The Council for Responsible Sport has announced that LA MARATHON LLC has been awarded Silver Level Certification for its work organizing the 2015 ASICS LA Marathon. The marathon earned credit on 36 of the best practice standards offered in the Council's certification program for social and environmental responsibility at sporting events.
Certification requires meeting or exceeding standards across five categories: planning and communications, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy. ASICS LA Marathon organizers excelled in the areas of social sustainability by providing accessibility services to athletes with disabilities and working closely with the Los Angeles based non-profit Students Run LA (SRLA) to promote active, healthy lifestyles to local at-risk high school students.
Student's Run LA has a mission to challenge at-risk secondary students to experience the benefits of goal-setting, character development, and improved health by training for and completing the LA marathon. LA MARATHON LLC provided free marathon entries to over 3,000 youth in 2015, a donation valued at over $500,000. Organizers work closely with SRLA staff to support and develop the program-since 1989, more than 57,000 students have been served by SRLA and the ASICS LA Marathon.
"It's clear that the ASICS LA Marathon is taking full account of its range of social and environmental impacts and working diligently to improve performance year after year, making it a true leader in the movement towards greater responsibility in sport," said Shelley Villalobos, certification director at the Council for Responsible Sport.
The event diverted 47 percent of waste generated from the landfill. When asked in a post-event survey of participants, 'how important is it to you that a race has proper recycling and composting stations?' 84 percent of people said it was either 'very important' (49 percent) or 'important' (35 percent) to them.
"Since its inception, this race has placed a priority on both accessibility and innovation," stated LA MARATHON LLC Chief Executive Tracey Russell. "Earning a silver level certification is a testament to our team's efforts to be socially and environmentally responsible, furthering the outstanding legacy of this incredible event."
LA MARATHON LLC will host the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for Men's and Women's Marathon, awarded by USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee, which will take place in Los Angeles February 13, 2016. For more information, visit www.lamarathon.com.
