Run to Win

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about things that deserve more attention throughout the month of October. This week, I am also going to take part in Blog Action Day and discuss the environmental impact of running.

Running is a good activity in which to engage. We learned how to do that well before we learned how to wreck our environment to any great degree. As with anything else, though, there is an impact that we have and it never hurts to be aware of just what that impact is.

Photo by Don FulanoThe biggest environmental impact that runners have, and a totally unnecessary impact that we can all avoid making, is leaving our trash behind while we run. There are some runners that will think nothing of dropping an empty gel packet or water bottle by the side of the road, especially during races. During a race, there may be people that will pick up the trash as long as you drop your items near an aid station, and in a city the trash left behind by runners may be minuscule compared to the litter left behind by everybody else. When we run out in the country or on trails, though, the trash that we leave behind does not have any designated people who volunteer or are paid to pick up after us. Unless you can find a trash can on your run, use a carry in/carry out policy with any waste that you create.
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