FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grandma's Marathon Seeking Responsible Sport Certification in 2023
Working Throughout Entire Year to Meet Certain Goals, Parameters
(DULUTH, MINN.) --- Grandma's Marathon has been working throughout the year
to become a Responsible Sport Certified event, and the final test will come
when 50,000+ people descend on Duluth and the surrounding area next weekend
for the 2023 race weekend.
The certification is granted by the Council for Responsible Sport, which
started in 2007 and now has grown into a recognized leader in helping to
measure and manage the social and environmental impacts of events around
the world.
In order to qualify for certification, an organization must demonstrate and
document its actions in planning and executing its events are in alignment
with the Council's standards.
"If we can make this the new normal in our way of thinking," Program
Director Alivia Nelson said, "the hope is that it then spreads to our
participants, volunteers, and community. We're fortunate to have this
beautiful backdrop for our race, and it's a rapidly growing part of our job
to make sure it stays that way."
Certifiers will be in Duluth for this year's Grandma's Marathon weekend to
make final reviews of the organization's work, and the public will see
several initiatives at work that are part of the certification process.
Those items include, but are not limited to:
ACCESS & EQUITY
Removing barriers to entry for underrepresented groups within the running
community has become a leading, central focus of Grandma's Marathon. After
engaging with industry and community leaders, the race has added a
non-binary category and implemented a program called Running to Common
Ground, which in 2023 offered up to 500 discounted registration fees to
participants from underrepresented communities and cultures.
HICCUP
Through a partnership with Hiccup Earth, Grandma's Marathon is providing
reusable cups at two of its water stations for this year's event, which
will replace the need for 50,000+ paper cups. The reusable cups are
provided by Hiccup Earth, which after the race will collect and clean them
before sending them to their next event.
CARBON OFFSETS
Through a partnership with NCX, Grandma's Marathon is offering participants
an opportunity to purchase carbon offsets that will counteract their own
travel to the event. The money collected is then distributed to Minnesota
landowners in exchange for not harvesting the forest on their land.
REDISTRIBUTION
Through a partnership with Goodwill - Duluth, Grandma's Marathon encourages
participants to wear extra layers on race morning that they can discard at
the start line. Goodwill staff collects those clothes to then be reused or
recycled.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Grandma's Marathon recently installed solar panels on its main office
building in Canal Park, allowing the organization to use alternative energy
to power its operations throughout the year.
Out of the 61 points possible on the certification scorecard, Grandma's
Marathon aims to earn either Evergreen (90% of points possible) or Gold
(75% of points possible) status for its work ahead of and during the 2023
race weekend.
Should the race earn its Responsible Sport Certified distinction, Grandma's
Marathon must then update its reporting each year and a site visit will be
required every two years for the next six and every three years thereafter
to maintain that classification.
ABOUT GRANDMA'S MARATHON
Grandma's Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a
scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. After seeing just
150 participants that year, the race weekend has now grown into one of the
largest in the United States and welcomes more than 20,000 participants for
its three-race event each June.
The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma's
Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the marathon. In addition to the
26.2-mile race, the organization has now added the Garry Bjorklund Half
Marathon and William A. Irvin 5K to its weekend offerings.
As the popularity of Grandma's Marathon has grown, our mission has stayed
the same - to organize, promote, and deliver annual events and programs
that cultivate running, educational, social, and charitable opportunities
to our communities.
Grandma's Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit
organization with a nine-person, full-time staff and a 17-member Board of
Directors.
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