TCS London Marathon participants turn training gear into good

As participants crossed the start line of this year’s TCS London Marathon, Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL) was on hand to ensure the event’s impact extended far beyond event day – transforming discarded clothing into vital funding for the most vulnerable across the UK.

Working in partnership with London Marathon Events (LME), SATCoL, the trading arm of The Salvation Army, led the collection of garments and warm layers at the marathon start assembly areas. SATCoL’s expertise and infrastructure in textile reuse and recycling ensures the large-scale collection operation runs seamlessly for event organisers and participants. The partnership, now in its third year, gives pre-loved training gear a second life.

This year SATCoL collected 17.5 tonnes of clothing, bringing the total over the 3 years of the partnership to 47.5 tonnes. That is the equivalent of saving 230 tonnes of avoided emissions which is the same amount of emissions generated from 120 cars travelling for a year!

The participants garments were collected by a 147-strong team of helpers and sorted at The Salvation Army’s Midlands-based Processing Centre, before redistribution. All items are resold, reused and recycled or disposed of responsibly to help raise funds for The Salvation Army’s vital work across the UK.

As part of its role as a world-leading events management company with a strong social purpose, LME’s work is centred around inspiring activity and transforming lives.

Garry Smith, Director of Mission at Salvation Army Trading Company, said: “We are extremely proud to work with London Marathon Events and to play a role at the iconic TCS London Marathon that does so much to encourage participation and transform lives.

“Clothing donations are vital in helping us raise funds to support people experiencing homelessness, those seeking new employment opportunities, or individuals working to overcome addiction, among many others. Every donation really does make a difference, and this partnership allows us to divert thousands of items away from waste streams and into good uses for people and communities across the UK.”

You can also watch the behind the scenes of our London Marathon day below.