3,100 Runners Drove Up Banff Half Marathon Emissions in 2025

The Banff Half Marathon’s carbon footprint grew in 2025 as participation surged, with organizers pointing to travel as the largest contributor to emissions, even as new transportation measures increased carpooling and transit use.

An emissions assessment of the 2025 event found it generated 1,598 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that combines all climate-warming gases into a single measurement, with most of that impact coming from how participants travelled to and from Banff National Park.

“The total emissions were up because we increased the number of participants in the event, hence the overall total goes up,” said Paul Regensburg, director of the Banff Half Marathon. “The average emissions per participant were similar but we still have some work to do here.”

The assessment included not only emissions from event operations, such as energy use, but also participant travel, including driving and flying to the race. Regensburg said those travel-related emissions make up the majority of the event’s footprint and are not commonly measured in the endurance sports sector.

“Very few events ever calculate their participant’s travel emission, which are always the majority of the emissions generated,” he said.

Participation rose to 3,121 runners in 2025, a 43% increase from the previous year, with organizers saying the growth drove much of the rise in emissions.

International trips increased by 33%, while car travel rose by 52%, reinforcing transportation as the primary source of emissions. At the same time, cycling participation increased by 250% and walking by 152%, suggesting a shift toward lower-impact travel among some participants.

The results highlight a challenge for destination events in Banff, where growing international participation can increase environmental impacts even as organizers introduce measures aimed at reducing them.

Participants from over 20 countries travelled to the 2025 race, with most emissions tied to transportation. Organizers say personal vehicles remain the dominant mode of travel, followed by air travel, a source they acknowledge is difficult to reduce.

To address that, the event expanded its Responsible Transportation Plan in 2025, introducing measures aimed at reducing individual vehicle trips and encouraging lower-impact travel options.

“We added same day buses from Calgary for participants which sold out along with promoting existing shuttle programs with discounts,” said Regensburg. “We encouraged carpooling with contests and incentives and had 59% of participants carpool.”

Organizers also offered free access to Roam Transit, added a bike valet and encouraged longer stays to reduce peak travel congestion. The plan was developed in part in response to congestion concerns in Banff, where officials have pushed to reduce vehicle traffic through transit, shuttle systems and car-free travel campaigns.

Regensburg said the event did not add to traffic pressures.

“Despite the increase in participation, we did not see an increase in congestion in the Town,” he said.

While organizers point to progress in changing how participants travel, they acknowledge that reducing overall emissions remains challenging, particularly for long-distance travel.

To address remaining emissions, the event uses carbon offsets, funding projects such as renewable energy or environmental initiatives to help balance emissions that cannot be reduced directly.

“Through our sponsors and participants we offset all emissions to be carbon neutral” he said. “Our philosophy is to reduce first, and offset the balance.”

The Banff Half Marathon has highlighted sustainability efforts in recent years, including initiatives to reduce waste and limit single-use materials. The event is also a participant in the United Nations Sports for Climate Action framework, a global initiative that brings together sports organizations to measure and reduce their environmental impact, and has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

Still, the 2025 results highlight the limits of those efforts as the event grows, with overall emissions rising alongside demand even as emissions per participant remain relatively stable.

For organizers, the focus in the coming years will remain on transportation.

“We need to continue to promote and implement our responsible transportation plan programs,” said Regensburg.