The Portland Marathon – A Healthy Green Event

Ready for a marathon training run

This Sunday, I am running in my first marathon race – the Portland Marathon, in Portland, Oregon. I have been officially training for about 3 months, although I’ve been a runner for more than 20 years now. One of my sisters will be running along with me, as well as our Team-in-Training coach. The Portland Marathon is in its 36th year and will have approximately 6,000 runners (plus 1,800 walkers) participating on October 5! The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the low 60s and a slight chance of rain. Definitely a change from the hot, summer-like weather earlier this week.

My sis and me - goofy stretches

In a series of articles detailing our marathon training up to this point, my sister and I have logged miles, fought back from injuries, gone to physical therapy, and endured many other trials of the trail. It has been fun and frustrating all at the same time. I think we’re finally ready to tackle the Portland Marathon now!

So why am I blogging about it here? First of all, improving your physical fitness can help reduce your overall carbon footprint. This is due to the fact that fit people are better able to walk or ride bicycles to get around, rather than drive fuel-burning vehicles.

Second, getting outside on a regular basis during training may result in a deeper appreciation for the environment – whether air quality, temperature or simply enjoying natural beauty.

Finally, the Portland Marathon itself is an extremely “green” race. A number of sustainable practices will be implemented with this year’s run. Among other things, tree seedlings are distributed to the marathon finishers, and solar panels power the start and finish areas!

Whether or not you are up for running 26.2 miles, you can aspire to get into better shape. Take it outside – on a bicycle or walking your dog. Smell the crisp, fall air and look up at the marvelous trees in their autumn glory. Oh – and don’t forget to think of me on Sunday. I may be limping across the finish line of the Portland Marathon, but I’ll be greening – I mean grinning – all the way.