Cape Town’s top road races aiming to go greener in 2018
The rising tide of public opinion against plastic pollution of the planet is impacting Cape Town’s most important road races, with both the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon taking significant steps to ensure the protection of the Mother City’s valuable natural environment.
Fresh water and marine ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to non-biodegradable plastic, with the impact on living organisms growing at alarming rates.
The oceans currently carry an estimated 120 billion tonnes of plastic and experts have warned that sea-food lovers ingest around 11000 pieces of micro-plastic each year.
The use of water-filled plastic sachets at refreshment stations along the routes of the road races in South Africa has become standard practice but is contributing significantly to the problem.
Unlike trail running, which emphasises self-sufficiency of the athlete, road running competition allows athletes to run unencumbered, with hydration and nutrition support provided at regular intervals along the route.
Source: iol.co.za
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