Going green: eco-friendly athletics events in 2026

Is it possible to venture on an athletics adventure while being kinder to the planet in the process? Yes, says Richard Thurston, who picks five events with strong sustainability credentials.

Amid increasing concerns about climate change and the effect of air travel on the environment, the focus on sustainable tourism continues to increase. Athletics is at the centre of these concerns. Participation in a global sport requires international travel, but it’s still possible to act sustainably to reduce the environmental impact of the journey. Across Europe, people are making choices to substitute air travel for more sustainable alternatives like rail, ferry and bus. 

According to the UK Government’s analysis, swapping air travel for the train can reduce an individual’s emissions by more than three-quarters. The train operator Eurostar claims even larger reductions.

Sustainable travel is becoming easier, too, with greater awareness of greener travel alternatives, and an increase in overnight rail services and high speed rail lines, which are making it faster to reach a long list of destinations. Rail travel takes you to the heart of a city, with no need to spend hours waiting at an airport.

A hardy core of Brits travelled by train to the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Across the European Union, rail travel increased nearly six per cent during 2024 – the last full year on record – driven by government policy that has stimulated environmentally friendly choices across the continent.

“There has been an upsurge in interest in train travel, driven by two things: airport and flight fatigue, and a desire to travel more sustainably,” says Mark Smith, a sustainable travel expert and founder of rail travel website seat61.com. “When people take the train, the journey becomes part of the holiday. It’s much less stressful than airports and flights, and you get to see things on the way.”

You might be thinking of heading off on your travels in the coming year so, to give you a bit of inspiration, we highlight five athletics events that will be staged across Europe in 2026, how each event can be reached sustainably – with some fun journeys and explorations along the way. 

Many of these events have introduced their own sustainability initiatives, focused on waste and water reduction, trail restoration, shared transportation and local sourcing, among other strategies, further enhancing their green credentials.

1 – A Nordic adventure

A Diamond League double with optional Arctic Circle marathon

Dates: June 7 (Stockholm, Sweden), June 10 (Oslo, Norway), June 20 (Tromsø, Norway)

Spectator experience: 5/5

Participation: 5/5 

Challenge: 3/5

Exploration: 5/5 

Length of trip: Seven days for Stockholm and Oslo. Add 12 days for the extension to the Arctic Circle 

*Ratings include Midnight Sun Marathon

The adventure starts with a Sunday evening packed full of Diamond League athletics at the 1912 Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. This ‘romantic-style’ stadium is modelled on medieval city walls and has retained its character through a turbulent history. It offers great views wherever you are seated. Check out the athletics records etched into the pavement outside on Lidingövägen.

Catch an archipelago tour, visit a museum and tuck into some Swedish meatballs before heading off to Oslo for a Diamond League double at the Bislett Games. Oslo has heritage, too, with international athletics staged here since 1924 (the first Bislett Games were held in 1965) and it’s proved a fertile ground for high performance, seeing no fewer than 70 world records.

After your Diamond League fix, head north through Norway to the Lofoten Islands for delightful mountain running trails and views of peaks and ocean.

Keep going to Tromsø in the Arctic Circle for the remote Midnight Sun marathon on midsummer weekend. There’s 24-hour daylight at that time of year, which offers the unique experience of running a marathon in the sun as the clock strikes midnight.   

Sustainable travel: The whole journey can be done flight-free. On June 6, catch the train to Hamburg (Eurostar from London to Brussels, then change at Cologne). Book a cabin on the sleeper train from Hamburg to Stockholm to arrive fresh and ready to explore the Swedish capital on June 7. A train will take you to Oslo direct from Stockholm, and then on to the railhead at Bodø for a boat to Lofoten. Two buses then take you to Tromsø for the marathon. For the return journey, a faster train route from Narvik will take you back to Stockholm.  

More info: diamondleague.com

2 Combined events in the mountains

The world’s best heptathletes and decathletes compete at the Götzis HypoMeeting 

Dates: May 30-31 2026 (Götzis, Austria)

Spectator experience: 5/5

Participation: N/A

Challenge: 1/5 

Exploration: 3/5 

Length of trip: Four days 

This unique two-day summer Alpine festival of combined events is a must-attend fixture for heptathletes and decathletes and a delight to watch. See the world’s best athletes up close as they work their way round the Mösle Stadium, tuck into some pasta in the food tent and engage the children with face painting and their own special athletics day. 

Sustainable travel:

Travel by Eurostar on May 29 from London to Paris, and then on to Götzis via Strasbourg (France), Basel and Zürich (Switzerland). On the return journey, leave some time to explore the pretty Vorarlberg region or cross the border to visit mountainous Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

More info: meeting-goetzis.at/en

3 The Hallowe’en Ultra

A gruelling ultra marathon to test the resilience of body and mind 

Dates: October 30-31 (near Båstad, Sweden)

Spectator experience: N/A

Participation: 5/5 

Challenge: 5/5 

Exploration: 3/5 

Length of trip: Six days 

For endurance athletes preparing their next big challenge, the Kullamannen has been described as “a monster” and “a slayer of strong men and women”. This 106-mile trail race in Sweden – which is part of the UTMB World Series of endurance races – is not for the faint-hearted with a DNF rate exceeding 40 per cent. Themed on the centuries-old local legend of Kullamannen, you can expect tough weather gripping rocky shores, nature reserves and technical tracks on the Kullberg Mountain. Shorter options are available, and you can share the Hallowe’en race spirit with your children by signing them up to the Kullamannen kids race on the Friday afternoon or Saturday.

Sustainable travel:

On October 28, catch the train as per the Nordic Adventure as far as Hamburg, eat dinner at one of the many restaurants in this lively Hanseatic city and rest overnight. Continue next day by train to Båstad, Sweden, changing at the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where you’ll have time to explore. Listen to talks at the expo on Friday, before taking the bus to start your fearsome trail adventure.

More info: kullamannen.utmb.world 

4 Sandy Atlantic parkrun

A pretty parkrun on a spectacular stretch of Atlantic beach 

Dates: Any Saturday – 9.30am start (Ireland)

Spectator experience: N/A

Participation: 4/5 

Challenge: 2/5 

Exploration: 4/5 

Length of trip: Three days 

One of the most picturesque parkruns in a country dotted with amazing 5km choices. An out-and-back parkrun exclusively on Inch Beach, a pretty stretch of golden sand and dunes jutting out into an Atlantic estuary on the Dingle Peninsula on the west coast of Ireland. The hardy volunteers at Inch Beach have run events in Atlantic storms before, so come prepared for rain, shine and wind. Either way, the views out to the Atlantic and across the estuary to the Iveragh peninsula are breathtaking. Stay in the nearby Irish speaking town of Dingle for great craic.

Sustainable travel:

Travel by train to Holyhead, Wales (stay overnight in Chester or Manchester if necessary) and catch the Friday morning ferry from Holyhead to Dublin Ferry Port. Then take the Irish Rail service from Dublin Heuston station to Tralee (the capital of County Kerry) and then a bus to Dingle. A bus will take you directly from Dingle to Inch Beach parkrun on the Saturday morning; on the return use the stop at Annascaul (6km), grab a lift with a friendly local or head on to lively Killarney for traditional Irish Saturday night entertainment.    

More info: parkrun.ie/inchbeach

5 Trail running with the elites

European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships 

Dates: June 5-7 (Slovenia)

Spectator experience: 2/5

Participation: 5/5 

Challenge: 4/5 

Exploration: 3/5 

Length of trip: Seven days 

The biennial European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships – the successor  to the European Mountain Running Championships – combines stunning trail and mountain running with races for both elite and recreational athletes. Open races at this third edition in Ljubljana-Kamnik are the Velika Planina uphill on June 7 (1280m of ascent) and 25km and 52km trail races on June 8. You can watch the elite athletes on all three days.

Sustainable travel:

Travel by Eurostar on Wednesday June 3 from London to Munich (via Brussels) and stay overnight in this beautiful Bavarian city. The following day, catch the train from Munich to Kamnik via Salzburg and the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. Alternatively, catch the night train from Munich to open up time to explore fascinating Ljubljana before heading to Kamnik for Thursday evening’s opening ceremony.

More info: european-athletics.com

Top tip: For all trips except Ireland, try the Global Pass from interrail.eu, selecting the number of days you require. It covers all your journeys, including getting to the Eurostar terminal in London. Some smaller additional seat reservation fees are required. For Ireland, try the Sail Rail offering from Stena Line and Irish Ferries, which offers a combined ferry and train ticket. The future of Sail Rail does however remain in doubt at the time of writing, so separate rail and ferry tickets may be required.