Some time back I blogged about the first carbon neutral triathlon which my sister helped organise with the Crystal Palace Tri club as she was concerned about the environmental effect of the race. It involved making the event as environmentally friendly as possible and generally making competitors, marshalls and visitors aware of the impact of the race and encouraging them to help reduce this.

After returning from a lovely holiday in Nice this week which included watching my sister compete in the Iron Man France  competition which involves a 4km swim followed by a 180km bike ride topped off with a marathon. (No I’ve not made a mistake with the numbers and distances they really do make them run, swim and cycle that far) I was pleased to see that the organisers had taken some measures to address their eco-responsibility.

As soon as competitors entered an expo area to register for the race there were stands which had information about the recycling facilities available and the importance of the flora and fauna in the region along with other related info. Each competitor was given a pack which included  a supplement about the green aims for the race. I wont list all their efforts but those of you who are interested can read more about their mission here.

With over 2,500 competitors eating energy bars and drinking water on the move it was estimated that the level of waste would be no small matter. Along with almost 70,000 spectators in Nice and in many of the villages along the cycle route litter was also an issue that had to be tackled.

Although there could have been other strategies I’m glad that the organisers had a green policy in place and that they made a great effort in their first attempt at making the event sustainable. They had to start somewhere and I’m hoping they will build on this years race to make the next competition even more of a low impact affair.

Lets hope other sporting events take their lead as vast amounts of energy and waste could be saved not to mention the potential for engaging the public in being greener.