2024 was a big year for the Green Runners, a British community of runners committed to fighting climate change. After a campaign spearheaded by the group, along with big names like Kilian Jornet and Zach Miller, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc dropped SUV manufacturer Dacia as its principal sponsor. Then, at the 2024 Tor des Geants, British ultra runner and co-founder Damian Hall made the news by crossing the finish line wearing a blue t-shirt emblazoned with the Ford logo and the words “F*** off”. He then went on to hold aloft a green banner reading “Stop oily money in sport”.
Earlier in the year, the legendary Jasmin Paris, another Green Runners co-founder, achieved what some had thought impossible by becoming the first ever woman to complete five laps of the Barkley Marathons. She managed this remarkable feat as an unsponsored athlete, having decided to step away from periodically receiving brand new running kit that, deep down, she knew didn’t really need.
As the actions of its high-profile founders have hit the headlines, it’s drawn wider attention to the Green Runners community. It’s primarily a members’ community and one that’s growing year-on-year. The primary aim is to reduce its members’ carbon footprint by helping them to make better, more sustainable decisions when it comes to various aspects of their running.
The Green Runners story
It was the work of ultra runner Dan Lawson that initially inspired the Green Runners. In 2018, he set up ReRun, an idea whereby second-hand clothing was collected and resold online, with all profits going back to the running community. This inspired fellow co-founder and runner Darren Evans to write a “Runners against Climate Change Ode” for COP26: the United Nations Climate Change Conference which, in 2021, was held in Glasgow.
Damian Hall, British ultra running royalty, got involved and helped to craft a video of the Ode, featuring many high-profile runners, including Jasmin Paris, Scottish skyrunning sensation Finlay Wild and former Dragon’s Back Race winner Jim Mann. The video was unveiled before the conference and some of the individuals who’d go on to form the Green Runners attended in solidarity with other climate protest groups.
However, disappointed with the result of COP26, the group set about creating a community of likeminded runners ahead of COP27. Thus, in early 2022, the Green Runners was born. With collaborations with Dan Lawson’s Rerun Clothing and Trees Not Tees, the community was officially launched, rather fittingly, on April 22, 2022: World Earth Day.
Members pay a small monthly fee to support the running (no pun intended) costs and the wider work of the Green Runners, while being empowered to spread the word in order to bring about positive change in the running community. They receive a monthly email newsletter, have free access to Green Runners events and gatherings, can join the Strava group and more. One of the most important aspects of being a Green Runners member is the pledge…
Pledges and the four pillars
When new members join, they’re asked to make at least one pledge to improve their running from a sustainability standpoint. According to the Green Runners website, there have been just under 3,000 pledges made to date. These pledges are based around four main pillars: How we travel, How we fuel, How we kit up and How we speak out.
How you travel
The way runners travel to and from events, festivals, races and their own handpicked adventures can make a big difference to their carbon footprint. The Green Runners encourage the use of train travel or car sharing to get to races and remind their community to be mindful of their travel footprint when organizing their race calendars. Flying is the least sustainable way to get to and from events and members are asked to make it a last resort only.
How you kit up
There are a few elements to this pillar. The first is to do with carefully considering any purchase as to whether or not it’s really needed or whether the kit could be borrowed or bought second-hand. Then, there’s properly looking after the kit you already own to extend its lifespan and selling the stuff you don’t really use. Finally, when it comes to races, the Green Runners ask members to encourage organizers not to give out medals and running tops, planting trees instead.
How you fuel
The Green Runners recognize the huge impact what we eat can have on the environment, especially if you’re in the habit of burning thousands of calories every week during your training for a terrifying mountain ultra.
They point to the fact that the equivalent calories in a plant-based diet is better for the planet than a diet that’s more skewed towards meat and dairy. That’s not to say the Green Runners expect all their members to be vegan or vegetarian. They don’t. However, they do ask that members pledge to cut down their meat consumption to one or two days a week at most. Due to its high carbon footprint and grossly inefficient use of land, beef production is the worst offender, and the Green Runners emphasize cutting down on cow chow in particular.
How you speak out
In order to succeed in their mission, the Green Runners are aware that their message needs to be spread widely in order to initiate change across the sporting community. They ask members to share their pledges on social media, encourage brands and businesses to adopt greener practices and converse with other runners about the values of being a Green Runner.
High-profile founders
The Green Runners’ most famous co-founder is Jasmin Paris, who made global headlines in 2024 when she became the first woman in history to complete all five laps of the infamous Barkley Marathons within the allotted 60 hours. The former inov-8 athlete now runs without a sponsor – not a reflection on inov-8 but as a way of setting an example when it comes to kitting up for her runs.
Another well-known co-founder, the current director, and one of the Green Runners’ most outspoken members, is Damian Hall. He’s the holder of several impressive FKTs and has enjoyed victories at many high profile ultras, including the brutal Montane Winter Spine Race in 2023. Like Paris, he recently severed ties with sponsor inov-8, thanking them for 8 years of “supporting a balding, crooked-toothed dad’s bumbling”. Damian has authored several books about running, including We Can’t Run Away From This: Racing to Improve Running’s Footprint in our Climate Emergency.
How the Green Runners are making a difference
Beyond raising awareness of ways that we, as runners, can act in a more environmentally sustainable way, the Green Runners also very publicly praising race organizers who have been diligent in making sure their events are as green as possible. They’re also just as quick to call out sportswashing, greenwashing and when organizers haven’t fully considered their event from an environmental perspective.
The highest profile instance of the Green Runners calling out a major event was when the world’s most legendary trail running event, the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) accepted sponsorship from car manufacturer Dacia. The team sprang into action, delivering an open letter (which you can read below) to UTMB HQ and setting up a petition that was signed by over 3,000 concerned runners, including big names like Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg. The Green Runners, along with members of the Pro Trail Runners Association, were invited to share their concerns by UTMB.
In April 2024, UTMB announced they were changing their principal sponsor from Dacia to Hoka, though Dacia remained one of the event’s partners. Nonetheless, for the Green Runners, it was a step in the right direction.
The Green Runners continue to challenge brands and race organizers across the sport, lamenting various issues way beyond sponsors, such as the widespread use of plastic bottles at some events.
Meet the expert
Alex Foxfield
Alex is a qualified Mountain Leader and avid trail runner who enjoys everything from lunchtimes runs on his local trails to long days in the mountains.
