How can runners help protect the urban biodiversity in the places they train and compete?
When training:
Stay on trails to prevent erosion. Run through the middle of the path to avoid widening it, even if it’s muddy or wet.
Leave no trace. Pack out all trash and pick up litter you see along the trail.
Respect urban wildlife. Keep noise low and never feed wild animals.
Prevent spread of invasive species. Clean your running gear regularly to remove dirt, mud, hidden insects or seeds.
Join communities. Connect your training group or running club to local groups to advocate for more green spaces, better environmental protections and cleaner air.
When racing:
Stay on the paved road at all times. Ask your supports to cheer from hard-surface viewing areas.
Carry your own hydration gear to eliminate your single-use plastic footprint.
Travel to the start and from the finish sustainably. Utilise public transport, event shuttles or carpooling.
Advocate for green races. Encourage organisers to conduct biodiversity assessments, to map sensitive habitats, to reduce single-use plastic and compost organic waste.
How to use the BENCHES biodiversity assessment tool
The BENCHES biodiversity assessment tool is now available. A new How to Use Manual provides a practical guide to getting started and making the most of it.
The manual takes users through the assessment process step by step, from creating a profile and selecting the relevant sport and ecosystem to identifying the location of a facility or event. This context matters: the tool considers proximity to protected areas and key biodiversity areas when determining the questions and weighting used in an assessment.
Users can then assess biodiversity management across four areas: their organisation, facilities, event organisation and the biodiversity pressures associated with sporting events. Assessments can be completed individually or in combination depending on what is relevant.
The manual also explains how to interpret the results and identify practical opportunities for improvement. The tool is designed to be used periodically, helping organisations track progress over time — and, for events, during both planning and post-event evaluation.
Introducing sport’s first free to use biodiversity tool
Sports organisations looking to better understand and manage their impact on nature were introduced to the new BENCHES biodiversity assessment tool during a recent webinar led by Alessio Novi of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and Barbara Rettenbacher of the International Biathlon Union.
The session explored the development of the practical new tool, offering participants an insight into the thinking behind its design and the process of creating a resource tailored to the needs of the sports sector.
Speakers also shared how project partners tested the tool in real-world settings, highlighting early lessons, challenges and opportunities identified during the pilot phase.
The webinar concluded with a practical demonstration of how the assessment works, giving participants a clear understanding of how they can use the tool to assess their own organisation’s relationship with biodiversity and identify areas for improvement.
Deliverables, Research
Sport, biodiversity and the knowledge gap: Insights from the latest BENCHES webinar
How well do sports organisations understand their relationship with biodiversity? And more importantly, how can awareness be translated into practical action? These were the central questions explored in the latest BENCHES project webinar on “Biodiversity, knowledge and awareness in sport.”
Moderated by Matthew Campelli of Touchline, the session brought together two perspectives: academic research from Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, presented by Giulia Alessandri, and practical implementation from Italian Canoe Kayak Federation, presented by Anna Merlini.
Understanding biodiversity in sport
Alessandri opened the webinar by presenting the results of a global survey conducted as part of the BENCHES project. The research sought to measure the current level of biodiversity awareness among sports organisations, examining how managers understand environmental issues and how these translate into operational practices.
The survey collected responses from 173 sports managers across five continents, representing a range of organisations from small clubs to international event organisers. The findings reveal a sector that is increasingly conscious of environmental responsibility – but still at an early stage when it comes to biodiversity.
Many organisations reported promoting environmentally responsible behaviour among staff, athletes and stakeholders. However, biodiversity often remains only superficially integrated into sustainability strategies. Actions tend to focus primarily on climate change mitigation and resource efficiency, such as reducing water or energy use, while issues like ecosystem protection, land-use change or invasive species receive less attention.
Key barriers also emerged. Managers cited financial constraints, limited staff dedicated to biodiversity management and difficulties assessing the ecological impact of sporting activities. At the same time, drivers for action include collaboration with federations, event organisers and local authorities.
Overall, the results suggest that while general environmental awareness is relatively strong, biodiversity remains a more complex and less understood area for many organisations.
From awareness to action
Merlini then presented the perspective of a national federation working to embed biodiversity into its governance and events. For sports like canoeing and kayaking, which take place directly in natural environments, ecological considerations are unavoidable.
Recent environmental assessments of international kayak events in Milan showed strong performance in areas such as waste management, mobility and food systems, but biodiversity remained the weakest dimension.
To address this gap, the federation is developing a practical nature-based initiative as part of the BENCHES project: a network of “BENCHES Points” across Italy. These are simple, geo-located butterfly flower beds created by local clubs and schools to support pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The initiative will combine ecological restoration with education, engaging thousands of students and athletes in biodiversity awareness.
The approach reflects a broader message from the webinar: sometimes small, locally adapted actions can have meaningful ecological and cultural impact.
