Papershoes will launch an 80-day environmental campaign across India on 1 October, with three endurance runners aiming to complete 80 consecutive marathons while raising awareness of plastic pollution and supporting local environmental initiatives.
The campaign will begin at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and continue through 12 locations across northern, central, southern and western India before finishing in Mumbai on 19 December.
Australian runner Michael Boag, Indian runner Nagaraju Vallala and Italian runner Matteo Aglioni will each cover 42.2 kilometres a day during the campaign. Organisers say the initiative will combine endurance running with community engagement, environmental education and waste collection activities.
The campaign has set a target of removing 80 tonnes of plastic waste during the 80-day journey. The runners will also work with schools, non-government organisations and local environmental groups to conduct clean-up activities, waste audits and environmental awareness programmes.
Papershoes says it plans to collect plastic pollution and air quality data along the route and publish findings from the campaign. A school education programme, titled BRIGHT: Pathway to a Plastic Free Future, will also be delivered in participating communities.
Boag, 53, is a long-distance runner and environmental advocate from Byron Bay in Australia. Vallala, 35, is a trekking guide from Warangal in Telangana, while Aglioni, 28, is an endurance runner from Italy.
The organisers say the campaign aims to use running as a visible way of drawing attention to plastic pollution and encouraging community participation. By travelling through a range of urban and regional locations, the team hopes to highlight local environmental efforts and the impact of waste on communities.
Plastic pollution remains a major environmental issue in India and globally, with governments, community groups and environmental organisations increasingly focusing on waste management, recycling and public awareness campaigns. Initiatives involving citizen participation and clean-up activities have become a growing part of efforts to reduce plastic waste in rivers, coastlines and urban areas.
Papershoes says the campaign is intended to demonstrate how community-led action can contribute to environmental awareness and waste reduction while documenting conditions encountered across the marathon route.
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