Chiquita Brands International is sponsoring a marathon near its hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, supplying runners with bananas along the way and encouraging them to recycle the peels when they’re done.
Chiquita is the official sponsor of the Life Time Miami Marathon & Half Marathon.
Chiquita bananas will be available for marathon participants from the starting line, through the Port of Miami and all the way to the South Beach grand finish line. Once runners have eaten their bananas, they’re encouraged to support Chiquita’s sustainability initiatives by recycling the banana peel in one of several Chiquita recycling bins.
Chiquita has joined forces with the local Miami Dade College’s composting program to repurpose these banana peels as soil for garden projects around the city.
“Bananas have long been known of as a healthy and nutritious post-race snack and we are delighted to partner with such an iconic brand to keep runners fueled with the healthy sugars and energy boosting nutrients they need,” says Frankie Ruiz, chief running officer at Life Time. “Chiquita’s devotion to the planet through its new composting partnership with Miami Dade College aligns so well with our increased green initiatives this year and we are excited to have them on-board and also cheering on our runners throughout race day.”