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Sustainability

Sustainability

Climate neutral event

The Cologne Marathon gets more sustainable – with your help!

As organisers we are aware of our responsability to implement a sustainable Generali Cologne Marathon – and also think of avoiding and reducing waste, selecting more sustainable products as those used before and scrutinise learnt procedures. We would like to examine all steps we do from a sustainable point of view.

We have started this process years ago and intened to continue it – and therefore need your help!

Support us by throwing the cups on the course and in the post-finish refreshment village into the corresponding nets. But also by saying goodbye to the “Cologne Constittion”: “We have always done it that way”. Because the first step to more sustainability is thinking of it.

Together with you we can do it and make the Cologne Marathon more sustainable bit by bit. And we do not only mean you as participants and us as organisers, but also our sponsors that lay great emphasis on this topic.

Nachhaltigkeit
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Sustainability is of major importance!

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Our current measures

Certificate

Our premium partner RheinEnergie sets the event climate neutral every year.

Reduction of car traffic

We virtually convert Cologne into a “car-free city” on race day due to the large road closures – 44k of streets – and thus reduce the inner city car traffic!

For all participants and their companions (1 adult + 2 kids each) we offer public transportation tickets for race day free of charge within the VRS net.

By this additionally bookable service the participants do not inevitably have to come to the race twice, for picking up the race kit and on race day. They will receive the package by mail in advance.

Wood instead of metal

  • The medals will be produced from alders in sustainable forestry in Hungary 🇭🇺 (instead of South African zinc metal).
  • By the conversion of production we can save 21 tons of CO2 emissions.

Recycling

At all other refreshment stations we will hand out recycling-compatible paper cups that will be correctly collected by sorts and recycled by the AWB as used paper.

Re-use

RheinEnergie will provide 100,000 (= 1/4 of all needed) reusable cups from a local Cologne-based supplier for a refreshment station along the course and the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village.

The race kit is high-quality, optically appealing designed and aimed to reuse it after the race.

It has two net pockets and a compartment with zipper.

Transfer

A possible surplus of food from the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village will be donated to the Kölner Tafel charity initiative for people in need.

Regionality and certification

In the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village and at the refreshment stations along the course we will offer these regional products:

  • 5,000 PRO PLANET regional apples (Krings from nearby Rheinbach)
  • 1,000 regional pears (Krings from nearby Rheinbach)
  • 70 kgs regional carrots
  • 300 regional mini cucumbers
  • 17,000 UTZ-certified cereal bars of REWE’s own brand ja!
  • 3,000 litres REWE bio apple juice
  • 3,000 litres Reisdorf Kölsch (local beer brand)
  • 4,000 litres Reissdorf Alkoholfrei (local beer brand)
  • drinking water from the RheinEnergie supply at all refreshment stations and in the post-finish refreshment village

RheinEnergie will provide 100,000 (= 1/4 of all needed) reusable cups from a local Cologne-based supplier for a refreshment station along the course and the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village.

Finishing the medals (lasing) will regionally take place in Wuppertal.

In the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village and at the refreshment stations along the course we will offer these certified products:

  • 5,000 PRO PLANET regional apples (Krings from nearby Rheinbach)
  • 30,000 Rainforest Alliance-certified Chiquita bananas
  • 17,000 UTZ-certified cereal bars of REWE’s own brand ja!

Digital instead of paper

The registration process is online only.

The starters’ and result lists are provided online only.

  • The despatch of the data check is via email only.
  • Showing the digital confirmation of participation is sufficient for receiving the race kits.

We will offer the race certificate and badge as downloads only.

We only produce 1/5 of the original amount of promotional flyers.

Green electricity

RheinEnergie will reward the female and male marathon city champion with green electricity for one year.

Waste concept

In the post-finish REWE Group refreshment village we will work according to a considerable waste concept:

  • strict waste separation
  • best possible avoidance of waste
  • use of reusable cups
  • big packaging only