The Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) provides an independent, comprehensive certification for sustainable athletic events. By defining realistic objectives and providing a framework for achieving them, CRS enables event directors to incorporate environmental responsibility into their events while informing consumers which events adhere to these standards.

Background
Mass participation athletic events (marathons, triathlons, bike races, etc) often do not consider environmental impact when making event planning decisions. Generated waste may be substantial, materials are often used once and discarded, and the distances traveled by participants are increasing. At the same time, the number of participants is increasing, certain destructive practices are becoming common, and the items employed to stage events are becoming standardized in favor of profit margin.

With growing awareness of environmental responsibility in mainstream habits and mass media, these events provide the opportunity for a deliberate, high-profile realignment of views toward a planning model that takes into consideration sustainability and environmental impact. At the same time, responsible event production can build value for the event, its participants, and its host community.

Focus
A set of standards is available for comment which assess an event's footprint along five categories of sustainability: waste, climate, materials/equipment, community/outreach, and health promotion. These standards will evolve and continue to be refined as best practices, resources, and solutions become available.

Throughout the year, a pilot program made up of "seedling" races will guide the development of the standards, the certification process, and supporting documentation. The pilot program will allow CRS to apply and refine certification standards with real-world events confronting real-world sustainability challenges.