The Manitoba Marathon has long committed to hosting environmentally responsible events. Each year, we set an ambitious goal of 85% waste diversion—meaning only 15% of event waste goes to landfill, with the rest directed to composting and recycling facilities.

We are proud to share that, through the hard work of our team, participants, and volunteers, we earned Evergreen Certification through the Council for Responsible Sport. This comprehensive, year-long process included policy development, detailed documentation, and new initiatives designed to enhance our environmental and social impact. Key focus areas include conservation, waste diversion, accessibility, equity, and community legacy.

Manitoba Marathon is only the third marathon in Canada to achieve this distinction. Here are a few highlights of our 2026 event:

  • Through the hard work of our volunteers and participants, we were able to divert 91.74% of 3,216 kilograms of waste from landfill – this level qualifies as a Zero Waste event
  • Thanks to a grant from Green Economy Canada, we were able to convert eight of our nine event power locations to solar generators, cutting on-course generator fuel use by 79%
  • At our collaborative event with Soles4Souls, we were able to provide 250 kids from marginalized communities with brand new shoes and socks
  • The hard fundraising work of our participants and their supporters helped us raise $58,822 for Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities via United Way Winnipeg

A massive thank you goes out to The Winnipeg Foundation, without whose support this would not be possible.

 

How You Can Help Keep Our Events Green

  • Sort your waste at the start/finish areas. Look for our sustainability volunteers stationed at waste pods with three bins—recycling, compost, and landfill. Your careful sorting makes a big difference in helping us reach our diversion goals.
  • Use compostable cups responsibly on the course. All water and electrolyte cups on race day are fully compostable. Please drop them within the water station footprint to help keep neighbourhoods clean.
  • Choose a Green Bib. Our Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Full Marathon Green Bib option allows you to opt out of receiving an event shirt, with a portion of your registration fee donated to an environmental charity.
  • Take only what you need at the finish line. All leftover food from the recovery area is donated to Winnipeg food charities and schools. You can support this initiative by taking only what you need to refuel.
  • Support low-waste expo practices. Our Birchwood Fit Expo partners commit to distributing only compostable or reusable items. We also eliminate flyers and single-use samples from race kit bags to reduce waste.
  • Our Fit Expo does not use individual plastic bags for kits nor do we distribute samples or flyers in our kit bags. We invite you to visit with our exhibitors and take only what you need/can use from their samples.

For more information, click here to view our 2026 2026 Final Report