When taking a look at the Ottawa Marathon website the other night in order to see if they had updated the course map I noticed they added a new page about green initiatives for Race weekend.

I was interested to see what steps were being taken here in Ottawa because I have already noticed a reduction in paper given out in race kits since I started running.

The green initiatives in Ottawa include recycling and composting stations, delivering Gatorade in recyclable containers and donating leftover food to a local homeless shelter.

Personally I think these initiatives are great because let’s face it, popular races have the potential to leave a big mess in their wake (discarded cups and gel wrappers, wasted food etc.).

A quick Google search shows that Ottawa is not alone in making an effort to organize a more environmentally friendly marathon. Here are a few more examples: Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Eugene Marathon, Houston Marathon, Portland Marathon.