On 22 April 2025—Earth Day and The Green Runners’ third birthday—we held our Annual General Meeting, supported by a community-wide questionnaire. Nearly 100 of you shared your thoughts, ideas, and challenges. Your feedback has given us clear direction and renewed energy.
Ninety of you took the time to fill out the questionnaire and help shape where we head next. Your insights give us a clearer picture of what matters most, where the gaps are, and how we can grow stronger together.
We’re already acting on this feedback with more Local Meet Ups starting up in the next few months and some exciting progress with Greener Clubs and Greener Races that we’ll be able to share updates on soon.
2025 is shaping up to be a good year for The Green Runners. The way our community is growing is a dream come true – gathering momentum as an organisation influencing industry wide progress; a proactive community making a positive impact as individuals and a collective coming together in local hubs – such a powerful combination. Together we are making change.
You are taking climate-positive action
Nearly 80% of you have made changes since joining The Green Runners—an incredible stat that speaks volumes. Most of those changes fall under the kit and travel pillars: repairing or buying second-hand gear, racing closer to home, reducing flights and car travel.
Many are also speaking out, especially about opting out of merch—a sign that our voice is being used in ways that ripple outward.
Your priorities: kit, travel, and waste
When it comes to sustainability in running, the most important areas to you are:
- Reducing reliance on new kit
- Travelling more sustainably
- Cutting down race waste, especially unnecessary merchandise
These concerns mirror the actions you are already taking—and underline where we should be focusing our efforts.
Why you joined, and what keeps you with us
The most common motivation? Community.
You joined to be part of something meaningful—and you are looking for more ways to connect with likeminded runners. Local meet-ups, club collaborations, and in-person events came up again and again. There is a deep interest in hearing about the impact other Green Runners are making—and sharing your own stories, too.
What’s making a difference
The four pillars remain our strongest tools for inspiring action, followed closely by our collective advocacy efforts.
That said, pledges seem to have less lasting impact. They help early on, but might need rethinking or refreshing as people settle into their membership. How can we keep the momentum going once a pledge is made? Something to explore.
Your biggest barriers
You told us what gets in the way of greener choices:
- The cost of travel and sustainable gear
- Lack of access to public transport options
- Difficulty finding events that match your values
These barriers point to the need for broader change—and stronger collective advocacy to make the sustainable option the default, not the difficult one.
What you want us to focus on
The top three project priorities from members are:
- Better public transport access to races—including start times that align with train schedules
- Plastic reduction at aid stations
- Merch opt-outs, ideally with the chance to donate to charity instead
These are clear, actionable areas we can tackle together—and ones we will build into our upcoming campaigns.
Future direction and the year ahead
The top initiatives you would like to see us prioritise this year are:
1. A Green Race scheme and accreditation system to help race directors implement best practice
2. Roll-out of Local Meet Ups across the UK and wider
3. A Greener Clubs scheme to help affiliated and non-affiliated running clubs implement best practice and encourage participation
All three of these initiatives are in progress and we hope will make significant steps forward in the coming months. Working with governing bodies can be a little slower than our own advocacy campaigns but will be worth it for the due diligence and long term impact. These initiatives will help to reduce the barriers you have shared and close the gap between individual action and industry standards
Working with brands: tread carefully but keep going
Two-thirds of you support working with brands to improve the sustainability of running gear—but a quarter are against it, and others want us to proceed with care.
We hear you. When we do partner with brands, we will keep it transparent, values-led, and aligned with our mission—always.
How you want to be involved
From local meet-ups to research projects, activism to storytelling—you are ready to be part of the change.
Notably, participation in surveys and data projects ranked almost equal with in-person gatherings—showing that you care both about impact and connection.
You also want to volunteer for campaigns, plogging efforts, kit swaps, and events. There is so much energy to tap into—and we will make it easier for you to get involved.
Comms: you love the newsletter (mostly)
Most respondents read and enjoy our monthly newsletter. That is great to hear—especially as the newsletter often gets a mention as something you value.
However, our average open rate sits around 50%, which suggests there is room to improve. We started offering two shorter editions per month: one focused on action and resources, the other on stories and celebration. If that sounds good (or not), do let us know.
What you see in us
When asked how you view The Green Runners, many of you described us as:
- A movement for real change
- A group that should influence brands and race organisers
- A community with a powerful voice
This feedback reminds us that we are more than a campaign group. We are a movement with momentum—and you are a vital part of that.