S5: Ep 8 - 60,000 Runners. Zero Waste? The London Marathon’s Bold Climate Plan 🥇 🏃‍♀️

Can you organise a marathon for 60,000 people… without wrecking the planet? 🏃‍♀️🌱 In this episode of Green Queens, we go behind the scenes of the London Marathon with Kate Chapman, Head of Sustainability at London Marathon Group, just days before race day. Kate takes us through how one of the world’s biggest sporting events is designed with the planet in mind, and the role sport can play in creating positive impact. From carbon levies to behavioural science, Kate reveals how the marathon achieved “Evergreen” status, the highest global standard for sustainable sport, and what it really takes to get there. Inside this episode: 🌍 The marathon’s carbon footprint 💡 How “Team Green” nudges runners into better choices, with real perks 👀 ♻️ Why carbon removal is replacing traditional offsets 🚿 The surprisingly powerful role of toilets, queues, and incentives 🌆 How sustainability also includes inclusion, accessibility, and community Whether you are a runner, an event organiser, or simply in need of some positivity, this episode shows how small design choices can drive massive impact. 00:00 – Race Week! 02:45 – Meet Kate Chapman 06:50 – How the London Marathon Evolved 10:40 – What Is “Team Green”? (And Why It Works) 14:50 – “Evergreen” Status 19:10 – Competing (and Collaborating) Globally 22:50 – The Biggest Carbon Problem: Travel 24:40 – The Mile 11 Forest Experiment 🌳 29:10 – Future Tech: Edible Packaging & Refill Systems 31:40 – Climate Change vs Race Day Reality 35:20 – Carbon Removal vs Offsetting 39:30 – Why Sport Changes Behaviour Faster 44:50 – Advice for Smaller Events 51:30 – Round Up 💚✨ Join the greenest girl gang around—hit subscribe, give us a like, and share with a friend! 📆 Join us for new episodes every Friday 🎥 Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreenQueensPod 🫶🏼 Follow us on instagram: @green.queens.pod - https://www.instagram.com/green.queens.pod 🎵 Find us on tiktok - Green.queens.podd #GreenQueens #GreenQueensPodcast #Podcast #LondonMarathon #SustainableSport #ClimateAction #EcoInnovation #GreenEvents #CarbonRemoval #NetZero #Marathon #RunningCommunity #SustainabilityPodcast #BehaviourChange #EventSustainability Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.