We wrapped Income Eco Run (IER) 2024 over the weekend. Covid got me and it was a bummer to miss the finale after months of prep.
Thankfully, others had better luck. Close to 5,000 participants turned up for the zero waste cause, clocked a total of nearly 60,000km and raised S$60,000 (as we had pledged $1/km) for the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) in support of the SG Green Plan 2030. This was 50% more than 2023.
As I nursed my fever in bed, the #fomo was real. It set me wondering about the pysch behind joining a mass run, especially one that supports a cause.
A quick research turned out that people run to reduce stress and to improve mood. Running with others gives a sense of belonging and community, a booster to feeling positive. People run for a cause because it gives meaning and a new perspective to their running quest. As we share a positive connection through a common goal, oxytocin is produced to enhance that post-run high.
Ethusiasts shared they found it fulfilling to join others in a physical activity that had a genuine purpose. Many had forged lasting friendships as a result. That was the case for me when I trained for the half-marathon some years back.
This signals that IER has genuine runway to grow advocacy for zero waste practices and sustainable living. To succeed, we must maintain people’s buy-in to the cause by always improving and genuinely contributing to it.
This year, we undertook several unprecedented measures to reduce the event’s environmental impact to demonstrate that even a mass event can shift and support our transition to a low-carbon economy by mindfully making changes.
For example, our running bibs for adults were 65% smaller than industry standard, a vast improvement from last year’s 35%.
Kids wore bibs made of seed paper which they can grow plants with. We use 100% plastic-free and recyclable cups at hydration points to build awareness about recycling right. We avoided single-use plastic waste by using reusable cutlery at the event and set up washing stations to educate about efficient water use and wastewater management.
We were happy when participants run in their own tees and we gave e-certs and not physical medals. We will be offsetting the carbon footprint of IER 2024, and to include for the first time, participants’ commute to the event and the IER tees that were purchased.
More like-minded organisations had joined the cause - Special Olympics Singapore, Foopak, Sustainable Office Solutions (SOS), Allianz Global Investors, ALBA E-Waste - not to mention our long-time partners, SEC and Tzu Chi Foundation.
I’m excited to grow this ecosystem of partnerships and influence more, young and old, to use this sport to achieve a healthier and sustainable future together, leveraging real-world sustainable changes. I’m already looking forward to a bigger and better IER 2025!
#IncomeInsurance #IncomeEcoRun