FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 4, 2008 - The Council for Responsible Sport, a non-profit corporation based in Portland, Oreg., has selected twelve events to take part in a pilot program which will establish standards and processes for a sustainability certification for athletic events. Triathlons were selected to represent large and small events in a variety of geographic locations, and they include both first-year and established races. The following events make up the "seedling" pilot program:

CB&I Triathlon (May 3, Woodlands, TX)
Keuka Lake Triathlon (June 8, Keuka Park, NY)
Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon in Fairmount Park (June 21-22, Philadelphia, PA)
Deschutes Dash (July 19-20, Bend, OR)
Boulder Peak Triathlon (July 20, Boulder, CO)
Urban Epic (July 26, Portland, ME)
Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon (August 31, Portland, OR)
San Francisco Triathlon (November 9, San Francisco, CA)
USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals (September 20, Forest Grove, OR)
Peregrine Charities Triathlon (September 28, Waterloo, IA)
Land Rover Pumpkinman Triathlon (October 18, Las Vegas, NV)
Marin County Triathlon (October 26, San Rafael, CA)

The Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) provides an objective, independent certification for sustainable athletic events. By defining realistic standards and providing a framework for achieving them, CRS enables event directors to incorporate environmental responsibility into their events while informing consumers which events adhere to these standards.

A set of Draft Standards is currently available for review and public comment at ResponsibleSporting.org. Publication of an initial release version will occur in early April, and the pilot program will allow CRS to develop a knowledge base of case studies, test certification processes, and further refine the standards. In 2009 certification will expand to other mass participation sports, including cycling and running events.

The Council for Responsible Sport was founded by Jeff Henderson and Jonathan Eng, with support and guidance from Portland-based non-profit Oregon Trout. Jeff Henderson is a USAT-certified race director (City of Portland Triathlon, Musselman Triathlon, Fly by Night Duathlon), official, journalist, and former pro triathlete. Jonathan Eng is a USAT-certified coach, personal fitness trainer, and triathlete.

Further information about the Council for Responsible Sport is available through the website ResponsibleSporting.org.