84,067KM clocked to mark WORLD’S OCEANS DAY

To mark World Oceans Day, adidas harnessed the power of sport and used it as a force for change, by inviting the world to unite once again and Run for the Oceans. This year, Adidas sets two records – they united more than 5 million runners all over the globe, and 11,637 participants from Singapore, tracking their KM’s via the adidas Running app and STRAVA. adidas and Parley pledged to clean up the equivalent weight of 10 plastic bottles for every kilometre clocked this year, up to a maximum of 500,000 lbs of marine plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, and coastlines.

With Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures in place in Singapore, Run For The Oceans went full virtual. adidas aimed to incite real behavioural change by calling participants to not only clock in their miles, but to also share their own sustainability tips and habits for the benefit of the community-at-large. In just 12 days, Singapore achieved the highest ‘participation to population ratio’ in APAC with 11,637 total participants, pledged 84,067KM to the cause and 178 posts, sharing inspirations with each other on how we can all make an impact.

Returning for a fourth year between May 28 – June 8 2021, adidas and Parley’s global impact platform saw its largest participation yet. Over the four years, adidas x Parley Run for the Oceans has united over 8 million runners for the cause, clocking an aggregate of 81.6 million KMs while raising $2.5 million to help Parley develop its initiatives and educational programs in the fight against marine plastic pollution.

This is just the beginning for the global initiative. As announced as part of adidas’ strategy ‘Own the Game’ in March (2021), Run For The Oceans will be further expanded to create a more inclusive digital and physical community space. By 2025, adidas aims to achieve a cumulative participation of 40 million people.

Since 2015, adidas has made more than 30 million pairs of shoes with Parley Ocean Plastic – plastic waste intercepted on beaches and coastal communities, preventing it from polluting the oceans. But whilst progress has been made on the journey towards a more sustainable future, there is still work to be done in reducing marine plastic pollution.