Los Angeles Marathon Recognized for New Initiatives and Longstanding Commitment to Sustainable Practices with Gold Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport
By Council for Responsible Sport
Conqur Endurance Group is pleased to announce that the 2019 Los Angeles Marathon has received Gold level certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. This is LA Marathon’s fourth certification, which marks it among the ten longest-standing certified events in the world.
The aim of becoming certified by the Council for Responsible Sport is to communicate positive messages and exemplify enhanced standards for social and environmental impact. “These are important attributes of our events,” said Stacy Embretson, Conqur Endurance Group’s Senior Director of Operations. “Recertification focuses our operations on achieving these standards.”
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONQUR ENDURANCE GROUP TO CULTIVATE A CULTURE IN WHICH THE ORGANIZATION IS AN INCREASINGLY ACTIVE CONTRIBUTOR TO A FUTURE THAT IS SAFER, CLEANER AND HEALTHIER FOR ALL”
Of the 61 total points offered in the v.4.2 Responsible Sport Standards for certification, the Los Angeles Marathon applied for 52 credits and earned 49. Each point represents the connection of organization and community values to specific event-related actions. One credit was related to implementing a community focused engagement plan. Students Run LA, which this year celebrated its 30th anniversary, is a program that helps at-risk secondary students develop goal-setting skills through running. The Los Angeles Marathon, which has supported SRLA for the life of the organization, has increased its support over the last two years to nearly $1 million dollars annually in free entries, goods and services.
This year, Conqur introduced a pilot program using a product called Water Monster, an efficient hydration solution that reduces waste. A total of 20 Water Monsters were used in two different water stations requiring careful pre-planning. This pilot program saved the usage of 1,500-gallon jugs of water.
Conqur’s partnership with Goodwill Industries, resulted in 5,825 pounds of donated clothing discarded by runners at the start line which will be reused and recycled. LA Metro provided 40,000 TAP cards to runners to encourage runners and their families to take public transportation to marathon-related events.
“The Los Angeles Marathon has remained committed to the sustainability framework promoted by the Council for Responsible Sport for six consecutive years and shown measured improvement with each certification effort,” said Shelley Villalobos, managing director of the Council for Responsible Sport. “This is an event that recognizes and embraces its opportunity to exemplify sustainable practices, and, hopefully inspire the same in its participants, delivery partners, and providers. Sharing the message and working collaboratively are key elements in driving lasting change in a world and a sector that desperately need better outcomes for people and the planet.”
“It is important to Conqur Endurance Group to cultivate a culture in which the organization is an increasingly active contributor to a future that is safer, cleaner and healthier for all,” said Embretson.
For more detail surrounding these efforts, the Los Angeles Marathon produced and publicly shared its first-ever complete Sustainability Report from the 2019 event weekend. The report can be viewed here.
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About Conqur Endurance Group
Conqur Endurance Group creates world-class experiences that ignite passion in athletes and connect communities through the transformative power of sport. The Los Angeles Marathon is among the largest marathons in the country with 24,000 participants, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The “Stadium to the Sea” course, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing near the Santa Monica Pier, is one of the most scenic in the world, taking runners on a tour of Los Angeles past every major landmark. In addition to the marquee event, Conqur Endurance Group produces the Pasadena Half Marathon & 5K at the Rose Bowl, the Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K and the LA BIG 5K. Conqur also owns and operates one of the largest marathon training programs in the U.S., the LA Road Runners. Through official charity programs and strategic partnerships, Conqur supports dozens of nonprofit partners; the most notable being Students Run LA, one of the foremost nonprofit youth running programs in the nation. For more information, visit www.goconqur.com