How a relay from the UK to Egypt is highlighting local climate action – and breaking records in the process
Fiona Stainer
It’s only a few months until world leaders and policymakers descend on Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt for the latest round of global climate negotiations – but in addition to COP27, this well-known resort may turn out to be the site of an unexpected world record.
Running Out of Time
Not content with last year’s feat of walking the 510km from London to COP26 in Glasgow, UK charity Carbon Copy have raised the bar for COP27, teaming up with The World Relay to stage the longest non-stop relay ever attempted. The Running Out of Time relay will cover the 7,700km from Glasgow to Sharm El-Sheikh, all in the name of climate action – and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
How will the Running Out of Time relay work?
The relay is a mass participation event where anyone can join in one of the 726 ten-kilometre (six-mile) stages along the route. The event starts on 30th September and will take participants through a whopping 18 countries, finishing in time for the start of COP27 in early November. As with a traditional relay, runners will carry a relay baton, but this is no ordinary baton: inside will be video messages from young people that will be delivered to world leaders at the COP27 closing ceremony.
What does the Running Out of Time relay hope to achieve?
The Running Out of Time event is designed to be ‘large enough and local enough that everyone feels they can join in,’ explains Ric Casale, co-founder of Carbon Copy. As a charity committed to galvanising and celebrating local action on climate, Carbon Copy has shaped the route to allow participants and supporters to learn about inspiring climate action projects along the way. Over the course of the relay the baton will visit hundreds of schools, at-risk locations, and low-carbon projects to inspire and champion local climate action.
‘Climate change is hitting home, wherever you live,’ emphasises Casale. ‘If you are close to the problem, you are necessarily close to the solutions too. We are here, we are many, and we are important to this moment.’
How can I get involved?
Itching to dust off your running shoes, or just curious to hear more about climate action in your area? Whether or not you consider yourself the next Mo Farah, there are plenty of ways to get involved in Running Out of Time.
- Sign up. Run a leg of the relay (10km)
- Show up. Join Carbon Copy or local climate action project leaders at a baton exchange and help highlight environmental issues.
- Support. Share your own local climate action initiative, from anywhere in the UK, via Carbon Copy’s website – or find out what’s happening in your area and join in.
If you do sign up to run, keep an eye out for Team Greenhouse limbering up on the start lines in London and Bristol, always ready to go the extra mile in the name of climate action…!
‘Extraordinary change requires extraordinary effort - it’s everything Running Out of Time is about,’ says Relay Director Danny Bent.
‘We want everyone that’s passionate about climate change and our planet to sign up for a stage of the relay and help us deliver a powerful message about climate action, with so much support that it is impossible to ignore.’
