The Council for Responsible Sport has certified the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon as a Gold Level green event. This is the first time the marathon has filed for certification and the first time the event has received certification.
“Our staff and volunteers work hard to reduce our environmental footprint,” said Sarah Dee, Director of Events. “We are so proud that the Waddell & Reed KC Marathon has been a zero-waste event the past two years.”
Only 20 events in the world have received gold level certification their first year filing since The Council for Responsible Sport was founded in 2008. Of those 20, only 13 were marathons and half marathons.
In 2014, the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon collected over 10,445 pounds of waste. From that, 10,265 pounds were either recycled or composted. This makes the diversion rate from the landfill 98.27%, classifying it as a zero waste event. There were 132 pounds of heat sheets recycled, and over 245 pounds of discarded clothing and 4,468 pounds of food donated to a local homeless shelter.
In addition to the diversion rate, one hundred percent of volunteers registered online and 98% of race participation registration was conducted online.
Vinyl event banners from over the years were sent to Relan in Minneapolis who turned them into Grab and Go bags. Relan’s mission is committed to having a significant impact on sustainability for the next generation. All 16 aid stations utilized fire hydrants for their water source instead of using gallon jugs of water, 100% recyclable race bibs were used and Ultramax Sports used the Print-on-Demand technology to cut down on apparel overage.
“At the Council, we are continually impressed by the Kansas City Sports Commission for its commitment to hosting more sustainable events that are accessible, inclusive, showcase great partnerships, and educate participants and spectators about how to be more environmentally conscious,” said Shelley Villalobos, Certification Director. “We’re thrilled to award this Gold Level certification that was so well earned.”
The Greater Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation is proud to partner with Missouri Organic Recycling as we work towards reducing our carbon footprint. Because of this partnership, the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon with Ivy Funds has been a zero-waste event in 2013 and 2014.
The green efforts of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation is led by a team of volunteer committee members. Onsite, the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon had the help of 125 volunteers to this specific area. The Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon host hotels, Sheraton Crown Center and Westin Crown Center are both certified green by the MHLA.
The 2015 marathon will be held October 17. To learn more about its green initiatives, visit waddellandreedkansascitymarathon.org.