Four Trials Qualifiers Give Tips for Being Environmentally Friendly Runners – runnersworld.com

While running itself is a fairly sustainable sport—it only takes a pair of shoes and workout apparel to hit the road, after all—some runners go above and beyond to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their training.

For these four 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers, combatting climate change is just as important as logging miles.

On a daily basis, they try to reduce their carbon footprints by driving hybrid vehicles or bike/run commuting to work, living in energy-efficient homes, and buying used clothing.

The women also have some ingenious eco-conscious approaches to running. Here, they share with Runner’s World how they go the distance to run green.

Elizabeth (Beth) Herndon, 34

Qualifying Time: 2:37:30

Career: Herndon works as a research scientist for Tennessee’s renowned Oakridge National Lab. As a geochemist, she studies soil water chemistry—specifically how minerals in the soil impact our ecosystems. Like our oceans, soil is also a natural “sink” that absorbs the overabundance of carbon in the air via plants. The carbon can either be released into the air or stored longer in the soil. Minerals play an important role in helping stabilize and maintain organic matter (including carbon) in the soil. Herndon’s research strives to improve the ability of our soils to store carbon.

Environmentally Conscious Running: Herdon hates litter with a passion. During races, she tucks her used energy gel packs into her sports bra and throws them away later, and she always drops a filled Nalgene water bottle at the finish area so she doesn’t have to rely on bottled water after the race. Outside of running, the (mostly) vegetarian also buys produce from her local farmers market when she can.

Amanda Scott, 32

Qualifying Time: 2:40:36

Career: Scott works at Suez Water Technologies & Solutions Analytical Instruments. There she leads a team that manages Suez’s product lines of water quality monitoring instruments. She works with water treatment companies, utilities, and industrial plants to help understand and solve their toughest water challenges, particularly carbon contamination.

“One of my biggest interests within the water industry is the concept of water reuse. I try to connect with local, regional, national, and international organizations to understand not only the treatment part but the regulation development process and the public communication piece,” Scott said.

Environmentally Conscious Running: Scott will ditch her car to literally run errands or run to a nearby happy hour. She donates her used running shoes to One World Running to help those in need. To reduce her food waste while saving money, she buys on-sale items to prepare a day-of meal. When she can, she races on work trips where she represents her company and speaks about the importance of water. “It saves on travel miles for the environment and my sanity,” Scott said.

Kristin Johansen, 33

Qualifying Time: 2:42:38

Career: As a water/wastewater engineer for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Johansen designs and manages projects related to source water quantity and quality, water treatment, and water delivery to local citizens. Reservoir water temperatures are increasing at a faster rate due to climate change. As a result, Johansen is tasked with finding solutions to protect or improve the water quality negatively impacted by the rising temps.

“We don’t have control over temp but we do have control in how we respond to it,” Johansen said. Before coming to New Mexico, she worked on water distribution projects in Tibet and a documentary related to China’s water crisis.

Environmentally Conscious Running: Perhaps it’s no surprise that this wastewater engineer only drinks local tap water. Bottled water has a high transportation carbon footprint and packaging ends up as environmental waste. Because airplane travel has a high carbon footprint, she tries to race locally when possible. She also seeks out hotels that have sustainability standards. On her easy runs she “plogs,” which is a Swedish term for picking up litter.

“This limits the amount of time city employees have to drive around town picking up trash in their trucks. It reduces the vehicle carbon footprint,” Johansen said. “This doesn’t result in good Garmin stats, but it sure helps make our city beautiful.”

Julianne (Julie) Quinn, 31

Qualifying Time: 2:39:20 (will not run due to injury)

Career: Quinn is an assistant professor of environmental systems engineering at the University of Virginia. Her research is focused on designing water management strategies that best balance human needs for water against the environmental consequences of excessive utilization of this limited resource.

Environmentally Conscious Running: The vegetarian air-dries her clothes and workout gear after washing them to save energy.

Unfortunately, Quinn will not be able to race in the Trials due to a strained quad injury. Quinn does see similarities between running injuries and fighting climate change. “We’re trying to react to changes in the environment—greater heat waves, floods, droughts—by building new infrastructure—air conditioning, reservoirs, floodwalls—that are really serving as temporary Band-Aids that can create more problems down the road… rather than mitigating the root of the problem by reducing CO2 emissions.”