At Upper Austria's largest running event on April 16, there is an extensive catalog of measures for sustainability.
It was not only the course record for the men's marathon king discipline (42.195 kilometers) set in the fall of 2022 - set by the Ethiopian Fikre Bekele in a time of 2:06:13 hours - that heralded a new era at the Oberbank Linz Danube Marathon.
The need for an environmentally friendly organization has also long since entered the consciousness of those responsible. And with seven events over two days, a marathon expo in the TipsArena, up to 20,000 participants on the course and up to 100,000 spectators spread throughout the city, this is anything but an easy task.
Since last year, all areas of the organization have been professionally monitored by an Austrian specialist for green event certification and continuously examined for sustainability. As an interim result, many aspects have already been noticeably rethought for the upcoming 21st edition of the "Festival of the Joy of Movement" on April 16. In cooperation with Linz AG, for example, all runners will be able to use the Linz public transportation system free of charge on the day of the event, and more and more attention will be paid to the use of green electricity.
The new starter bags and finisher shirts are made of recycled plastic and are themselves one hundred percent recyclable. Drinks will also be supplied mainly in recyclable paper cups. And even the electric-powered lead car in front of the marathon elite, which mobility partner Hyundai will put on wheels, guarantees one hundred percent motivation on the race course with zero percent emissions. "With a Green Event certification of such an important sporting event as the Oberbank Linz Danube Marathon, you send a signal that entertainment and exercise are also possible with consideration for the environment," says Gerhard Kampits, who accompanies the major event on its way to becoming a "major green event" as an expert.
The goal direction is clear. Kampits: "It's not about restrictions, but about the moderate use of resources and maintaining the fun of events in an intact environment."
After this year's transition phase, the marathon weekend's competitions are then to be organized one hundred percent in accordance with the criteria of the Austrian Eco-Label for Green Events in 2024.
The ongoing improvements and partial results of the work on a green footprint can be viewed on a daily basis on the Linz Marathon homepage.
Source: nachrichten.at
Photo: Klaus Mitterhauser
