The 1.8 Million Cup Conundrum: How Chicago Runs the World’s Greenest Marathon

Kamal Datta: Welcome back everyone to What Runs a Run podcast and to a special series on sustainability in 26.2. talk a lot about PRs and carbon plating, but today we are talking about a different kind of performance, the environment kind. When 50,000 plus runners descend on Chicago, they leave behind more than just sweat. They leave a massive footprint. Joining us is the woman who ensures that the Chicago Marathon leaves the city better than she found it. She's the Sustainability Manager at Chicago Event Management, the Compost Queen herself, Kat Morris. Kat, welcome to the pod.

Cat Morris: Thanks for having me.

Kamal Datta: So you see 50,000 sets of footprints where most of us, we see just runners, right? So how does one become the sustainability lead for one of the world's biggest marathons in the world? Was there a specific light bulb moment for you that you choose this path?

Cat Morris: The path came to me. didn't... I ran the Chicago Marathon back in 2001. And was actually the last marathon I ran. ⁓ would say what I had a conversation with the COO of Chicago Event Management, the company that produces the marathon. he said he a little help.

Kamal Datta: Alright.

Cat Morris: at the Marathon in 2015 and asked if I could help out with some of the sustainability efforts at that time. that's I got involved. I had a two hour, 200 hour contract the first year just to help out with the Marathon. yeah, ⁓ that it's got a lot The ⁓ sustainability initiatives.

Kamal Datta: ⁓ huh.

Cat Morris: launched a lot of different sustainability initiatives over the years. And yeah, it's been a lot of challenges, but a lot of successes as well.

Kamal Datta: Cool. Do you want to highlight a couple of the key initiatives that you have led over the years? Or I think it transitioned to at some point at net zero goal, I would guess, since you probably took on this role or in between.

Cat Morris: I think probably the biggest initiative, at least it seemed like at the time, ⁓ in taking the two million cups that we use ⁓ course and sure were compostable and ⁓ then them bagging them, ⁓ and composting them. That would probably the biggest thing that we instituted.

Kamal Datta: I see, I see.

Cat Morris: as far as just large scale. So we composted not just the cups. So first we had to make sure the cups were all BPI certified. And we partnered with Gatorade, who first introduced, they introduced a new cup back in 2019. And we partnered with them and used the same company that produced their cup to produce our branded cup.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I see.

Cat Morris: and to use them across the events instead of having them individually branded for specific events, we have them branded Bank of America so that we can use them across our events. ⁓ That was a change too, instead of having overages and under, you know, on some cups and not enough cups for another race, we're able to better utilize the cups that we had. And then just the process of finding a company

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: a composting company in the Chicago area that would accept 2 million cups, was a challenge because people were not convinced ⁓ we could rake them up and keep the contamination out. But by working with all the aid station captains and all the volunteers, we're able to ⁓ rake up with minimal contamination. And then of course, we throw in the, the, Gosh, how many banana peels on course that we serve, because we do serve bananas ⁓ at three or four aid stations. So making sure we collect those banana peels. And then of course, we also serve apples back at the finish line as well as bananas. So really gathering all that compost and then delivering it to a location, a composting company that can break that down. ⁓

Kamal Datta: Yeah. sleep. Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: springtime what we do, we take that finished compost and donate to community gardens are impacted by our events. ⁓

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. And I believe you call it cops to soil program or I don't know what is that an official ⁓ term for that? Okay.

Cat Morris: Yeah, call it cup oil, to me it's a bit of a misnomer because it's just it's so much more than cups.

Kamal Datta: cups right right right yeah you're so true we got close to 28 station I believe during the marathon course and I'm looking at from an outsider or the specter it looked like a gatorade colored blizzard after first wave probably a couple of ways passes with them so you take the the banana peels or whatever kind of perishable or mostly perishable stuff that you probably recycle to to a soil. And it goes to, ⁓ you the playgrounds or some other areas in the city itself. ⁓

Cat Morris: Yeah, so we actually reach out to community gardens alongside a lot of communities ⁓ we impact. For example, at our ⁓ Bank America Chicago 13.1, it runs through parks on the west side of Chicago. So we work to community gardens that are impacted our event and then donate the soil to those.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: those gardens. Yeah, so in this time we're out there and we're helping and spread the soil onto their garden beds so they can grow more nutritious plants.

Kamal Datta: ⁓ nice, so CEM does it for them. Pretty much you're spraying the... ⁓ wow, okay, okay.

Cat Morris: Correct. Correct. work with the compost company on making those deliveries then we try to get a couple volunteers out there to help out.

Kamal Datta: ⁓ okay. I see that Chicago has 83 % waste diversion rate, right, which is ⁓ % of the total waste hits the landfill. And believe this is the only program that supports that waste diversion or there are more initiatives that encompasses. ⁓

Cat Morris: So we have other initiatives, things like the wrappers. If think of all the gel wrappers on course, ⁓ and we are starting to put out bins to try to collect those, ⁓ it's kind of discard them wherever they happen to take in their gels. So you do ⁓ at...

Kamal Datta: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Right.

Cat Morris: at the locations where we pass out the gels, we do make an effort to collect those gels, gel wrappers I should say, and those are all shipped to TerraCycle. is a company that specializes ⁓ in ⁓ hard recycle waste. So they take those and make them into other types of like a hard plastic.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. ⁓ wow. ⁓

Cat Morris: Yes, we do that. So there's all the gels ⁓ course. And then we also work with TerraCycle for our snack and can't we use our snack and candy wrapper collections ⁓ the finish line. So the wrappers of some of the packaged goods that we have, we collect those that are zero waste stations. And then again, we ship those to TerraCycle as well.

Kamal Datta: Okay. Okay. I see, I see. I'm just curious, I don't know how long the partnership with TerraCycle is. Have you seen that, I'm talking about from the product side of things like ⁓ all the gels or the goods that are there, it does evolve that? you are able to easily recycle the because I know I always find it struggling right I always run with gels and I do not know whether it's recyclable or not maybe I should pay more attention at the level but have you seen that evolved that it is easier to recycle today than maybe it was five years ago?

Cat Morris: Okay. I guess I don't really see that it's easier. know TerraCycle, we've been using them ⁓ our gel wrapper collections ⁓ back to when I started. ⁓ So that's been in place for a while. I think taking that step ⁓ and collecting packaged wrappers ⁓ from the line, I those are some of the new initiatives that we've had, try to collect those.

Kamal Datta: I see. I see. Yeah.

Cat Morris: And then also collect the other things that we do collect ⁓ we recycle through Trex. Trex has a recycling program that collects, ⁓ that our heat sheets. And each actually has, it's called blankets to boards. So the blankets are actually made into Trex decking boards. So collect the heat sheets as well as all, if you think of all the pallets of materials like the,

Kamal Datta: Yeah?

Cat Morris: water, the product, everything at the finish line, we collect all that stretch wrap we include that with our heat sheets. So we collect all of that and get that all recycled. Where a lot of times that would just end up in the trash.

Kamal Datta: I see. I see, yeah, yeah, yeah. And a heat shield, can definitely see why you want to do that. Because I know I've got one and I still have it from Chicago Marathon that I hold onto it. kind of as a little treasure for me and for a lot of runners, I would guess.

Cat Morris: What was kind of cool is at the start line, we do see some people bringing those heat sheets back and they use a heat sheet from a prior year or from a lot of times from different races. And we're able to collect those and then we have to. And then some people bring mylar, which is another type of warming blanket, but it is not recyclable. So then we write those from the start line. But yeah.

Kamal Datta: Yeah, yeah. I see. You talked about sorting of different things. I think you should talk about the green team volunteers. I think you have a program where people can volunteer to help you sort through the trash so the strenuous don't have to.

Cat Morris: Yeah, so well, yeah, because you've run 26.2 miles and they were asking you to walk a little bit further, just a little bit further with your items and then get back to your participant bags. And so, yeah, we've got ⁓ have over 120 volunteers that are just specifically called Green Team volunteers. And we ⁓ them all along the finish line.

Kamal Datta: test. Yeah, yeah.

Cat Morris: Don Steuben is a local high school and they've been bringing their green team to our finish line since 2017. Yeah, so they have a very strong environmental club. we reached out, schools are great to work with, universities, and just bring in volunteer groups to help us in our collection efforts. And then we have a staff of over 30 volunteers.

Kamal Datta: wow.

Cat Morris: our key volunteers and event staff that help oversee all those collection efforts. ⁓ gosh, how many do we have now? ⁓ 12 zero waste stations. We actually have tents. ⁓ we encourage people just, instead of having to make a decision, they just place their waste onto ⁓ tables. ⁓ then our volunteers are behind there and they sort all the waste for them. Of course, we try to communicate.

Kamal Datta: I see. Yeah.

Cat Morris: what we're doing and why we're doing it. when they're not so tired, ⁓ have a better idea of some of the different that they can, when they walk away, ⁓ when go home, they know how to recycle their materials as well.

Kamal Datta: That's nice. Have you seen over the years any runners actually volunteer? I'll be curious. You do? ⁓ okay, okay. That's good to know. That's good to know. As you're talking about the finish line, I don't know if you want to mention about the Collegian Partnership that you have.

Cat Morris: Mm hmm. Was very excited. Yes. Colligan we partnered in 2024. They came in and they partnered with the Chicago Marathon and the Chicago Bulls. Yeah, so they yeah, so we're very excited to have the Colligan partnership. They've been great partners and they've worked with us on our water refill stations as well. We have.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. ⁓ okay. Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: They brought in some water refill stations and now we're working with them on different ways of setting up and utilizing those water refill stations in the park in other areas. ⁓

Kamal Datta: That's great. Yeah, I know it's to get a lot of plastic bottles. it's great to see that, you know, there's initiative not to carry that, the plastic bottles out of the, you know, oh yeah, here you go. I ran in 2022. I don't think I got that at that time, but yeah, I've seen, I think New York also started that now, a lot of other races too, because I think I've seen that in last year. Oh, cool.

Cat Morris: Yeah, they're great. I reuse mine all the time. it's not just a prop sitting at my desk.

Kamal Datta: Now that's awesome. Let's switch gear to carbon footprint and the travel paradox. So this is usually the elephant in the room, right? Scope 3 emission. ⁓ Chicago being one of the world's largest marathons and world marathon majors. It's a lot of people's bucket list that they want to run. So you're flying people from, I think, 100 plus countries or some maybe more. That's a carbon spike. Let's switch gear to the carbon footprint the travel paradox. So this is usually the elephant in the room, right? Scope 3 emission. ⁓ Chicago being one of the world's largest marathons and world marathon majors. It's a lot of people's bucket list that they want to run. So you're flying people from, I think, 100 plus countries or some maybe more. That's a massive carbon spike.

Cat Morris: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Kamal Datta: Now, how do you reconcile the international bucket list nature of the race with your goals, like for the carbon goals or sustainability goals? Because it's a very tough balance, right? Now, how do you reconcile the international bucket list nature of the race with your goals, like for the carbon goals or sustainability goals? Because it's a very tough balance, right?

Cat Morris: Yeah, we do. We definitely have to factor that in. It's a huge part of our emissions. It's over 95. It's probably 98 % of our emissions from our events are from the travel footprint of our participants. I want to say we're in the neighborhood of 34,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions for participant travel and everything else is Yeah, we do. We definitely have to factor that in. It's a huge part of our emissions. It's over 95. It's probably 98 % of our emissions from our events are from the travel footprint of our participants. It's a lot. I want to say we're in the neighborhood of 34,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions for participant travel and everything else is

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Yeah. I see. I see. I see.

Cat Morris: in the single or double digits. in the single or double digits.

Kamal Datta: I see, I see.

Cat Morris: Yeah, so it is a ⁓ big number, Yeah, so it is a ⁓ big number, but I mean, obviously we value every participant that comes to our events. The international travel brings a lot of opportunities to Chicago businesses as well. mean, ⁓ everyone that comes obviously contributes to the Chicago economy. ⁓ We do publish economic impact ⁓

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: It's all a balance, right? ⁓ So we do encourage people to use the CTA, the Chicago Transit system, ⁓ ⁓ with the Chicago Transit system. They actually add extra lines, Metra, the commuter system from the suburbs. They add ⁓ lines to make sure that they can transport all the people from the airport or from the suburbs to the Marathon Start Line.

Kamal Datta: Correct. Yeah. I see.

Cat Morris: We work very closely with those partners to make sure that we can get people here sustainable possible and not having everybody try to drive or use into the city as well.

Kamal Datta: That's great. Are there other initiatives for carbon offset? I know this is a massive footprint as we mentioned right over 95 % Are there other initiatives that at Chicago? Marathon that you are taking on to offset

Cat Morris: Yes, we, we, um, in 2019, we, um, the bank of America, Chicago marathon signed on to the UN sports for climate action framework. And since that time, the developed goals, um, one of them being, um, by 2030, reducing our emissions by 50%. Um, we're committed to doing that. We've, um, reduced our emissions for the marathon by, um, we, um, the bank of America, Chicago marathon signed on to the UN sports for climate action framework. And since that time, the developed goals, um, one of them being, um, by 2030, reducing our emissions by 50%. Um, we're committed to doing that.

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

Cat Morris: We actually reduced our fuel use by 30 % or 60 % the diesel fuel use at the marathon because we're reliant on generators for our, you know, to produce our entire event because we're all outside the exhibition of the expo. So working with our partners, working with Sunbelt to provide battery energy storage systems and

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Right.

Cat Morris: and like hybrid ⁓ on site. And want to reduce our use of diesel fuel by over 60 % of the marathon last year. So those types of initiatives are really helping us ⁓ get those reductions on our scope one and our scope two, but yeah, our scope three, ⁓ participant travel.

Kamal Datta: I see. ⁓ nice.

Cat Morris: So we, in 2025, we partnered with the land conservancy in McHenry County to reduce our climate impact for all the Chicago Distance Series events. And what that is, we're investing in local forest preservation through the purchase of carbon credits. So we're supporting two other tree.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. I see. Mm-hmm. I see.

Cat Morris: tree preservation projects in the McHenry County, which is part of the metropolitan area of Chicago.

Kamal Datta: I see. I see.

Cat Morris: So yeah, we're making and supporting those efforts. in 2025, we were able to reduce our participant emissions by 25%. Yeah, so we're very excited about that and we'll continue to work on that to get to that 50 % by 2030.

Kamal Datta: Oh, okay. So you're a ha- Nice, that's good to know. And I believe you also have EV vehicles as the lead vehicles or the vehicles used in the event.

Cat Morris: Yeah, we've been using, we work with Kia, our partner, and they supply the electric vehicles. then some of our, don't remember what to call, but some of the other camera vehicles on course are also EV. So we are seeing the switch to EV. We have a partner that for

Kamal Datta: Okay.

Cat Morris: transportation. any transportation we need to transport participants on course. ⁓ of those buses are now electric vehicles as well. Those be participants that help getting back to the finish line. ⁓ So we have ⁓ like a called our runner transport system. So some of those buses are

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. I see, I see.

Cat Morris: electric now so we do we are working with partners that are able to help us support our initiatives as well.

Kamal Datta: ⁓ nice, I don't know, does a lot of folks take the transport to the start line? Option?

Cat Morris: No, this is actually like if you're injured on course, we're here to transport you. So that's just all part of our runner transport system. We use it to transport our medical staff out to the different medical tents out on course as well.

Kamal Datta: ⁓ okay, okay. I got it, okay. Makes sense, makes sense. Now, one of the ideas when I was chatting with Kate Chapman of London, mentioned ⁓ about one of the things that they consider offsetting the carbon footprint, especially people who traveling overseas, is the carbon levy, right? They put on, ⁓ 26 pound ⁓ London Marathon. ⁓ Chicago considering something like that, or is it already in place?

Cat Morris: Great. We do not currently, no, we don't charge a levy or any fee for that.

Kamal Datta: I see, Because I think another part is that opt in or opt out, no, not opt in, opt out of the swags. Is also a consideration in Chicago Marathon?

Cat Morris: We've considered it and we're looking at it. A lot of it has to do with just ordering timeframes and

Kamal Datta: Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Cat Morris: Yeah.

Kamal Datta: That's good. You know, if I'm running and Chicago being the bucket list and I, I, that's how I'll be curious if we have that option, how many people would have actually chosen that option? Because I do wear like yesterday evening, I was in the gym, I was wearing my Chicago t-shirt and running in the gym. So 2022 is almost four years I'm holding it to it still, still. They do be curious to see how actually choose it. Yeah. If I'm running Chicago for like 10, 15 years, maybe I'll not. ⁓

Cat Morris: Thank

Kamal Datta: I say I don't need another one swag, but yeah, I'm curious to how the numbers looks like if you give that option to folks. Yeah.

Cat Morris: Yeah, I mean, I've heard that. So if I've heard that the events that do offer that it's been, it's not been. And then, but then of course it also is as events producers, as we continue to offer these options that I think there's, get additional buy-in each year. So there is that to look at as well.

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but it also, as you pointed out, the logistical challenge because you have, you went up the scale, need to prep for months and months in advance. like if you're giving that option and if you expect that it's coming in towards the end of cycle, maybe in a couple of months, still it's a logistical challenge. How do you honor those choices? So yeah, it would be interesting as it's problem. I want to do offer that.

Cat Morris: Yeah, so like one of the things we do like for our metals, I think most people want their metals and so we don't have an opt out of that but we have made taken measures to make sure that the ribbons are 100 % recycled PET the metals and software 100 % recycled zinc alloy switch back in 2024.

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Mm-hmm. I see.

Cat Morris: So taking, are things that we can do that reduces our impact because we're reducing our emissions by doing that.

Kamal Datta: I see, I see. Moving on to another topic on the social side of the sustainability initiatives. I think this is the byproduct of all the work that you are doing at CEM, okay, CAD. So to me, I think I'm looking at the numbers that is publicly available. Chicago Marathon runs through 77 neighborhoods, I believe, in the city. And that's a lot of areas you need to manage to make sure that you you leave it as you found it, right? And from a numbers point of view, I think I see that 12,000 pounds of food are left over recovery. More than 50,000 pounds of discarded clothing.

Cat Morris: Mm-hmm.

Kamal Datta: And then from an economic impact on this neighborhood, so you're talking about, I think this is published number, 683 million injected into the local economy. I mean, it's just a huge feat to balance out. And I don't know what's your take on there, your role, and then you play.

Cat Morris: Well, nothing makes me happier than to be able to give food away. So, no food waste has always been a big passion of mine. So we have the food recovery systems in place, not only for the event itself. all the, yeah, the finish line product we, Chicago, greater Chicago food depository comes in and with their trucks ⁓ and we those up right after the finishers. ⁓

Kamal Datta: That's good. Great.

Cat Morris: are passed the finish line. So we do take care and make sure we get that product because we, you want to run out of product at the finish line. Like, sorry, this is the last banana. You can't have it, you know. So, so yeah, we, always make sure that we have enough food ⁓ and, and rather have excess and being able to donate that because that does go to all the local food pantries throughout Chicago.

Kamal Datta: Yeah.

Cat Morris: the Chicago, the Greater Chicago Food Depository being the largest food bank in Chicago. And then they distribute it ⁓ their networks. ⁓ also work on ⁓ recovery for all the event staff meals that we feed. So if you think about it, we've got hundreds of people setting up for the marathon in the days leading up to the event. ⁓ And feed those people, we feed them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. any leftovers, remaining food from ⁓ events. We make sure that all that food gets distributed. Again, it's usually me because ⁓ my passion, but make sure it's all packaged and then I take it to a local, like the...

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: Fight to Feed is one of the ones I use, Pacific Garden Missions, another one that will accept to donate a food and it's all very close to the event. So I'm able to just drop it off and work with the local organizations that make sure that people that need food get fed.

Kamal Datta: Nice. That's great to know. This is definitely great initiative, making sure, you know, every aspect of it, taking care of to benefit the neighborhoods or the society, you know, the social, the folks of who people who are volunteering is actually benefited. You know, I know the scale volunteering in these events can be massive to make sure that, you know, those people are there to volunteer, but ⁓ the is taken care of. That's a great feeling for sure. ⁓

Cat Morris: I mean, there's something else just on that whole note. So we also feed for our volunteers course that are at the aid stations that have really long shifts. We ⁓ with the local businesses in the neighborhood. So ⁓ criteria, local, well as some other criteria on selecting our restaurants. And we actually

Kamal Datta: Yeah, yeah. ⁓ okay.

Cat Morris: purchase the food and then make sure that our volunteers are fed because they can't get away. ⁓

Kamal Datta: Right, yeah. Because they have to be there, or they're there, because that's what they signed up for. Yeah, that's great.

Cat Morris: So we work closely with local restaurants to make sure that they get that as well.

Kamal Datta: That's great. That's good to know. Now let's move to a called what I can do as a runner, like the sustainable side. someone was listening to this conversation got inspired like, OK, Chicago Event Management, the management is doing so much to make sure that the race is sustainable. What would be your tips to a person who will say, hey, what can I do as a sustainable runner? What could be my? or what would be your couple of to someone like me say, hey, you want to run Chicago? They said, this is your part you should be doing.

Cat Morris: Yeah, I think one of the things I'd like to see more of ⁓ ⁓ carrying own hydration flask, whether it be a handheld or on a belt or however you want to carry it. There's a ⁓ hydration that pockets the front ⁓ for something like that. That's way I used to. train when I was training for marathons and also knowing where the local water fountains are. Yeah, so to me, if you can bring your own hydration, then you're eliminating us ⁓ providing cups then, I mean, it's great that we're using compostable cups and they all get composted, ⁓ but that's a material that we're using. So if ⁓ some of can be replaced by

Kamal Datta: Yeah.

Cat Morris: using our hydration because ⁓ do offer refill stations on course. ⁓ I ⁓ saw quite a bit ⁓ quite a number of people at the start line hydration in Grant Park ⁓ coming with their reusable bottles and ⁓ using So we were filling up the reusable bottles either through the water filling stations.

Kamal Datta: I see. Hmm.

Cat Morris: that are located right by the start hydration. So people can be more, less dependent upon having to stand in line to get a cup and go fill up. I like that. I think giving consideration to the clothing that you bring to the event. ⁓ If ⁓ ⁓

Kamal Datta: Right. That's a great tip ⁓ for sure. Yeah. Yeah.

Cat Morris: look at the temperatures, how long are you really going to be outside the start line. And I'm talking about the start line clothing. ⁓ It's over a pound a person of clothing that's dropped at our start line. So is that something that you can ⁓ at gear check? Is that something that ⁓ need? Can you use? And instead of going out and buying a brand new piece, ⁓

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Cat Morris: merchandise contributing to fast fashion? Is it something that you already have in your wardrobe that you're looking to, that you're willing to donate knowing that we collect all the clothing and donate it? Or is, can you go pick up something in your local thrift store if that's, if there's nothing in your wardrobe that you want to give up? So those are just my tips for making our clothing collection a little bit more sustainable.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Right. And especially not good those, the thermal or the warm blanket that you cannot recycle. I think you mentioned that that of them are not recyclable, right? ⁓ Especially the ones. ⁓ Yeah.

Cat Morris: And I'll just, yeah. And we're happy to, like, if you bring those, we're happy to see through those. do that every year as well. yeah.

Kamal Datta: Cool. Is there an initiative related to plugging at Chicago Marathon? I know I was talking to Elliot, New York City. I think they have a plugging event. Is something there at Chicago as well?

Cat Morris: We do, we introduced plugging in 2024 at the Chicago Marathon. We hosted the day after the marathon because that's Indigenous People's Day. So a lot of people have that Monday off. So we hosted on the day following. It's at nine o'clock in the morning. And what's nice about that, we're not asking people to go run another marathon.

Kamal Datta: Okay. ⁓ okay. I see. Hahaha

Cat Morris: ⁓ whatever pace that you're able to manage. And the course itself is 3K, which is 1.86 miles. Sometimes we've had it now two years in a row. And we also offer it now at all of the distance series events. ⁓ Shuffle in Chicago 13.1.

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Mm-hmm. I see. ⁓ nice.

Cat Morris: Yeah, it's great. mean, because really what I see it as, it's just as it's kind of a way that people can give back to the city of Chicago. Because we're opening or, you know, they're opening the doors for for us to take over the city for that weekend, and then just kind of give back to the city that gives so much to us. And then it's also think it is ⁓ participating in it, it's something

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Cat Morris: Like once you do it, you're like, ⁓ this is great. you're thinking, ⁓ I'm picking up trash. But, but really ⁓ have, you know, little grabbers that you can use or, and of course provide gloves and we don't ask you to pick up anything that would be dangerous to pick up like broken glass. yeah, just through and, and, ⁓ and ⁓ you just keep Chicago beautiful, but keeping your neighborhood beautiful. That's something that, that anyone can take back.

Kamal Datta: Yeah, yeah. Right.

Cat Morris: their own communities and work with someone to set their own local plugging events. They add it to one of the, you know, if they're in a run club, maybe they add it, you know, once a month or once every other month to what they're doing as a run club. It's just a way to really and care for the environment that you're running through.

Kamal Datta: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's nice. Have you seen the participation? I don't know if you want to share anything that you have seen. It's growing and a lot of people are interested in that event.

Cat Morris: Yeah, so first year we had it. 2024 we had 12 participants and last year we had 40.

Kamal Datta: Okay. ⁓ nice, nice. And it is day after the race. So yeah, it is interesting to see enough people actually recovering, especially the runners. Like I'm sure anyone can volunteer for ⁓ runners who are volunteering. It would be interesting to see ⁓ growing and actually participate there. ⁓ That's ⁓

Cat Morris: So yes, we... Yeah, it was, I remember the first year there was someone there that was very disappointed ⁓ her performance at the marathon. But I think coming out and joining us, she really felt like supported ⁓ in here by her, she came to Chicago by herself and didn't have a big network of people ⁓ her. And I think even though we have lovely volunteers that were all, ⁓ you finished, ⁓ having that.

Kamal Datta: I see. Yeah.

Cat Morris: that additional support the next day was so key and important to her.

Kamal Datta: Nice. Yeah, that's a lot of meaning too. Yeah, as well, over the weekend for sure. All right, Kat, so we are almost at the finish line. I think I call it the rapid fire round. So it will be a couple of questions and I'll it in related to your background and your expertise

Cat Morris: Thank

Kamal Datta: first one, early run or late night waste ⁓ audit.

Cat Morris: Late night waste audit. don't like to run early. I don't like to do anything early, so I'm not an early bird. I don't get the worm in the morning.

Kamal Datta: surprising thing you found in a Chicago marathon recycling bin.

Cat Morris: There's so many things we find in the bins that don't belong. I can't say that I'm surprised by anything I find.

Kamal Datta: I see, I see. Anything particular that want to share?

Cat Morris: I just, I find... you know, people throw their dog waste, like bags in there, yeah, like anything. I mean, there's everything in there. So there's a reason we wear gloves when we sort through it.

Kamal Datta: Really? Okay. Makes sense. Makes total sense. one, paper race maps or digital apps?

Cat Morris: digital apps.

Kamal Datta: for sure. Favorite Chicago neighborhood to run through.

Cat Morris: That's a tough one. There's so many great neighborhoods. My favorite place to run ⁓ just on the Chicago Lake front. It doesn't matter what neighborhood I'm in because it runs through so many different neighborhoods, but that would be my favorite place. ⁓ my second favorite place, because I have to name it, is the 606. It's a new trail. It's an old raised ⁓ railroad bed that they've turned into like a nature trail ⁓ has the soft kind of cushioning rubber for the people that run and then is also a cycling path as well.

Kamal Datta: It's called 606.

Cat Morris: It's called the 606 and it's a mile from my house so I can easily walk, jog there and then run.

Kamal Datta: Very nice. one, post-wrest snack, banana or protein bar. That should easy one.

Cat Morris: Banana.

Kamal Datta: One word to describe the smell of 50,000 pounds of discarded start line clothing.

Cat Morris: Ew. Is that a word?

Kamal Datta: I guess it is. Because I'm sure there's a ton of them come to your mind. probably the obvious one.

Cat Morris: That's the safest one I have. How about that?

Kamal Datta: All right, all right. Next one, a personal best time or a 90 % waste diversion rate. ⁓ Remember, you already at 83%, so it's not a big ⁓ stretch.

Cat Morris: Well, I'm well past my personal best. Those happened many, moons ago. So I will definitely go with the 90 % wasted version.

Kamal Datta: All right. The next one would be, you see a 100 % zero waste world in a Major in our lifetime? Is it even realistic?

Cat Morris: I think we'd have to, I guess with some parameters, Perhaps see that maybe in your lifetime, maybe not in mine. hopeful that that don't see climate ⁓ as them realize climate impacts everyone, or change impacts everyone, and that our collective effort

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Cat Morris: and our collective actions do make a difference, whether we're sure that we don't. buy extra gear that we don't need, whether it's going to your local government and advocating that less plastic is away or used or whatever measures that people can do to incorporate ⁓ environmental issues into their life. ⁓ I should say environmental action into their life.

Kamal Datta: Mm-hmm. Yeah. You know you talk about buying or be mindful on buying gears. Actually, I'm talking to Damien Hall next week and I actually have picked up his book and ⁓ become ⁓ conscious now in terms of the gears that, you know, ⁓ far you can take them, right? So ⁓ interesting. I'm looking forward to have this conversation. I think obviously it's created and that activism point of view. But a... learning and it's actionable learning for anyone in this space. I mean, it can be of your life to not only running, related to running too overall. ⁓ yeah, that's ⁓ to know and thank you for sharing that. To close up, ⁓ Chicago reached the evergreen status. What is after that? there anything else after? Because that's the best you can achieve. ⁓ I Chicago is one of the few races that have ever achieved that status. ⁓ next after that?

Cat Morris: ⁓ I really think it's just like what else can we be doing because Evergreen is just a number. It's There's always room for improvement. There's always room for improvement. I'd say that. And then the other thing, we are undergoing organizational certification.

Kamal Datta: So it's beyond maybe the big races that across all the events that CEM puts together. Okay, okay. ⁓ okay, that's good to know. Well, Kat, thank you so much. Thanks for showing us that running a run also means preserving the path to our listeners next time you drop a cup. Remember there is a massive team.

Cat Morris: correct.

Kamal Datta: making sure that the cup becomes a garden in 12 months. So see you at the finish line and thank you Kat so much for sharing everything or the great work you're doing at CEM. ⁓

Cat Morris: Well, thank you so much for having me.