The Big Cup Promise - Paris Marathon

More than just cups

This weekend's Paris Marathon, with 60,000 participants, is being held for the first time without single-use cups and plastic bottles. This means that nearly half a million cups and tens of thousands of bottles will not end up on the streets.

The criticism that this is primarily about saving money is a well-known reaction when new environmental measures are introduced.

Before the pandemic, there were an estimated 50–70 million participations in fitness races globally each year. This produces enormous amounts of single-use plastic. In addition, tens of millions of medals are awarded annually. Most of them have nylon bands – a plastic material that is not biodegradable. In total, this could equate to around 32,500 kilometers of plastic bands per year, or close to 80 percent of the Earth’s circumference.

If we add mass-produced polyester participant shirts, the environmental footprint becomes even greater.

It is positive that major races are now showing a willingness to think new things. For us, this is not about costs, but about responsibility. Ecotrail Norway, which strives for sustainable solutions for what participants receive as prizes at the finish line, therefore hopes that the next step for major races will also be to challenge the medal tradition.

It is possible to do sports with environmental awareness – without stopping having fun.