CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the seventh consecutive year, Fyffes refueled participants of the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) with bananas after crossing the finish line and completing their 26.2 mile journey on Oct. 27. Fyffes – one of the largest tropical produce growers and distributors – has fueled runners with over 200,000 bananas over the course of its long-standing partnership with the MCM since 2012. In support of the MCM, the #FuelWithFyffes campaign was relaunched on Facebook and Instagram in the weeks before the marathon to motivate runners with helpful running tips as they trained to complete the course.
“Fuel with Fyffes represents a driving force that fuels and motivates runners as they prepare both physically and mentally to complete their 26.2 mile-long race,” says Marion Tabard, VP of marketing for Fyffes in North America. “After crossing the finish line, the runners fuel with Fyffes again and replenish their bodies with the Fyffes bananas that are given out by the Marines.”
In addition to distributing bananas to marathoners, Fyffes has also led the collection of banana peels as the MCM’s composting partner. Fyffes initiated the composting program in 2014 to utilize banana peels and compostable materials collected from the MCM grounds and donate the collected items to the Veteran’s Compost program. As in previous years, bright yellow Fyffes composting bins were placed throughout the Finish Line area creating a sustainable solution to reducing waste at the event. The banana peels are then handled by Arlington County Waste Management and processed into high-quality organic compost that provides critical micronutrients to soil throughout the D.C. community.
“Over the years, the composting initiative has become one of the largest composting programs at a single event. We are proud of the impact of this continued partnership as it aligns strongly with our core values and on-going commitment to sustainable practices,” says Tabard.
Notably thanks to the success of the composting program in partnership with Fyffes, the MCM has been recognized as a Gold certified event, the highest level awarded by the Council for Responsible Sport, for being socially and environmentally responsible as a world-class running event. “It’s a great partnership that brings social media energy before the event and composting efforts to benefit the environment after the run,” said Marine Corps Marathon Director Rick Nealis.
To learn more about the MCM, race-day replenishment and sustainable composting, visit http://fyffes.com/ and MarineMarathon.com, as well as Fyffes social media pages: Facebook and Instagram.
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ABOUT FYFFES
Fyffes is one of the largest and oldest tropical produce importers and distributors. With an infrastructure that reaches across the globe, Fyffes is truly an international player, involved in the production, procurement, shipping, ripening, distribution and marketing of bananas, pineapples, melons and more recently mushrooms. Since 1888, Fyffes has been committed to bringing the world the highest quality products, inspiring people to feel excitement about our brands and making a positive difference for our growers and farmers, our customers and the environment. Today, Fyffes is the largest importer of bananas in Europe and the No. 1 importer of off-shore melons in North America. In addition to tropical fruit, Fyffes is the third largest producer of mushrooms in North America. Discover more at Fyffes.com.
ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS MARATHON
The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM), known as “The People’s Marathon,” promotes physical fitness and generates community goodwill while showcasing the high standards and discipline of the United States Marine Corps. Annually ranked as one of the largest marathons in the US and the world, the MCM welcomes runners from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. The 44th MCM, coordinated by the Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO), will be held Oct 27, 2019, in Arlington, VA. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied. Connect with the Marine Corps Marathon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Flickr. #RunWithTheMarines
