Running Towards a Greener Future: How Smart Choices Can Tackle Event Littering

The thrill of a race, the roar of the crowd, the final push towards the finish line — it's an experience that captures the human spirit. Yet for all the inspiration they provide, large-scale events like the Brighton Half Marathon often leave a less inspiring trail behind: a significant amount of litter.

A recent cleanup effort on the 1.7km stretch of Berridale Avenue to First Avenue after the Brighton Half Marathon on 25 May 2025 revealed a stark reality about the environmental impact of these events — primarily driven by "heat of the moment" decisions to discard used gel packets and other nutrition wrappers.

This highlights a clear and dominant source of the problem: the single-use packaging of energy gels. The data even breaks down the brands most commonly found, with SiS leading at 247 discarded items, followed by High5 (93) and My Protein (15).

While these products are essential for fuelling athletes, their convenience comes at a significant environmental cost. The heat of the moment of a race often means runners discard wrappers without a second thought, creating a plastic and foil waste stream that pollutes our streets and drains. This is not a problem unique to the Brighton Half Marathon; it's a challenge faced by organisers and environmentalists at events worldwide.

A Smarter Way to Fuel

So how can we fuel our performance without sacrificing the planet? The solution lies in shifting away from single-use packaging towards reusable, sustainable alternatives. This is where the Dualfuel Bottle offers a compelling answer.

The Dualfuel Bottle's ingenious design, with its two separate sealed compartments, makes it the perfect tool for a more sustainable approach to race-day nutrition. One compartment holds your hydration, the other your preferred energy gel — eliminating the need for dozens of single-use packets. This one-bottle solution not only reduces litter but also streamlines your race-day gear, making it easier to carry and use your fuel without fumbling with small, sticky wrappers.

Imagine a future where the post-race cleanup effort is minimal, and the only thing left behind is the memory of a great run. By embracing reusable solutions, runners can take an active role in protecting the environments they train and race in.

This data from the Brighton Half Marathon isn't just a list of discarded items — it's a call to action. Every runner has the power to make a difference. Let's make sure the legacy of our events is not just personal bests, but a cleaner, healthier planet for everyone.