Sustainability at DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep

As the organiser of the world’s largest long-distance triathlon, we are well aware of our responsibility around sustainability. Compared to other triathlon events of this size, the “Triathlon Dream Factory” is already a leader in this field, knowing full well this is an on-going commitment, and we have been optimizing our event’s sustainability year on year. We fully subscribe to our sustainability partner’s motto “There is no Planet B” and we know everyone has the ability to support our commitment to sustainability.

We have been working with local and regional partners since we began to minimise the transport routes both during the event and throughout the year. In addition to short distances for food and drink supplies, the triathlon stadium, for example, is built by a company that is only 1km away.

Large parts of our merchandise collection are developed and produced by RenéRosa in the Roth triathlon region and the packaging is completely plastic-free.

Shipping of the merchandise collection from our online shop is climate-neutral with DHL GoGreen.

In the last few years we have managed to reduce the finisher and volunteer shirts packaging by 90%. Leftover clothing (such as volunteer and finisher shirts) is not thrown away, but donated to aid projects for children in need in places such as Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The athlete bags are designed for multiple use and are made of durable material. The bottles on the bike course are reusable and a popular souvenir for many visitors and athletes. Cardboard cups are used on the run course and at the finish.

A free shuttle is provided for spectators on race day, taking them to key points along the course. Since 2019, the DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep lead motorbike has been electric.

The night before the race, the company "hofmann denkt" does a complete clean of the bike course to ensure the athletes have the best possible course. Immediately after the event, several "rubbish troops" ensure the hot spots and everywhere along the course are cleared of rubbish. During the expo, the rubbish bins are emptied everyday, the waste is sorted in a state-of-the-art recycling facility and then largely recycled.

For years we have appealed to all our exhibitors to take the environment and sustainability very seriously and to avoid plastic and other unnecessary packaging as much as possible.

All signs are made of wood and items such as blow-ups, banners and flags are reused annually.

For several years now, we have not used plastic dishes at the Volunteer Party nor the Bernbach Pasta Party, in favour of reusable plates and stainless steel cutlery. In the future, disposable tableware will also be provided in the Triathlon Park beer gardens.

The goody bag is digital. This means there will be no more paper or plastic flyers in the race pack (but of course you’ll still find some great gifts from our partners and sponsors).

As early as 2020, we developed an exciting and innovative project to make all the clappers and supporter materials recyclable. We’ve also addressed issues on the subject of waste separation and we look forward to implementing these and other new developments in the future.

Together with hep, our new partner for sustainability, we will continue to remain committed to sustainability now and in the future.

If you have any good sustainability initiatives, or even researching this as part of your university degree, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to an even greener DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep. There is no Planet B!

Sustainability has many facets.