Christopher BarrettThe TCS London Marathon 2023 has become the first major UK mass participation event, and the biggest running event in the world, to be certified Gold by the Council for Responsible Sport (CRS).
CRS is a sustainability certification programme dedicated to sports event and organisations. It said the certification was issued following an intensive assessment of the event’s social and environmental impacts.
The marathon, which was this year assessed by CRS for the first time, achieved 50 out of a maximum potential of 61 credits to achieve Gold certification. The event’s operator, London Marathon Eevents (LME), used the ReScore app; a cloud-based application developed by TCS for CRS, to measure the environmental and social impact of the marathon, as well as report, verify, and certify against sustainability standards set by CRS.
CRS said the assessment was based on five areas of social and environmental impact: planning and communications, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community access. CRS’s ReScore platform was used to capture, measure and assess performance across these areas.
CRS board member Kevin Phelan said, “It is outstanding for such a large and complex event to achieve gold certification in the first year of assessment. The achievements across all categories reflect a genuine focus on the role of the event in terms of environment, communities and inclusivity.”
LME event director Hugh Brasher said,: “London Marathon Events is committed to drive positive social and environmental change through our own actions and to inspire our stakeholders and partners to do the same. We know there is much more we can do and we’ll work to achieve Evergreen certification next year.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added, “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that the 2023 TCS London Marathon - one of the biggest events across the capital every year – has achieved a Gold certification for its commitment to driving positive environmental and social change. This achievement highlights London Marathon’s dedication to sustainability, inclusivity and community participation. “