The Music Run (TMR) by CIMB happening on 23 November at the National Stadium at KL Sports City will be Malaysia’s first carbon neutral mass participation event and the first sustainability themed running event in the country.
Combining the elements of music and running, TMR will take the form of a 5-kilometre and 10-kilometre running race with more than 100 speakers lining the entire Sound Track circuit, culminating in what is regarded as the world’s best finish line party. With a giant stage showcasing local bands and the renowned Live The Beat show, this fun and energetic event provides a one-of-a-kind, safe, healthy, enjoyable and sustainable experience for all participants.
Mohamed Adam Wee Abdullah, Group Chief Marketing Officer, CIMB Group said, “We are excited to be part of TMR, a great platform to raise awareness, encourage and empower participants to embrace sustainability and take action towards shaping a more responsible society. TMR ties in well with CIMB’s focus on championing the sustainability agenda as one of the key pivots in our current growth strategy. Given our firm commitment on sustainability, we have worked hard to ensure every aspect of this event is not just fun, but also sustainable.”
“Besides making the event bigger and more fun this year, we also realise the potential impact of 20,000 individuals on the environment. This is why we are making sustainability a primary focus this
year. Together with CIMB as our Presenting Partner, we are taking an active stance to achieve our sustainability goals by reducing single use plastics while also implementing an industry-leading recycling and food waste-management programme,” said Sam Middlehurst, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Music Run.
“This is made possible by teaming up with a number of remarkable ‘green’ and enterprising organisations who actively champion environmental issues. For instance, we have teamed up with YTL Group Sustainability to independently track all greenhouse gas emissions produced during the event. With the help of CIMB, the event’s emissions will be offset through an investment in a water filtration project in Indonesia that uses ceramic filters to produce safe drinking water, thus eradicating the traditional requirement to boil water prior to drinking it. This is a Gold Standard project which contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 13 - Climate Action in addition to benefitting local communities by contributing to at least two additional SDGs,” he added.
The organisers will also be working with Visionary Solutions, using proprietary technology by Sweden’s Bluewater, one of the world’s most innovative clean water solution companies, to incorporate a revolutionary water distribution system, eradicating the need for single-use plastic water bottles. Participants will have access to 100% clean and purified drinking water, and, using reusable water bottles provided by CIMB in their run pack which they can conveniently refill at stations strategically placed throughout the venue. This initiative will prevent potentially 80,000 single-use plastic water bottles from entering our landfills and oceans. Moreover, the organisers will also be eliminating more than 40,000 pieces of single-use plastic wrapping from items in participant run packs, including T-shirts and medals.
In addition to cash prizes and other goodies, race winners will also be the proud recipients of Malaysia’s first Winners’ Trophies made from recycled E-Waste provided by CIMB in collaboration with ERTH, a Malaysian company specialising in the recycling of e-waste. To date, CIMB has collected 3- tonnes of E-Waste, all of which will be recycled into the Winners’ Trophies. TMR by CIMB will also partner with Paperway to makeover its iconic “Rock Hand” giveaways using recycled cardboard, which will replace the traditional foam used in previous years. Paperway will also be supporting the event with their unique recycled cardboard tables and chairs for participants to relax at the Food Village.
Indeed, waste management will play a huge part of the event to ensure the event to be as sustainable as possible. As part of the effort to reduce, reuse and recycle waste wherever possible, the event will also see the involvement of some of the country’s most innovative green enterprises including KLEAN, which will showcase new ways to reward consumers for recycling using their “reverse-vending machines”. All recycling at the event will be handled by industry experts, iCYCLE, with dedicated recycling bins dotted across the venue. Meanwhile, all compostable food waste at the Food Village will be collected and taken to a composting facility operated by Ground Control. This nutrient rich compost will then be used by the Free Tree Society to plant trees that will be donated and replanted at local schools. Any leftover food will be accounted for by The Lost Food Project, which adopts appropriate food and hygiene standards in redistributing the food to those in need.
Participants of TMR are encouraged to do their part in order to ensure the success of this noble cause.
Among the practical ways they can contribute include car-pooling or using public transportation, including the LRT, to get to the event. Participants will also be reminded to maintain the cleanliness of the event area, while responsibly and appropriately disposing of any waste.
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