Earth Run Foundation

Registration is Open!

Earth Run — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:07:49 +0000

We are pleased to announce that registration for the 2012 Virtual Earth Run is now open!

How it works:

Sign up from anywhere in the world
Choose to run 5K or 10K
Create a fundraising page and ask friends and family to donate
Anytime between June 1-4, go for a run!
Log in and tell us your finish time
See how you stack up against other Earth Runners around the world!

Best of all, registration for the Virtual Run is FREE! All proceeds from the Virtual Earth Run will go to the UN-HABITAT program, a United Nations initiative bringing socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to the world.

Click here to sign up!

Check out our Virtual Run FAQs for more information about the Virtual Run.

Ladner Elementary Earth Run

Earth Run — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:36:47 +0000

Ladner Elementary School held their second annual Earth Run on April 23, 2012, to raise funds for plants for their community garden. All 450 students participated, from kindergarten to grade 7!

Don't forget your shoelaces!

The event began with an all-school assembly, where student leaders honoured volunteers who have been caring for the garden for more than 20 years!

A Ladner Elementary Earth Runner!

All week, students collected quarters to raise money for the garden. By the end of their Earth Run, they had raised more than $100, which will be used to purchase blueberries and other plants for their garden – great work! Earth Run is thrilled to add an apple tree to Ladner Elementary’s growing school garden!

One Ladner student shares what he is doing to help our planet!

Congratulations and well done, Ladner Elementary School!

Enter a Team in the Vancouver Earth Run!

Earth Run — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:29:36 +0000

Still sore about how your office pool turned out?

Want to show off the results of your spring training?

Challenge your friends, colleagues, and coworkers to join you at the Vancouver Earth Run!

Whether you’re looking for some friendly rivalry or a great teambuilding activity, Earth Run is a great event for everyone!

In addition to being eligible for individual prizes, all teams will be entered to win a set of exclusive team prizes:

Largest team: whoever can recruit the most teammates wins!
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place team fundraisers: awarded to the three teams that raise the most money for our beneficiaries
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place team finish times: a team finish time is the sum of the team’s 4 fastest finish times

Click here to learn more and register!

Please visit our sponsorship info page to learn about additional opportunities for participating businesses.

See you in June!

Log Your Training Miles Here!

Earth Run — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:13:21 +0000

Are you a runner or walker? You can contribute your training, commuting, or other miles to help us run across the planet!

View Larger Map

Let’s turn the world green!

**Show the world what you’re running for!**

Please note that mileage totals and participant pins update daily – it may take some time for your contributions to show on the map.

Visit us at Vancouver’s EPIC Expo!

Earth Run — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:47:04 +0000

Earth Run is going to the 2012 EPIC Expo in Vancouver! We’re so excited!

EPIC features more than 300 sustainable living exhibitors, and over 20,000 visitors will be checking it out throughout the weekend – you should be one of them! Click here for a PDF map of the show and plan your day.

Be sure to visit Earth Run at booth 2427, where you can get details and sign up for any of this year’s great events. Best of all, you can participate in the Earth Run Mileage Challenge Live! Swing by our booth to find out how…

See you there!

Beneficiary Initiative: SeaChoice

Earth Run — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:49:44 +0000

This year’s theme for the Vancouver Earth Run is Oceans. The people of the Lower Mainland benefit a great deal from having the Pacific Ocean as their neigbour: mild weather, lots of room to play and fresh seafood. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Spiderman, it’s that with great power comes great responsibility. And as consumers, we are definitely responsible for ensuring that the delicious seafood we enjoy has been harvested sustainably.

Like many issues surrounding the environment, there is an incredible amount of information (and misinformation) about sustainable seafood floating around. To help sort the facts from the flotsam, five respected conservation organizations – Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Center, Living Oceans Society, and the Sierra Club of British Columbia – have joined forces to form SeaChoice, a program designed to give clear answers to Canadians about sustainable aquaculture.

SeaChoice takes a scientific approach to preparing resources that empower consumers with the knowledge of which seafood gets the thumbs up, which species are a maybe, and which little fishies you should avoid due to over-harvesting, poor management, or adverse impacts on their habitat and other species.

The SeaChoice website provides a ton of information on its assessment methods, a breakdown of the species that are most at risk and why, and a comprehensive FAQ section that includes a solid argument for closed containment aquaculture (for all you salmon fans out there). Off the web, SeaChoice offers handy, wallet-friendly seafood and sushi guides to help you pick out the most sustainable option on any menu.

Never underestimate the power of voting with your wallet. Every time you choose sustainable seafood over the fish of unknown origins, retailers, suppliers and producers take note.

Stay Motivated!

Earth Run — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:38:58 +0000

We all have good intentions when it comes to exercise, especially at the start of the new year. But as work, family, and your social life start edging their way onto your calendar, staying focused can get a little difficult. Here are a few tips that have helped keep me on the move:

1. Write down your running goals and keep track of your progress in a running diary. Seeing how far you’ve come is great motivation to keep going.

2. Plaster quotes, magazine ads and photos devoted to running around you, so when you’re not feeling motivated, there’s always reminders of why running is good for you.

3. When it’s time for your run, force yourself out the door. Once you’re outside, it’s much easier to make yourself hit the road. Even putting on your workout clothes can be enough to get you going.

4. Read lots of running magazines, which are full of information on anything from running workouts to nutrition, with stories about other runners in your community.

5. Start by building a base of running 20 minutes straight without stopping, then start doing running workouts such as tempo runs, hill runs, and fartlek runs. These specialized workouts will help you run faster.

6. When you’re about to end your run, challenge yourself to sprint the final minute or so. This will prepare you to dig deep for that finishing kick on race day.

7. Have a running mantra when workouts get tough. Mine is “I think I can, I know I can.”

8. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and replenish your fuel after each workout. My personal favorite is my green shake: two celery sticks, 2 cups of spinach, ½ cup of boathouse fresh apple juice, ½ cup of orange juice, and protein powder. Not your cup of tea? Chocolate milk, nuts, and sports drinks can also be good post-run options.

9. It’s always good to do some cross training like yoga, strength training or something fun like capoeira. The goal is to build strength in your core muscles to prevent injury, and balance out training for other parts of your body that running doesn’t work out.

10. The idea of doing a long race can be pretty intimidating. To make your training more manageable, set small goals that lead up to your big goal. Be sure to reward yourself when you accomplish your small goals!

Running on Earth 3.0

Earth Run — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:03:35 +0000

Have you heard of Earth 3.0? Scientific American came up with this term to define the global environmental transition that is currently taking place. We are gradually changing our mindset and realizing that every person’s actions have an effect. We are leaving the industrialized age – Earth 2.0 – and upgrading to a more sustainable planet.

Distance runners can be a part of this eco revolution. Being outside so much brings us closer to nature, both physically and spiritually. But we need to do our part by encouraging friends, family, and co-workers to be more environmentally conscious. Participating in eco-friendly sporting initiatives is a good way to keep both you and your planet healthy. Motivate friends to participate in Earth Run and be an agent of change!

Meet Vancouver’s Beneficiaries!

Earth Run — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:41:39 +0000

The Earth Run Foundation is pleased to announce its beneficiaries for this year’s Vancouver Earth Run!

In keeping with our 2012 theme of healthy and sustainable oceans, the David Suzuki Foundation, Surfrider Foundation, and the Young Naturalists’ Club of BC have been selected as our beneficiary partners. We are excited to be working with these three local initiatives to promote and protect our natural environment!

The David Suzuki Foundation works with government, business, and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based education, advocacy and policy work, and acting as a catalyst for the social change that today’s situation demands. The foundation addresses a wide range of environmental concerns through their environmental initiatives. Their marine programs promote ocean conservation, marine use planning, ecosystem-based management, and environmental education. They also support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture at all levels of the seafood supply chain through participation in SeaChoice.

The Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches. The Surfrider Foundation was established in 1984 and now has more than 90 chapters worldwide. The Vancouver chapter was founded in 2005. Their programs focus on marine education, eradication of plastic pollution, and watershed protection.

The Young Naturalists’ Club of BC encourages young people ages 5-14 to get out and explore nature. Their programs teach students about native plants and wildlife, and instill a sense of respect and responsibility for their surroundings. Chapters of this volunteer-led club have been active in British Columbia since 2000. They provide resources to parents and teachers like SalmonWILD, an online source of facts about wild salmon and its importance among First Nations communities and British Columbia’s ecosystems.

Why Run Vancouver?

Earth Run — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:07:08 +0000

Still not sure if you want to do this year’s Vancouver Earth Run? Here is our top 5 list of reasons why you definitely should:

5. It’s a great way to keep your New Year’s resolution
Mid-January to early February tends to be make-it-or-break-it time for those lofty New Years resolutions. THIS was going to be the year: exercise, eat well, etc etc. So instead of feeling guilty every time you get the monthly e-newsletter from that gym you never visit, how about you take a stand and commit to running the 10K at this year’s Earth Run? You too can be one of those Lycra-clad pedestrians bounding across the Burrard Bridge, or that guy in the office who gets in a “quick 5K” during lunch. Sure you can!

4. It’s going to be super fun
There’s a really good reason people sign up for events like Earth Run. Yes, there are the hyper-competitive adrenaline junkies who live for the thrill of beating everyone, everywhere, all the time. That’s nice, but for the rest of us, running with a huge group of incredibly pumped-up and positive people is a very uplifting experience. The combination of joy that comes from a hard-earned accomplishment and the good vibes from all your fellow runners is enough to make anyone want to do this sort of thing over and over.

3. You get to learn about oceans, and oceans are amazing
This year’s theme for Vancouver’s Earth Run is Oceans. If you’re lucky enough to call this city home, you may have noticed that we live pretty close to an ocean. Oceans can be scary (see also: the Titanic) but more importantly they are vital to the health of every ecosystem on the planet. Here are a couple awesome facts about oceans to get you started:

- The lowest point in the world is called Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, 36,200 feet below the surface.
- The temperature of the water next to some deep sea volcanic vents can reach 450 degrees Celsius. Even though that’s enough to parbroil their shallow water relatives, organisms such as eyeless shrimp and white-tentacled anemones call the vents home.

2. Your fundraising efforts will inspire and awe your friends
We’re not going to lie: fundraising can be a lot of work. You have to put yourself out there and declare that you care enough about something to -gasp- ask for money. But once you get past the initial awkwardness, there’s will be a subtle but noticeable transformation from armchair environmentalist to eco-visionary. You are standing up for what you believe in. You are being a positive and dynamic citizen of Earth. You rule!

1. You will be doing your part to support three awesome environmental non-profits
And speaking of money, funds raised for Earth Run will be going toward three beneficiary organizations: the David Suzuki Foundation, Surfriders Foundation, and the Young Naturalists’ Club of British Columbia. The money they receive will pay for conservation projects, research, and advocacy work that supports a healthy environment for all of us. This is important work, and you get to be a part of it!