Running News Daily

It probably won't surprise you, a runner, a definite wearer of shoes, to learn that the shoe industry is massive (producing 24.2 billion pairs a year, massive). Also unsurprising is that with its size comes a monster amount of waste as consumers continue to buy and ditch pair after pair.

The life cycle (from material processing, manufacturing, logistics, and eventual waste) is estimated to create 30 pounds of carbon emissions for each pair of running shoes.

Running brands aren't oblivious to the problem and seem to grasp that runners are caring more and more about the environment, but aren't willing to compromise on the quality of their footwear. In fact, that's where a lot of the dissonance comes into play. To truly reduce the carbon footprint of the sneaker industry, runners need to one day rely on fewer, yet more durable shoes.

But no shoe brand wants us to buy fewer shoes. Which means, it's up to them to find another way. And this April, just in time for Earth Day, many brands are launching new (or beefing up old) footwear recycling.

Currently, 85 percent of textiles are not recycled, with the average person throwing away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles annually.

In general, recycling shoes is a complex process and depending on the materials in the shoe it might not be possible. "Footwear is difficult to recycle because most shoes are made using multiple, mixed materials which are often stitched or glued together," says Shaye DiPasquale a publicist for the recycler TerraCycle.

"There is not a lot of physical recycling of footwear that goes on," says Eric Stubin, president of Trans-Americas Textile Recycling. The majority of 'recycled' shoes and clothes are shipped places to be reused. Stubin's company processes about 10 million pounds of post-consumer textile waste from clothing, shoes, and accessories every year.

Take polyurethane foam, a material researchers from Northwestern University only recently figured out how to upcycle. "Polyurethane foam waste has historically been landfilled and burned or down-cycled for use in carpeting," said William Dichtel, who co-led the research. "Our latest work effectively removes air from polyurethane foams and remolds them into any shape. This could pave the way for industry to begin recycling polyurethane foam waste for many relevant applications." Polyurethane, which is sometimes used in the midsole of shoes does not melt even in extreme heat. Previously, it could only be shredded or compressed in ways that make the material not durable enough for other uses.

In general, when clothing is recycled it tends to go to one of these four different end destinations:

Reused and repurposed as secondhand clothing (45%)

Recycled and converted into items like reclaimed wiping rags for industrial and residential use (30%)

Recycled into post-consumer fiber for home insulation, carpet padding, and raw material for the automotive industry (20%)

Landfills (5%)

Perhaps the most notable and lauded shoe recycling program is Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe, which is available at select Nike stores. Through the program any brand of athletic shoe is collected to be turned into a Nike Grind product-tracks, courts, walkways, and playground floors made from ground sneakers. Stubin considers the Nike Grind program to be the most "robust and viable program for footwear."

Earlier this month, the sandal company Teva announced its partnership with TerraCycle through a program it's calling TevaForever. For no additional cost, customers who sign up receive a pre-paid shipping label to send their worn sandals to TerraCycle. Their goal is to also turn the used sandals into running tracks, playgrounds, and more.

TerraCycle's footwear Zero Waste Box is an option that anyone can order and fill with shoes to be recycled. According to DiPasquale the shoes will either be manually or mechanically separated into fabrics, metals, fibers, organics, and plastics. The fabrics are reused, upcycled, or recycled. The metals are smelted for reuse elsewhere. Wood or paper fibers are recycled or composted. And the plastics are melted down and turned into pellets, flakes, or other usable formats to be molded into new products or packaging.

But what if you could buy a shoe with a promise that it will be recycled, rather than looking for a solution on the back end? On, the Swiss shoe company has recently launched its Cyclon shoe subscription which promises to be a closed-loop system. For a fee of $29.99 per month you are delivered the shoes, made of castor beans. When the shoes reach the end of their life, you let On know and they will send you a new pair along with everything you need to ship the old pair back to be recycled into new products.

Because of the concept, On was awarded the 2021 ISPO Product of the Year as well as a Sustainability Achievement award.

And on Earth Day, Salomon will begin selling its Index.01 shoe in the U.S., which is already available in Europe. Like On's concept, it promises to be a circular life-cycle shoe. As long as consumers send it back, partners of Salomon will recycle the TPU and polyester into raw materials for use in other products. In Europe specifically, the TPU will be recycled into Salomon ski boots.

What about socks? An oft-forgotten item that is more than likely to end up in the landfill. Smartwool has just announced its new partnership with Material Return starting April 21. Like Nike Grind, this program involves collecting old socks (can be any brand or material, but must be clean) to be ground up and used in other products. This is your chance to get rid of those lonely single socks that, let's be honest, won't ever find their match. Find a donation center here.

4 Other Ways to Donate or Recycle Your Shoes

Donating your shoes so someone else can get use out of them is probably the best thing you can do with that old pair.

Stubin's biggest piece of advice when donating your shoes: Don't judge your shoes too harshly. "A good pair of shoes, even if a runner deems them no longer useful, can likely find a second life," he says.

Even if the charity you donate to can't re-sell the shoes to a consumer, they can still sell it to a recycler. "So if a Goodwill sells clothing to Trans-Americas, we pay them for that material. There's a market price for that material," says Stubin.

Programs like One World Running and Soles4Souls (a popular choice among running stores) collect and distribute shoes and other clothing to people who need them. To date the Soles4Souls program has found second use for over 56 million pairs of shoes. Find a donation center near you here.

Soles4Souls partners with a lot of other high profile donation programs. The North Face's Clothes the Loop program, for example, will send your shoes to that recycling leader.

[Editor's Note: You can also join our Soles4Souls shoe drive! Get all the details here and help us put your old sneakers to good use.]

Also announced this month, Nike will soon start accepting lightly worn, good condition shoes into its refurbished program for resale in 15 authorized stores. You can also check with your local running store to see if they offer any sort of similar takeback program.

Extending the life of a garment by one year can reduce its carbon footprint by 25 percent, according to the Thredup fashion footprint calculator. "So footwear that lives on and finds a second life for two to three years, conceivably reduces the carbon," says Stubin.

Recycling vs. trashing shoes is only a small fraction of the problem. Most of the carbon emissions related to running shoes happens in the manufacturing process. At the end of the day, the best thing that can be done is to buy less and make the products we do own last longer. But, as with every environmentally charged movement, we have to start somewhere and demand forward progress and innovation, while doing our part as individuals.

Kenya’s next great road-running sensation may have officially arrived.

At just 24 years old, Dennis Kipkogei delivered a breathtaking performance at the Gutenberg Mainz Half Marathon on Sunday May 10th 2026, storming to victory in a sensational course-record time of 59:14. In doing so, the emerging Kenyan star not only shattered the previous mark but also elevated the status of the German event onto the global stage of elite half marathon racing.

His remarkable run now ranks Mainz among the fastest half marathons in Germany, with only Berlin producing quicker winning times in recent years. But beyond the statistics, it was the authority, composure, and dominance of Kipkogei’s performance that captured attention.

The Kenyan crossed the finish line more than a minute ahead of the chasing pack, underlining the gulf in class between himself and the rest of the field. Fellow Kenyans Kelvin Kipruto and Jamal Kiprono completed a clean sweep of the podium, clocking 60:25 and 60:29 respectively, but the day unquestionably belonged to Kipkogei.

What makes the performance even more impressive is how rapidly the young runner is adapting to the international stage. Mainz marked only Kipkogei’s second race outside Kenya following his breakthrough appearance at the Berlin Half Marathon in March, where he finished runner-up after spending much of the race assisting with pacing duties. That performance hinted at enormous potential. His display in Mainz confirmed it.

This time there were no questions, no supporting role, and no shared spotlight. Kipkogei took command of the race with maturity far beyond his years, producing a fearless front-running display that signaled the arrival of a serious contender in global distance running.

His 59:14 performance now places him among the fastest half marathon runners in the world this season and strengthens Kenya’s already rich legacy in long-distance road racing. More importantly, it suggests that Dennis Kipkogei possesses the rare combination of speed, endurance, and tactical intelligence required to become one of the sport’s future headline names.

For German road racing, it was a historic morning. For Dennis Kipkogei, it may prove to be the moment the world truly took notice.

Under the dazzling lights of Shanghai, Shericka Jackson reminded the athletics world exactly why she remains one of the most feared women in sprinting. In a fiercely competitive women’s 200 metres packed with elite talent, the Jamaican superstar stormed to victory in a commanding 22.07 seconds, delivering one of the strongest statements of the early season.

With a legal +0.3 wind behind the field, Jackson looked sharp, composed, and devastatingly efficient through every phase of the race. From the moment she attacked the curve, her trademark blend of power and relaxation separated her from the field, before she surged away in the final metres to secure an emphatic win. More than just another Diamond League success, the performance served as a clear reminder that Jackson is already building serious momentum ahead of the championship season.

The race carried additional intrigue with the long-awaited return of Shaunae Miller-Uibo to the Diamond League circuit. Competing in her first appearance at this level in three years, the Bahamian star produced an impressive run of 22.26 seconds to finish second, showing encouraging signs as she continues her comeback journey. Her presence added extra quality to an already stacked contest and elevated the atmosphere inside the stadium.

Yet the night ultimately belonged to Jackson. The double world champion did not simply win — she controlled the race with the authority of an athlete fully aware of her dominance. At this stage of the season, such a performance carries enormous significance. While many athletes are still searching for rhythm and race sharpness, Jackson already appears locked in, confident, and dangerously close to peak form.

What makes the victory even more compelling is the manner in which it was achieved. There was no visible strain, no desperate lean at the finish, only the calm assurance of a sprinter operating several levels above the field. It was the kind of performance that sends a message across the global sprinting landscape: Shericka Jackson is not easing into the season — she is attacking it.

As the road toward the major championships continues, Shanghai may well be remembered as the night Jackson officially announced her intentions to the world. If this performance is an indication of what is to come, the women’s sprint scene could be heading toward another season dominated by Jamaican brilliance.

Just four days after celebrating his 28th birthday, South African sprint star Gift Leotlela handed himself the perfect present — a sensational victory in the men’s 100 metres at the Shanghai Diamond League.

Leotlela stormed to victory in a blistering 9.97 seconds, edging one of the strongest sprint fields of the season in a race that was decided by the narrowest of margins. Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala crossed the line in 9.98, matching the time of American sprint sensation Kenny Bednarek, who settled for third after a dramatic finish.

The race delivered elite-level drama from start to finish, with American star Trayvon Bromell and Australia’s Lachie Kennedy both clocking 10.01 to finish fourth and fifth respectively in one of the fastest and most competitive 100m contests of the year.

For Leotlela, however, the night belonged entirely to him.

The South African has quietly been building momentum throughout the season, and Shanghai now feels like confirmation that he is ready to challenge the very best consistently on the global stage. His latest triumph comes after opening his 2026 campaign with victory at the South African Championships last month, a performance that hinted at what was to come.

Now, with a sub-10 second victory against a stacked international field, Leotlela appears to be picking up exactly where he left off after his impressive fifth-place finish at last year’s World Championships.

What made the performance even more remarkable was the composure he displayed under immense pressure. Against proven championship medal contenders and some of the quickest starters in the world, Leotlela stayed relaxed, executed brilliantly through the drive phase, and unleashed a powerful finish to snatch the win in the closing metres.

The result further strengthens South Africa’s growing reputation as a sprinting powerhouse and signals that Leotlela could be a major force as the season progresses toward the world’s biggest championships.

In Shanghai, the timing could not have been more poetic. Four days after turning 28, Gift Leotlela did not just celebrate a birthday — he announced himself as one of the most dangerous sprinters in the world.

The 2026 Rimi Riga Marathon produced a thrilling showcase of endurance, dominance, and elite distance running as Ethiopia’s Ayantu Kumela and Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptoo Kororia emerged victorious with commanding performances in the Latvian capital.

Kumela successfully defended her women’s crown in breathtaking fashion, delivering an even stronger display than last year to cement her growing legacy in Riga. The Ethiopian star crossed the finish line in an impressive 2:26:40, nearly two minutes faster than her previous winning performance, underlining both her consistency and remarkable progression on the marathon stage.

Running with confidence and control from the opening kilometers, Kumela gradually distanced herself from the chasing pack before powering home to a memorable back-to-back triumph. Her composed race execution and devastating late surge once again proved too strong for the elite field assembled in Riga.

Fellow Ethiopian Obse Abdeta Deme secured second place in 2:27:50, while Sadura Adawork Aberta completed an all-Ethiopian podium after clocking 2:29:05 for third.

In the men’s race, Kelvin Kiptoo Kororia produced a stunning performance of his own, delivering a masterclass that left no doubt about his superiority on the day. The Kenyan runner stormed to victory in 2:08:58, finishing with authority after an electrifying run through the streets of Riga.

Kororia looked in complete command throughout the race, maintaining a relentless rhythm before unleashing a powerful finishing stretch that thrilled spectators at the finish line. His victory was not only decisive but also symbolic of a runner operating at the peak of confidence and strength.

Ethiopia’s Getachew Kene Tufa claimed second place in 2:11:29, while Kenya’s Stephen Kipkemoi Kibor completed the podium in third after clocking 2:12:27.

With both races delivering fast times and unforgettable moments, the 2026 Rimi Riga Marathon once again lived up to its growing reputation as one of Europe’s premier road racing events. Yet above all, the spotlight belonged to Kumela and Kororia — two champions whose dominant performances transformed Riga into a stage of marathon excellence.

Kenya’s rising middle-distance sensation Emmaculate Jemutai produced one of the most remarkable performances of the Big 12 Championships, storming to two gold medals within the space of just one hour and twenty minutes in a breathtaking display of endurance, tactical brilliance, and raw determination.

Representing Kansas, Jemutai first conquered a fiercely competitive women’s 1500m field, timing her race to perfection before unleashing a devastating finishing kick to cross the line in 4:09.66. Against a stacked lineup packed with elite collegiate talent, the Kenyan star remained composed throughout the tactical contest before separating herself when it mattered most.

Her victory in the 1500m alone would have been enough to headline the day, but Jemutai was far from finished.

Barely eighty minutes later, she returned to the track for the women’s 800m final and once again delivered under pressure. Despite the physical demands of the earlier race, Jemutai showed extraordinary resilience and championship mentality, surging to another impressive triumph in 2:05.90 to complete a sensational double that left the crowd in awe.

Winning two middle-distance titles in such a short span is an exceptionally rare achievement at championship level, requiring not only elite fitness but also tactical intelligence, recovery ability, and mental toughness. Jemutai displayed all of those qualities in abundance.

The manner in which she controlled both races underlined her growing reputation as one of the most versatile and dangerous middle-distance athletes in collegiate athletics. Her ability to seamlessly transition from the tactical demands of the 1500m to the speed and intensity of the 800m showcased a runner operating at an elite level.

For Kansas Track and Field, Jemutai’s heroics marked one of the standout moments of the championships, while for Kenyan athletics, her dominant performances continue to signal the emergence of another exciting talent on the global stage.

From patience and poise in the 1500m to courage and strength in the 800m, Emmaculate Jemutai delivered a championship performance that will be remembered for a long time in Big 12 history.