Running through oil – why we should all be signing up to the Game Changer Sponsorship Pledge

The severe impacts of the climate crisis have wreaked havoc throughout 2024. Soaring temperatures meant that the summer was the hottest ever recorded with an unprecedented number of heat records broken around the world. Spain is currently experiencing devastating floods which has killed at least 95 people; Hurricane Milton caused $50 billion worth of damage to Florida and wildfires tore through Greece meaning the city of Marathon was evacuated.

The Mayor of Marathon Stergios Tsirkas described the wildfires as a “biblical catastrophe”. This is the place that gave its name to the long distance race we all love, experiencing the brutal realities of climate breakdown. Yet, marathons and other long distance races around the world are used as advertising billboards for the very companies driving the climate crisis. Whether that be the petrochemical firms themselves, airlines, SUV manufacturers or the banks that fund fossil fuel projects.

In October alone races at all levels have been used by climate-wrecking companies to launder their reputations and push their harmful products. Whether this be the Houston Half Marathon or the Bilbao Night Marathon which are sponsored by fossil fuel giants Aramco and TotalEnergies respectively, or the Skopje and Sofia Marathons both sponsored by Wizz Air, or the Chicago Marathon and Royal Parks Half Marathon who are sponsored by the Bank of America and the Royal Bank of Canada respectively. These two banks alone have ploughed a combined $590 billion into fossil fuels since 2016.

And that is just October.

This weekend the New York Marathon will take place with both United Airlines and Volvo sponsoring the event and in January the Chevron Houston Marathon takes place. It really does seem like Houston has a problem…

Countless races at all levels across the globe are saturated in oil.

However, it’s not just road races that are saturated in fossil fuel sponsorship – trail running is too. The Green Runners have been at the forefront of fighting against sportswashing in trail running. Whether that be the launch of the campaign against Dacia sponsoring UTMB alongside Game Changer or The Green Runners co-founder Damian Hall protesting Ford’s sponsorship of the Tor de Géants. Green Runner Martin Elcoate set out very clearly the issues with SUV sponsorship in his blog post.

But what can you do?

Game Changer is a sponsorship pledge bringing together athletes, sports fans, teams and organisations against harmful sponsorship in sport. You can pledge your support here and encourage fellow runners and your running clubs to sign up too. Use your voice to speak out against sportwashing. These companies threaten people and the planet, as well as the future of sport itself. Together change can happen.

Michael Hardy
Director Game Changer Sponsorship Pledge