4 Top Tips to become a more Sustainable Runner

I often wonder how an athlete can make their life more sustainable and ecological, starting with the simple practice of sport.

The theme of environmental sustainability concerns every human being and is transversal to all areas of everyday life, so even as athletes we are called upon to adopt good practices to ensure that our activity weighs as little as possible on the environment. Personally, I feel more exposed than ordinary people to the attention of public opinion precisely because of my sports performance, so I think it is necessary to adopt appropriate behaviours with the simple aim of leading by example.

Giving priority to the bicycle as a means of transport to reach the office is a good habit that I have included daily for some time and also allows me to add a small workout: I am an athlete but also work full-time and a second daily session would have too big an impact on the body, so I consider moving by bike a small support session. It's good for me and the environment. It is a good practice, extremely simple, but, unfortunately, it does not seem to be widely practised in my area.

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1. MAKING SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL CHOICES

I don't use the car to train: I start primarily from home by choosing immediately available routes and adapting my session to the environment in which I am based. A small practical example: I live in a hilly area where there are no totally flat routes, so the pace of my easy runs is adequate to the altitude, so as not to have to reach by car an area far from home, where I could certainly find a path with zero difference in height, but which would involve carbon dioxide emissions on my part.

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Photo: Gloria wearing the ASICS GEL -CUMULUS 25

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Long air journeys have a big impact on air pollution and it is complicated not to use them, especially when the championship races, private or federal, are overseas. Even in this case, however, you can adopt strategies: first of all it is good to plan at the beginning of the year the races to participate, considering the opportunity to group some of them in a single trip by lengthening the stay between one event and another. A very valid alternative for training and sociality is to opt for local competitions that do not involve long journeys and that, perhaps, allow you to share travel time with training or team mates or to organize group workouts with other nearby athletes during the weekend.

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2. BUYING KIT AND EQUIPMENT

It is important to buy less and make quality purchases, considering them a small investment, in the hope that the material will last longer. When choosing products, priority should be given to brands that actively try to safeguard our planet, such as Patagonia and Cotopaxi which, in addition to using sustainable materials, allocate 1% of sales to non-profit environmental organizations that fight to defend the air, land and water all over the world considering it a tax on the planet; The North Face, which has a number of its products distinguishable by the "Exploration Without Compromise" logo made from entirely recycled material; Fjallraven that promotes sustainability throughout the production chain.

Shoes are the tool that a runner uses the most and it is important to buy quality, well-made footwear, not only for performance, but also the protection of tendons, bones and various muscles! We can also try and create a second life for them: once past their peak, they should not necessarily be thrown away, they can be used to walk, go to work, stay in the garden or maybe pass to someone who still has the opportunity to use them. There are some organisations and charities committed to collecting used shoes still in good condition that are destined to those who need them, also playing a social role as well as respect for the environment. For example, SportsShoes has an active collaboration with JogOn for exactly this purpose.

Find out Why and When you should replace your running shoes?

Some large companies are developing shoe models made from recycled material. Nike does it with the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature, Mizuno with the Wave Neo Ultra, ASICS with the GEL -CUMULUS 25.

Discover more products like these on the SportsShoes Sustainability Store.

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3. REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE

Athletes always need to keep themselves well hydrated, especially during travel, competitions or training, and we often buy drinks in plastic bottles. To avoid this waste, for some time I have equipped myself with a reusable bottle that I can fill if necessary and keep over time. Mine is made of stainless steel, but there are also made of glass or recycled plastic free of toxic substances, such as the items made by Camelback, a brand that also provides the possibility of replacing only the cap of the bottle when it becomes unusable.

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4. SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

• Raise awareness and support environmental protection
  For people who spend much of their free time outdoors, please support POW Protect Our Winters, a non-profit organisation active in many countries around the world. Their purpose is to create awareness towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions by promoting sustainable mobility, slow tourism and regional development through workshops, events, documentaries and using the voice and image of hundreds of strong athletes from different sports specialties, ranging from mountaineering, skiing, trail running, so that the commitment of the association spreads as much as possible to exert pressure on the decision-making bodies.
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• Let's plant millions of trees
  Waste is a growing problem in the sports industry and race events are no exception. It’s not only about water bottle waste, race finisher tees and goodie bags are also part of the issue. Often the race swag offered to participants, like medals and t-shirts, end up in landfill or in the back of a wardrobe, never to be worn. So, let’s plant millions of trees instead.
  Trees not tees work with event organisers to give participants the option of planting a tree rather than getting a t-shirt they won’t wear. If you’re planning an event and would like to have a positive impact, join the movement and sign up today.
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• Join a running community making changes for a fitter planet
  Every runner can be a Green Runner!
  You don’t need to be perfect, just keep improving by putting the planet first when making decisions.
  There are 4 key pillars to being a Green Runner:
  1) How YOU Move
  2) How YOU Kit-up
  3) How YOU Eat
  4) How YOU Speak Out

JOIN THE GREEN RUNNERS HERE

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Click here to follow the running adventures of Gloria Giudici

Are you feeling inspired? Then join our SportsShoes Strava Run Club and become part of our inclusive community.
And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.