In 2016, the Colorado race became the first-ever to earn the coveted Evergreen Certification, rated by the Council for Responsible Sport. Ironman Boulder (IMB) purchased carbon offsets for 100% of its greenhouse gas emissions. IMB donated 5,600 pounds of unused food and 9,000 pounds of leftover bottled water.
IMB purchased water restoration certificates, returning 50,000 gallons back to the Colorado River Basin. IMB and its vendors used environmentally sourced products: compostable packaging, recycled content and so on. Aid station sponges — some 20,000 are used — were eliminated. (The race did other things, as well. Google the Ironman Boulder Sustainability Report.)
So if Boulder — our big brother in the outdoor world — can reach the highest standard, why can’t we? “We try to do as much as we can for recycling and environmental sustainability as we can,” said Keats McGonigal, who oversees the Chattanooga race as regional director for Ironman.
For last weekend’s race, Ironman’s “environmental captains” and local volunteers sorted recyclables — water bottles, cardboard — from trash. “A big thanks from us to all of them,” he said. “Without their support knowing to do that, it becomes hard to separate the streams and get them to the right spot.”