forest management projects from Anew Climate, a global climate solutions leader.

• The Hartwood Forestry Project, across 6,000-plus acres of forestland in southern New York State, will achieve greenhouse gas reductions through the natural growth of forestland that would otherwise be cut, resulting in both carbon removal and carbon avoidance credits. The project will improve wildlife habitats, protect water quality of streams, and enhance forest recreation and education.

• Eagle Mountain Forestry Project, across 6,000-plus acres of forestland spanning New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine will also achieve greenhouse gas reductions through the natural growth of forestland that would otherwise be cut, resulting in both carbon removal and carbon avoidance credits. The project manages the forestland – used as wilderness preserve sanctuaries – for natural growth with no current/future commercial harvesting or urbanization. The sanctuaries are used for low-impact recreation, such as sightseeing, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
  
  

Team for Climate runners will be wearing branded New Balance singlets with a climate stripes-inspired design to raise awareness about climate change. Created by Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading, the climate stripes graphic is 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. Shades of blue indicate cooler-than-average years, while red shows years that were hotter than average.

Sustainability Facts from the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon

• 240,780 pounds of material recycled
  
• 62,000 pounds of material composted
• 17,500 pounds of unused food was donated to City Harvest, helping feed the nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers who face hunger each year
• 86,400 pounds of clothing collected and donated to All of Us Clothing