The earth is our home. As runners, we get to experience the beauty of our planet every time we run. We climb mountains, trape across deserts, traverse mountains; honestly, we see it all. However, with our growing awareness of climate change, more runners are becoming aware of their own impact on the planet.
Darren Evans, who is a part of the wonderful Green Runners community, is passionate about educating runners, race directors and their families on how they can be greener when it comes to running.
Evans, who is an accomplished ultrarunner himself, wasn’t always passionate about the planet. However, when his children decided they’d like to go vegetarian, he thought he’d join them, eventually choosing a pescatarian lifestyle.
Since then, he has made the environment his passion, hoping to inspire others to be more environmentally aware. This includes his involvement in the Trees Not Tees movement.
The Trees Not Tees campaign works with race organisers to give participants a chance to plant a tree instead of getting a t-shirt.
They state: “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.”
Therefore, Evans is on a mission to have big race companies have this option in the hope that there will be less waste in future editions of races.
“It started with Endure 24 and had conversations with the race directors there, and that led to the TCS London Marathon, and now they have said they will offer it. It is nice to see that these big race events are now starting to take on these initiatives because there is really no need for the amount of waste that is created.”
In his spare time, Evans enjoys writing odes, which is a type of lyric poetry. He regularly writes about the environment hoping to inspire others through his creativity:
An issue for us, that needs reducing,
Are the T-shirts organisers keep producing,
They just end up, in our running kit drawer,
We’ve got enough and don’t need more,
When old and torn, just think repair,
Or use EBay; there’s plenty there,
So when entering races, I ask you, please,
Check for the option of TreesnotTees,
A greener choice, that’s quick,
Their sign-up box just needs a tick,
For every race, we need the choice,
If not, you need to raise your voice,
Race organisers will surely lose,
If their race you decide not to choose,
So ask the question of why they can’t,
Offer the choice of a tree to plant,
If we run together and do our bit,
We can help the planet, be more fit,
So to every runner, and to race RD’s,
Let’s all sign up for Treesnottees.
The Green Runners began as a group of people, including elite athlete Damian Hall and Jasmin Paris, who aimed to spread more awareness of the sports industry’s environmental impact.
In the lead-up to COP26, back in October 2021 one of Evans’ Odes went visual on Youtube, as athletes joined together and pledged themselves to be more environmentally conscious.
“We started talking with sustainability managers and carbon engineers who also enjoyed running, so it was a perfect mix. It opened my eyes to the mission to be running without a footprint.
“We want to get the running industry to think about its impact on the planet, which has driven me. That is my passion now, to try and grow the community for the green runners and educate people, from race directors to kids at primary school age.”
“We have seen a movement that more people are declining to have a race t-shirt, and I saw a survey on the Green Runners community page that said 60% of runners would prefer not to have a race t-shirt, which is a huge move and change.”
Evans has also set his sight on reducing the number of running trainers in landfill sites. He inspires people to repair their trainers rather than just throwing them away.
He has worked with companies like JogOn and Trainer Armour which are intent on creating new and innovative ways to help you repair your trainers. This includes heel and toe repairs and dedicated kits to help fix breakages in the fabric.
“It’s not about sending it to a landfill or incineration; it’s about finding another use for the product; unfortunately, there will be products that still go into landfill, but with education, we can reduce it to a fraction of what it is today.”
Visiting your local cobbler or shoe repair shop is another way to upgrade your shoes to be as good as new and reduce how much waste you produce.
“I use Chesire shoe repairs and Lancashire shoe repairs because they do a fantastic job putting new soles onto running shoes; for both road and trail shoes. They have got excellent products. Vivobarefoot also has an excellent send-back scheme.”
The Green Runners are a community who pledges to be environmentally conscious while running. They have just celebrated their first anniversary and have made astonishing leaps and bounds for the running community.
Their pledges include using public transport to get to races rather than driving, or even staying local, switching up their diets to include less meat and dairy and finally repairing and increasing the longevity of their running kit.
“As runners to help the planet, we can think local,” Evans said.
“That helps reduce the carbon footprint of travel; there are so many local races and FKTs that you can do. Many races used to start early in the morning, but that is changing because people want to take public transport to get there.
“Try and educate yourself, and you can use the Green Runner’s website to read more about what you can do, especially around the kit you are using.
“We know a meat-based diet is not suitable for the environment, especially beef, so think about your diet. Maybe reduce your meat intake or even cut it out. The same applies to dairy products.
“We don’t expect people to change their diet and be perfect radically, I’m not perfect, as I still eat fish and occasionally dairy, but it’s all about the small changes you can make.”
Evans completed a marathon event in the past week and commented that one of the things that slightly tarnished a great event was the number of discarded plastic bottles.
“My advice to runners would be to think about your set-up before a long run,” Evans explained.
“I wore a hydration vest because I did not want to take a bottle; I know that’s not for everyone, but just think about the races and how you approach it.
“It can be as easy as bringing a foldable or reusable cup.”