The Green Runners
Running without the footprint
June 02, 2023
Last Year GoodGym announced it's environmental mission statement, our commitment to eco-friendly practice across the organisation and a recognition that the fitness industry has a role to play in the climate crisis.
The Green Runners formed in 2022 following the COP26 Climate Conference after what was seen as disappointing commitments to the climate crisis by world leaders, and the desire to do more in time for COP27 and beyond. Here, co-founder, Nina Davies talks about their mission and how GoodGymers can get involved.
The Green Runners are a community on a mission to help people run with more awareness of the planet and to challenge the status quo of the running industry which is often unaware of the impact it is having on the planet. They are for any runner, club or race director who cares about climate change and is asking “how do I do something positive to be a bit greener?”
To help with this we have created four pillars and ask every member to pledge small personal changes in each of the pillars when they join:
How we move: Our travel has the greatest impact on the environment. Over 90% of an event’s carbon footprint comes from a runner’s travel, with air travel having the biggest impact.
How we kit up: As runners we are constantly being bombarded with new kit by brands and runners on social media. In reality, we probably already have more than enough kit to train and race effectively. As a Green Runner, we try to question every new purchase.
How we eat: Our diet as runners and in wider society has a considerable impact on the environment. The Green Runners encourage people to reduce their meat consumption and in general focus on higher quality, locally sourced produce wherever possible.
How we speak out: The final pillar of being a Green Runner is to help spread the word. Success isn’t a small group of us doing this brilliantly. It’s creating a widespread change across the sporting community to help people to continuously improve whilst still enjoying their sport.
The Green Runners are not about being perfect. They are about supporting all of us to turn our care into action, no matter where you are on your ‘greener’ journey. By committing to at least one small action in each pillar you are making a genuine difference and most importantly are inspiring others by your actions. As Jasmin Paris, Ultra Runner and Co-founder of The Green Runners, says “We hope the running community can lead the way by helping people to take action, give them the confidence to speak out and the opportunity to play a part in making a change. Together we can show what happens when a powerful community comes together.”
“We hope the running community can lead the way by helping people to take action.
The Green Runners community will be there to offer support and inspiration, to celebrate your pledges and organise collective action. Many of our members have come from a place of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Starting with running, something you love and a space where you feel you belong (without imposter syndrome!) is an easier entry point - and it usually snowballs from there!
So from repairing trainers to meat free Mondays; from reducing flights to speaking out at a local club you could help us on our mission. If you’re still not sure we’ll be organising some collaborations with GoodGym crew over the coming weeks and will be sharing more tips and advice on how we can get involved.
Joining is simple and affordable, just £2.50 a year towards running costs (we are a non-profit community run solely by volunteers at the moment), and then you can pay a little extra to order your Green runners badge, printed onto old race Tees of course, no waste here!
Find out more, talk to us or join at www.thegreenrunners.com.
- Watch the original video made for the COP26 conference here
- Share how GoodGym has helped you be a bit greener by sharing your experiences and tagging The Green Runners on social media:
- Read about GoodGym's 100 Days of Action and sign up to a session yourself here