If you’re a runner who rightfully cares about the world in which we live, then you’ll want to back Race for Change – an ambitious project launched by The Green Runners go live here.

The Green Runners – a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to protecting the planet through running – aims to raise £50,000 through the project’s crowdfunding campaign, which will go live here at 6pm this Saturday (21 September). The funds will help The Green Runners to elevate the work that it does to help runners live more sustainably, and urge race organisers and running industry leaders to host and create events and initiatives that support climate action.

The Race for Change project is being backed by noteworthy athletes and personalities in the running world, including The Green Runners co-founders Damian Hall and Jasmin Paris, Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia Allie Bailey. The Green Runners RW columnist and cover star. Paris, meanwhile, made history this March when she became the first-ever woman to complete the infamous Barkley Marathons – an arduous but eccentric 100-mile race in Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, USA, which has an average finish rate of just 2%.

When joining The Green Runners, members must make a pledge based on the organisation’s four pillars – How We Travel, How We Fuel, How We Speak Out and How We Kit Up – which speaks to its commitment to doing environmental good in the sport. As such, The Green Runners hopes that the Race for Change campaign will empower runners to take both individual and collective action that will help to counter the negative impact that running can have – and has had – on the natural world.

‘The climate emergency is a problem that we cannot run away from,’ says Ross Brannigan, Community and Content Manager for The Green Runners. ‘For the last two years, every Green Runner who has pledged to make a change in their lives for the planet is taking genuine action for our environment. Now, it’s about expanding that work, working with clubs and communities across the world and collaborating with brands and events.

‘This crowdfund does not just affect runners,’ continues Brannigan. ‘It affects all of us, and we can make a genuine difference in this time of crisis.’

You can support and find out more about the Race for Change campaign, which goes live on Saturday 21 September 2024, on The Green Runners’ website.