The growing desire for running events is leading to growing waste. Like any large-scale event, whether it’s a concert, festival, or marathon, large amounts of waste and emissions are created. Running events have been growing in popularity, and marathons such as those in New York, London and Sydney have seen record numbers of competitors in 2025.
Running events such as marathons can produce large amounts of plastic and paper waste, as well as contributing to travel emissions. Events across the world are now trialling ways to reduce wastage and spread important messages about climate change.
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New York is teaming up for the climate
In 2024, the New York Road Runners launched its Team for Climate. The first-of-its-kind initiative for a World Major Marathon saw 250 runners come together to promote sustainability at the event. The team raises money to invest in forestry projects in return for carbon offsets.
It also hopes to improve the sustainability of the New York Marathon. The 2025 marathon took place in November, and the proceeds raised went to projects to restore forests and rivers. The four projects the team invested in more than 70,000 acres of forest in the Northeast US, and have demonstrated greenhouse gas reductions and biodiversity safeguarding. For the 2026 marathon, the team for Climate will be fundraising again, and aims to reduce the plastic waste associated with water cups and race-day baggage.
Textile waste is also an issue. The Team for Climate is encouraging runners to bring old shoes to be recycled by Sneaker Impact.
Paris and London are looking to reduce their waste
The 2026 Paris Marathon is set to be the world’s first road running event to go cup and bottle-free. Paris Marathon is asking its 55,000 participants to carry their own hydration bottles. Aid stations on the course, instead of supplying water bottles and cups of energy drinks, will be transformed into refill stations. Paris eliminated plastic bottles in favour of paper cups in 2024, but neither option will exist in the 2026 race.
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By GlobalDataWaste is a huge part of running events. Cups and bottles litter the streets as runners pass. Westminster City Council reported that it collected 5,200kg of rubbish and 3,500kg of recycling from the streets after the 2018 London Marathan. The year after, in 2019, London removed 7 of its aid stations, which reduced the number of bottles on the course by 215,000. It also trialled using compostable cups, capsule energy drinks and digital race instructions rather than booklets sent out to runners.
Large-scale events can spread messages for climate action
In New York, the Team for Climate used its running kit to highlight warming climates. In 2024, the runners ran in matching tops covered in climate-related blue to red stripes to signal a warming Earth. Marathons with thousands of participants and spectators can be used to raise awareness for environmental issues.
Marathons can also highlight the pollution that traffic causes in cities. A study at King’s College London estimated that air pollution fell 89% during the London Marathon due to road closures. Therefore, marathons and road running events can help demonstrate the benefits of public transport. Having ascertained that 60% of competitors in the UTMB (Ultra-Trail de Mont Blanc – the Mont Blanc Ultra-Marathon) arrived by car despite available train services, the event is rewarding runners for choosing low-carbon travel in 2026. Runners doing so will be rewarded a 30% bonus in competitive lotteries for race entries. UTMB has capped its entries and is offering preferences to runners who will participate in environmentally friendly ways. Private cars will also be banned from 80% of the course. By promoting low-carbon travel, UTMB hopes to reduce its emissions by 20%.
