Culligan Announces Partnership with Bank of America Chicago Distance Series
A Chicago marathon participant holds their Culligan aluminum water bottle on race day last October. (Courtesy of Culligan International)
Culligan International announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership as Supporting Sponsor of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series.
As a proud partner, Culligan provides filtered water in sustainable aluminum bottles at the finish line and via refilling stations at the three Chicago Distance Series events, which include the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, the Bank of America Chicago 13.1 and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Together, Culligan and the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series will significantly reduce plastic pollution while ensuring runners stay hydrated with clean, great-tasting filtered water.
The bespoke aluminum bottles are a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles, which pollute the environment and can take up to 450 years to break down. In 2024, Culligan effectively offset the use of 150,000 plastic water bottles at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and this broader partnership is set to build upon that success. In 2025 alone, across the three races, Culligan and the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series will provide more than 200,000 aluminum bottles of water instead of plastic options.
"Culligan was founded in Chicago nearly 90 years ago and as we continue improving water quality for people here and around the world, it's meaningful to partner with events like those in the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series," said Scott Clawson, CEO, Culligan International. "This partnership showcases our mission in action. We're bringing cleaner, high-quality water to the local, national and international athletes who race in Chicago. And doing so in a way that reduces reliance on single-use plastic."
To effectively minimize single-use plastic at Bank of America Chicago Distance Series events, runners and spectators can expect the following efforts:
- Infinitely recyclable, co-branded aluminum bottles at the finish line for runners to reuse and recycle; aluminum has a 57% recycling rate – substantially higher than plastic's 29%
- Hydration stations for runners and fans to refill throughout the event sites to create sustainable behaviors
- Lightweight, collapsible, silicone cups that are easy-to-carry, fit seamlessly into pockets or running belts for use on race day and beyond
"We're excited to expand our partnership with Culligan as a supporting sponsor of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "Sustainability has been a pillar of our events since 2010. Partnering with Culligan allows us to reduce our reliance on single use plastics and build on our sustainability initiatives by offering refillable, infinitely recyclable aluminum water bottles at all our event finish lines."
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