NYC Marathon Clothing Donation

More than 86,000 pounds of clothing were donated to Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey this year during the New York City Marathon. You’re probably already thinking that this is a huge amount of clothes being shed before the race, but in colder years it’s usually more than double that amount. 

Runners layer up the morning of the marathon to ensure they’re ready to run. Because the runners can’t bring a bag with extra layers, there ends up being a lot of pieces that are taken off mid run. The pieces are then collected and donated! 

While some runners show up in cheap sweats in order to not lose any of their favorite clothing, and others dress up in some quirkier outfits. A 72-year runner wore a Christmas onesie, because she knew it’d be something exciting for someone to find at Goodwill. Some runners show up in extravagant outfits with the intention of keeping them on the whole 26.2 miles. 

Here at The Edge, we stand by the thought of wearing something trendy or fashion-forward in hopes that it’ll end up in the hands of someone who’s excited and thankful to have that piece of clothing in their closet. While it’s not super common for someone to show up wearing layers of designer clothing, every once in a while something with more value than sweatpants ends up in the donation bin. We think that’s the fun in 50,000 people having to donate their clothes at the same time.

This is a big step in reducing the amount of waste that is caused by the fashion industry. Ninety-two million tons of clothing ends up in landfills each year, and the textile industry is responsible for more than five percent of greenhouse gasses. Shopping at thrift stores occasionally helps reduce waste and plus, you never know when you might find something worn by a NYC marathon runner!