The Chinese race will be presented with the Award at the 2019 AIMS Best Marathon Runner Gala
The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), the member organisation representing more than 460 of the world’s leading distance races is pleased to announce the Xiamen Marathon from the Chinese city of Xiamen as the recipient of the 2019 AIMS Green Award, becoming the first Chinese running event to win the Award.
The Award is given in recognition of excellence in environmental practice and will be presented during the prestigious AIMS ‘Best Marathon Runner’ (BMR) Awards Gala to be held in the birthplace of the Marathon in Athens, Greece on Friday 8 November 2019.
Candidates for the AIMS Green Award are judged, among other criteria, on how the race promotes environmentally friendly practices, how volunteers contribute to the success of the event and how the race educates younger generations about the benefits of sport and environmental protection.
The two other races shortlisted by the judges were the Marine Corps Marathon (USA) – 2nd, and the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris (France) – 3rd.
The Xiamen Marathon was founded in 2003 and has been rated as an ‘IAAF Gold Label Event’ for 12 straight years. The race organisers are demonstrating significant effort regarding climate change, waste reduction and environmental awareness raising. The start and finish of the race is Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center accessible by many public transport options which are promoted by the race. Free shuttle buses are provided to runners by the race while shared bicycle parking is provided. In 2019, over 40 thousand people took advantage of public transport options.
The race aimed to create the first ‘zero pollution’ marathon event in China by organising volunteers to collect litter from the course of the marathon and categorise it for recycling. In 2019 the race recycled 16.15 tons of plastic bottles and paper cups and cleaned up 6 tons of plastic from the course.
Since 2015, the Xiamen Marathon have donated over 130 thousand saplings to be planted, creating the “Xiamen Forest of Love” in cooperation with the project ‘Million Forest’ run by China Green Foundation.
Ruan Dunliang, Vice President of the Xiamen Marathon comments: “We are very proud to be recognised with this very prestigious award by AIMS. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously. From the year 2020, we will advocate Car-free Day on the race day. Meanwhile, we will continue to build ‘Xiamen Marathon Forest of Love’ and promote the plan of UNEP for cleaning the ocean to reduce environmental pollution. We look forward to visiting the home of the Marathon in Athens to receive the award.”
Paco Borao, President of AIMS: “I am looking forward to welcoming the Xiamen Marathon to Athens for the Best Marathon Runner Gala on behalf of AIMS Members, Partners and Sponsors. All our Members can look to their example for inspiration in how to host a sustainable event. We would like to thank and congratulate all the member races that submitted their candidateship for the AIMS Green Award.”
About the AIMS Green Award
AIMS has been honouring races with the AIMS Green Award that have shown exceptional work in this area since 2013. However, AIMS intention is not only to honour ‘environmental initiatives’ of its members, but also to help them improve their races, in terms of good environmental practices during their marathon events. To this end, AIMS in collaboration with the Institute Team for the World Environmental Alliance 2004+, a scientific non-governmental not-for-profit organization headed by Mr. George Kazantzopoulos, Chairman of the AIMS Sustainability Commission and former Member of the IOC Sport & Environment Commission, has established a set of environmental guidelines, in line with the IOC Olympic Movement’s Agenda 21** and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, over and above the creation of the AIMS Green Award.
Previous Recipients of the AIMS Green Award
2013 - SuisseGas Milano Marathon (Italy)
2014 – BMW Frankfurt Marathon (Germany)
2015 – Chevron Houston Marathon (USA)
2016 - GöteborgsVarvet Half Marathon (Sweden)
2017 – Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (South Africa)
2018 - SwissCityMarathon-Lucerne (Switzerland)
About the AIMS ‘Best Marathon Runner’ Awards Gala
The purpose of the BMR Award Gala is to:
I. Announce and honour the best male and female Marathon runners of the year through the AIMS BEST MARATHON RUNNER (BMR) Award.
II. Recognise and honour exceptional Marathon figureheads and personalities for their contribution to the development of the Marathon movement.
III. Publicise and promote the best practice and initiatives of AIMS members (460+ race organisers) through the establishment of special environmental and social awards.
IV. Enhance the role, programs and services of AIMS.
The event will be staged in Athens, Greece on Friday 8 November 2019 and is co-organised with the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), ‘Athens Marathon. The Authentic.’ and the Region of Attica, held under the kind sponsorship of the ‘Greek National Tourism Organisation’ and ‘Athens International Airport’.
About AIMS
AIMS is a member based organisation and since being established in 1982 has grown to a membership of more than 460 of the world’s leading distance races, from over 120 countries and territories. AIMS Members come from every continent on the planet and include the ‘Athens Marathon. The Authentic’ formed on the legend of Pheidippides, the Greek soldier-runner who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce the Persians had been defeated in the ‘Battle of Marathon’. Other AIMS members include many of the world’s greatest distance races in history such as the Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Comrades, New York, Paris & Tokyo Marathons. The three key objectives of AIMS are:
- To foster and promote distance running throughout the world
- To work with the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) on all matters relating to international road races.
- To exchange information, knowledge and expertise among members of the association
For further information on AIMS please visit: www.AIMS-worldrunning.org.
** About the IOC Olympic Movement’s Agenda 21
Agenda 21 was established in June 1992 at a meeting of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) as a plan of action for the introduction of sustainable development in the 21st century
In 1999 the Olympic Movement (OM) adopted Agenda 21: Sport for Sustainable Development. Based on the UNCED model, it lays down a clear pathway for sustainable development throughout the sporting world. Stakeholders include International and National Sports Federations, National Olympic Committees, Organising Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs) and Youth Olympic Games (YOCOGs), sponsors, government partners, the sporting goods industry, athletes, youth and the media.
The starting point for The Olympic Movement’s Agenda 21 is that national approaches and policies on sports and environment should recognise that athletes need a healthy environment in which to train and perform at their optimum. In addition, the document embraces the three tenets of sustainable development: Improving socioeconomic conditions, conservation and management of natural resources and strengthening the role of major groups such as women, young people and indigenous people.
For further information, please contact:
Peter McLean, Director of Public Relations
Association of International Marathons & Distance Races
C/o PMPR Excellence Ltd,
Windsor House, 15 Kirklee Terrace,
Kelvinside, Glasgow, Scotland, G12 0TJ
Mobile:00-44-(0)-774-037-1909
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.prexcellence.com
