When you run, does anything actually get done?

Or are you just traveling from one point to another, which often happens to be the same point?

I’ve spoken in the past about using running as a means of transportation, and even literally running your errands rather than driving, but this past weekend I got to do something that actually accomplished something even more useful.

I helped collect almost a quarter ton of trash off of a 1 mile stretch of road:

About a dozen of us met in Brunswick, Maine on Saturday for a trash run, including 2 kids under 6 and a dog.

We ran about 2½ miles from where we’d parked to the Brunswick Commons, where despite there being no houses there were 18 bags worth of trash and recyclables that we picked up.

It literally filled the back of a large pickup truck. If you live in Southern Maine or want to see more photos from the event, then here’s a link to the MeetUp Group:

http://r2w.us/METrashRunners

There are similar Trash Runner groups in DC and Chicago, and there’s no reason you can’t start one in your own local community.

All you need is a desire to clean up your local roads or trails, a few trash bags and some helping hands.

I also want to call attention to the sponsor of our trash run: Atayne. They are a great company that sells sports performance apparel that is made from recycled materials.

The company was started by my friend Jeremy, who organized everything this weekend for us. In the photo above, he’s the tall guy standing next to me that’s holding the lighthouse mat.

His shirts are top-notch – they breath very well, they help protect you from the sun, and because of the way they are made they don’t start to stink as fast as most running shirts.

(A friend of mine put that to the test a few years ago by wearing the same shirt for 9 workouts in 6 days and finally had to wash it because it was getting stiff, although it was still odor free.)

If you are interested in sustainability, and it’s time for you to get a new shirt, then I recommend at least checking out what Atayne has to offer.

And don’t be shy about finding or starting a Trash Running group near you.