On May 17th and 18th, the Capital City Marathon celebrated its 44th year running through Thurston County. There were over 2,200 participants in this year’s event. The marathon association is committed to environmental stewardship and to making a positive impact within the community.
This year, the marathon introduced a new initiative to reduce contamination in organic waste and increase the amount of recycled materials. Volunteers staffed a dedicated waste-sorting station at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia, assisting race participants in properly disposing of items. Materials such as cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, plastic lids, plastic wrap, and organic waste were sorted, composted, and recycled.
In addition, volunteers from the local Master Recycler Composter program played a key role—not only helping with sorting, policing the park, but also educating attendees on how to recycle and compost correctly in Thurston County.
The results were impressive: volunteers filled two 2-yard containers with plastic water bottles and cardboard. Nearly all plastic waste generated during the event was recycled, including all collected water bottle caps. Over 196 pounds of organic waste were successfully composted.
The Capital City Marathon Association and its team of dedicated volunteers are committed to continuing to work to reduce their environmental impact while delivering a positive, community-driven event.