Organizing a More Sustainable Marathon

While a marathon celebrates human endurance, the 26.2-mile race is also a massive logistical operation. Unfortunately, it is one that generates significant environmental footprints through single-use waste. Marathon events traditionally generate millions of single-use paper cups, plastic water bottles, gel packs, and discarded clothing at start lines. As such, implementing sustainability into the event planning of a road race can help mitigate its physical waste. ISO 20121:2024, Event sustainability management systems – Requirements with guidance for use provides a framework for organizations to manage the sustainability impacts of events.

What Is ISO 20121:2024?

ISO 20121:2024 specifies requirements for an event sustainability management system for any type of event or event-related activity, and it provides guidance on conforming to those requirements. This standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

Establish, implement, maintain and improve an event sustainability management system
Assure that it is in conformity with its stated sustainable development policy
Achieve the intended result(s) of its event sustainability management system
Demonstrate voluntary conformity with this document by first party (self-determination and self-declaration), second party (confirmation of conformance by parties having an interest in the organization, such as clients, or by other persons on their behalf), or an independent third party (e.g. a certification body)

ISO 20121:2024 also addresses areas, such as human and children’s rights and event legacies. It outlines more ethical, eco-friendly, and socially conscious practices, focusing on inclusivity, human and children’s rights, and event legacies to showcase sustainability’s transformative role in the industry.

Applying Event Sustainability Management to Marathons

Originally inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games, ISO 20121:2024 provides a framework for managing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of events, such as marathons. Since a marathon involves thousands of participants, transportation, temporary infrastructure, food and beverage services, and waste, ISO 20121:2024 can help organizers incorporate sustainability into the event planning and operations of marathons.

For marathons, sustainability in event planning may consist of the following: reducing environmental impacts (e.g., organizers can evaluate waste, energy use, transportation, water consumption), considering the supply chain (sustainability can be incorporated into purchasing decisions, vendor relationships, event materials, merchandise and food), supporting social sustainability (e.g., organizers can consider accessibility, human rights, worker well-being and community impacts, and setting and evaluating objectives (e.g.,organizers can monitor performance and identify opportunities for continual improvement).

ISO 20121:2024 and Sustainable Marathon Planning

For marathons, ISO 20121:2024 can help organizers incorporate sustainability into event planning and operations. This may include evaluating environmental impacts (e.g., waste, energy use, transportation, and water consumption), considering the supply chain (e.g., sustainability can be incorporated into purchasing decisions, vendor relationships, event materials, merchandise and food), and addressing social considerations (e.g., accessibility, human rights, worker well-being, and community impacts)

Organizers can also establish and evaluate sustainability objectives, monitor performance, and identify opportunities for continual improvement. These considerations are relevant to marathons because these road races face growing concerns about single-use materials, discarded clothing, transportation, and other environmental impacts. Examples of races adopting sustainable measures include reusable post-race ponchos, compostable cups, recyclable bibs, and more sustainable medals.

World Athletics and ISO 20121:2024

Founded on July 17^th, 1912, in Stockholm Sweden, World Athletics is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, which includes track and field, cross country, road running (i.e., the marathon), race walking, and mountain running. The organization governs marathon running by setting official rules, ratifying world records, and overseeing international competitions.

The World Athletics has implemented a Sustainable Event Management System certified to ISO 20121:2024. This shows that this organization’s management system has considered key financial, economic, social, and environmental issues relevant to its operations to reduce its impact on the environment and contribute towards a stronger and more just society.