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Green Gatherings

Urban Wildland Half Marathon and 5k

Event Overview
Location (City/Venue): 
Richfield Ice Area
Number of Attendees: 
1550
Organization Hosting Event: 
City of Richfield
Brief Background on Event: 

This race is celebrating its 7th year of a green race supporting the environmental education programs of Wood Lake Nature Center. Wood Lake is the oldest municipal center in the Midwest and provides three educational field trips to Richfield students K-6 each year. This race makes sure that these public school children can go to the nature center.

Food
Food Practices: 
Provided information to vendors on using locally grown and/or organic food
Procured locally grown and/or organic foos for event menu
Required safe food handling practices
Used good menu planning and portion control to reduce waste
Implemented a food waste recovery initiative (food to hogs, composting, etc.)
Other: 

All food is organically sourced and local. Leftovers go to needy families.

Waste & Recycling
Waste Management Methods Used: 
Trash Disposal
Recycling
Organics Management (food/paper waste composting, food to hogs, food donation, etc.)
Program Audiences: 
Recycling - Vendors/Exhibitors
Recycling - Event Participants
Organics Management - Event Participants
Additional Information: 

We compost all waste. We no longer provide plastic bottles. The composted material is about 1/2 a container full. We do provide waste containers for waste brought by runners.

Waste Reduction
Waste Reduction Methods Used: 
Use of technology to minimize paper waste (e.g. online registration, webcasting, no printing of meeting materials
Use of reusable plates, silverware, and linene
Other: 

We used to give each runner a plastic water bottle full of water, (Dasani) now we just give them tap water from compostable cups. We have eliminated alot of our paper reminder cards and now request emails so that we may communicate electronically with runners.

Resource and Energy Use
Other: 

Event is held outdoors

Travel and Transportation
Transportation amenities offered at event: 
Free busing/bus passes
Location Selection: 
Held event at a venue easily accessible by transit
Additional Information: 

Priority parking for carpoolers

This year MTC bus company will give FREE rides to those who have registered for our race. A special carpool lot has been set up near the START LINE.

Other Initiatives
Please describe any other green initiatiives implemented at your event?: 

We have decided to go with American made t-shirts which are made from recycled bottles for our runners. Last year we ordered 2 years worth of cloth bags for our runner bags, another sponsorship opportunity.

Results
What has been your biggest success in terms of green initiatives at your event?: 

The saving of 20,000 cups from landfills.

What has been your biggest challenge in terms of green initiatives at your event?: 

Keeping the sorting at the Finish Line something that very tired, sweaty runners can follow.

How were the green initiatives received by event attendees and/or vendors?: 

Very well, the first year they didn't like the corn based cups, but we changed that.

Will you plan to implement green initiatives again?: 

ABSOLUTELY>. we can and will do even more..its out planet you know..we must not hurt it while trying to save a nature center.