It is by now abundantly clear that some of the ways we have all been used to doing things, including organizing races, are just not sustainable for the planet in the long term. And it is increasingly obvious to race directors and participants alike that traveling long distances to and from events, going through scores of single-use plastic bottles, and sending tons of waste to landfill is taking its toll on the environment and the communities we all strive to support.

For over a decade, the Council for Responsible Sport has supported mass-participation sports’ sustainability transition through its industry-leading certification program and the development of the industry’s first responsible sport standards.

And today, I have the pleasure of catching up with the Council’s Executive Director, Shelley Villalobos, on the Council’s recent initiatives to encourage even more race directors to take their first steps towards environmental sustainability, including the launch of ReScore, a free app that can help any race organizer plan, track and achieve their sustainability goals step by step through a single online platform.

In this episode:

• The origins and mission of the Council for Responsible Sport
• How the Council of Responsible Sport is governed and funded
• Race sustainability efforts around the world
• Developing sustainability standards and best practices
• Responsible event certification, what it costs and the process for getting your race certified
• Getting certified with the help of a corporate sustainability sponsor
• Leveraging your race's environmental credentials to promote your event's purpose
• Mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon offsetting
• Incorporating the cost of reducing GHG emissions from participant travel into the event registration cost
• Reducing single-use plastic waste: using and effectively disposing of compostable water cups, allowing water backpacks, cupless racing, Ooho!
• ReScore: the free app that helps you collaborate, track your progress and access relevant resources as you work towards making your race more sustainable

Links:

• CRS Responsible Sport Standards: https://www.councilforresponsiblesport.org/standards
• CRS Responsible Events Guide: https://www.councilforresponsiblesport.org/runrad
• ReScore: https://portal.sportrescore.org/
• Project Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/

Many thanks to our podcast sponsors, RunSignup and Racecheck, for supporting our efforts to provide great, free content to the race director community:

RunSignup are the leading all-in-one technology solution for endurance and fundraising events. More than 26,000 in-person, virtual, and hybrid events use RunSignup's free and integrated solution to save time, grow their events, and raise more. Find out more at https://runsignup.com/.

Racecheck can help you collect and showcase your participant reviews on your race website, helping you more easily convert website visitors into paying participants, with the help of their Racecheck Review Box. Download yours for free today at https://organisers.racecheck.com/

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