Shrewsbury Half Marathon opts for cartons with One Water
The organiser of Shrewsbury Half Marathon, UK Run Events, has announced that the 2018 event on Sunday 17th June will be the first running race in the UK to use cartons of water at the finish line.
In a step towards reducing the amount of plastic used at events, the Shrewsbury Half Marathon will be giving runners a 500ml carton of One Less Bottle as they enter the finish funnel at the end of the race. The still mountain water is packaged in Tetra Pak cartons, which are made from sustainable paperboard from FSC approved forests and are fully recyclable, as well as refillable and reusable.
One Less Bottle is produced by One Water, which is positioned as a life-changing ethical drinks brand that channels profit to fund sustainable water projects in some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. The brand has set up The One Foundation to help provide clean water and sanitation to communities all over the world. So far, this has raised £17.4 million pounds, changing over 3.3 million lives.
By supporting One Water, the Shrewsbury Half Marathon team note that they will be ‘making a positive contribution towards improving lives on the other side of the world whilst actively helping the environment and acting as leader of the pack when it comes to environmental responsibility.’
UK Run Events will be funding the provision of One Less Bottle at the finish line of Shrewsbury Half Marathon as a trial. The organisers will be encouraging feedback from runners post-race, with a view to increasing the use of cartons at future events if they are well received. The Running Festival at Goodwood on 14th October, also organised by UK Run Events, has already committed to providing One Less Bottle at the finish line.
There are less than four weeks until Shrewsbury Half Marathon and the last 350 places are now available for this early summer race. The race offers a mix of history and scenery; the closed-road route taking runners through Shrewsbury’s Medieval city centre and out into the Shropshire countryside. It is one of the UK’s most picturesque half marathons and should be set to be a sell-out.
Race Director Joe Williams said, “We are extremely proud to be offering cartons of One Less Bottle to finishers at the 2018 Shrewsbury Half Marathon. As race organisers, we strive to provide the very best experience for our competitors whilst minimising our impact on the environment, and this is an investment on our part to reduce the use of single-use plastics at our events.
“It is also an important step towards helping to provide clean, safe water for people across the world through the fantastic work of The One Foundation. We look forward to receiving feedback from competitors following the race, and to welcoming everyone to the start line soon!”
Paul Vita, Managing Director at The One Brand, added, “At One, we believe in ‘socially conscious, healthy hydration’ and water is the most natural form of hydration possible. With our new cartoned water, runners at Shrewsbury Half Marathon will be in top form whilst helping to change lives across the world.”
The last 350 places are available for Shrewsbury Half Marathon on Sunday 17th June 2018. Entry costs £28 / £30, plus a booking fee. All finishers receive a bespoke medal, technical t-shirt, goody bag, free pre- and post-race massage, and free races photos worth £19.99.