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Sustainability Report: RF Events Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K 2017

Date: March 12, 2017
Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI
Location: Downtown Ann Arbor, MI
# Attendees: 1,500 runners
Zero Waste Team volunteers: 6

Race Overview

Shamrocks & Shenanigans is one of a myriad of St. Patrick’s Day races (but of course the RF Events one is the best). Some people run it seriously; we had a new record finish this year of 15:12! For others it’s an excuse to dress in green and drink beer in the morning. This race accommodates both types of runners. Hell, what do we care? But given the frigid temps, would we get our usual festive crowd of fast Irishmen, fair redheaded maids, and little leprechauns? And would enough volunteers be there to ensure the end of the rainbow wasn’t full of trash?

Continue reading “Sustainability Report: RF Events Shamrocks & Shenanigans 5K 2017” →

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Sustainability Report: RF Events Super 5K 2017

Date: February 5, 2017
Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI
Location: Novi High School, Novi MI
# Attendees: 2,000 runners
Zero Waste Team volunteers: 5 (plus 3 more at takedown/cleanup)

Race Overview

The Super 5K is held every year on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. As it’s usually cold, runners gather inside Novi High School before the race, and then go inside again afterward for awards and post-race food (hot dogs,  meatballs cookies and bananas). The total number of runners, spectators, and staff is usually around 2,000.

After the 8:30 a.m. start it’s quiet in the main area for about half an hour. Then it’s a mob of people eating and hanging around until about 10:30. With so many people eating and then leaving in such a short time, control of the waste streams can quickly be lost, as happened in last year’s DWD Hell race. How were we going to avoid a costly fumble?

Super 5K - crowd eating.jpg

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Sustainability Report: Run Woodstock 2016

Date: Sept. 9-11, 2016
Event company: RF Events, Ann Arbor MI
Location: Hell Creek Ranch, Pinckney MI
# Attendees: approx. 2,000
Zero Waste Team volunteers: Varied

Race Overview

Run Woodstock is the largest RF Events race of the year, with distances from 5 miles to 100 miles and everything in between. It’s also a weekend of camping, live music, and self-expression enjoyed by both runners and non-runners. The fun begins at 4 p.m. Friday, with the 100K and 100-mile start.

With over 2,000 weekend residents at Hell Creek Ranch, staying on top of the generated waste (collecting, sorting, properly storing) promised to be a challenging effort. But any improvement over previous years, where all waste went to the landfill, would be a win.

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