2023 Has Been an Amazing Running Year

I had a great run December 3rd to finish off my running season for 2023 at the Valencia Marathon. It was truly a fast course, dense from start to finish.

This was my fourth marathon this year, I also ran in Houston, Boston, and Amsterdam. These marathons are rewarding, especially when I consider the consistent level of performance I’ve achieved since January 15th, 2023. Valencia was my 3rd best time, and my 3rd sub-3hr race of the year:

• Houston: 2:56:55

• Boston: 2:59:52

• Amsterdam: 3:06:53

• Valencia: 2:58:09

As rewarding as these races are, they are not without their cost; less time with family and friends, long training hours, the financial impact of travelling, and—to look at the bigger picture—the environmental impact of travel.

I have been inspired by the actions of Kilian Jornet, one of the greatest running athletes of all time. He has won some of the most prestigious ultramarathons, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Grand Raid, Western States, and Hardrock. Kilian Jornet has been recognised as an elite athlete since 2004 by the Catalan and Spanish sports councils, but not only is he a great athlete, he is also working towards making his running—or more accurately, the trans-continental commuting that professional running requires—more carbon neutral.

This year Kilian partnered with Climeworks to offset his carbon footprint, and I have decided to do the same for my running related travels that would not have occurred otherwise.

According to the CO2 calculator from the International Civil Aviation Organization, my total Carbon usage for the 2023 running season was 900kg of Carbon emissions and I have arranged with Climeworks to remove 900kg of CO2 from the air, making my runs almost carbon-neutral.

Now, its time to rest and enjoy the holiday season and celebrations, spending time with friends and family before starting a new training cycle in 2024.