Paris Olympics Introduces Innovative Eco-Friendly Purple Running Track

Posted : 08 August 2024

The Stade de France stadium in Paris has introduced a revolutionary purple running track for the Olympic Games. This track, the first of its kind, is made with ground shell powder from the Mediterranean Sea, offering unique qualities never seen before. The track's creation aligns with the organizers' goal to make the Paris Olympics the most environmentally friendly Games ever, featuring renewable energy use, cardboard beds, and reduced plastic consumption alongside an enhanced vegetarian menu.

The ambitious task of reducing environmental impact is challenging, especially given the scale of the Olympics. However, the organizers aimed to set a new standard for sustainability, hoping to inspire other countries to meet their climate goals. A standout example of this commitment is the Stade de France's running track in Saint-Denis, which incorporates recycled materials. Approximately 10 million tons of waste from bivalve species are repurposed annually for various projects, including this innovative track.

Athletes worldwide are now competing on this purple track, which includes recycled shell powder from the Mediterranean, jokingly referred to as having a "chowder" smell due to its oyster content. The track results from a three-year collaboration between the Italian fishing cooperative Nieddittas and engineers at Mondo, the company behind the last 12 Olympic running tracks. The new track is considered 2% faster than the previous red rubber track used in Tokyo, with hopes for many new world records to be set in Paris.

This is the first Olympic track to be painted purple, chosen for its aesthetic appeal rather than its unique composition. The recycled shells, made of calcium carbonate, provide a flexible material that eliminates the need for new resource mining, reducing environmental impact. According to the Mondo website, the use of recycled shells offsets emissions equivalent to driving 60,000 km in a Euro 4 diesel car.

The Olympic track project highlights scientific progress and long-term economic commitment to sustainability, emphasizing transparency and responsibility. As athletes strive for peak performance, the innovative track they compete on sets a new standard for sustainable sports infrastructure, demonstrating a genuine desire for environmental change.

Paris Olympics Introduces Innovative Eco-Friendly Purple Running Track

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