On the first Saturday of January, we started the year with a beach clean organised by the Marine Conservation Society, on an OSPAR-designated beach. Around 30 people participated in the event, and we collected nearly 50 kilograms of litter. Among the rubbish, we found a significant amount of "ghost gear," which is old fishing equipment that is particularly harmful to our ocean. The WWF call it “the deadliest form of marine plastic debris”
After the cleanup, I, the Coastline Runner, went for a short 11-kilometer run from West Beach in Littlehampton to Bognor Regis. This was my first run since undergoing surgery in mid-December, and I was pleased to have collected 85 pieces of plastic pollution during my run.
Running on shingle was much more challenging than any other terrain, and the "sshh sshh sshh" noise it made brought back memories of when I first started this initiative back in November 2021, running from Sheringham to Cley during which I grew to love running on shingle! Not this time - but when I regain fitness who knows?
Overall, it was a fantastic start to 2024, and during my run, I came up with some plans for the Coastline Runner initiative. Our goal for this year is to run 500 km, collect 5000 pieces of plastic pollution, and engage with 5 councils, schools, and local community groups. Running and reducing plastic pollution of our ocean.
Let's go!