Volunteers pick up trash along TCS NYC Marathon course ahead of Sunday's big event

Volunteers and those running in the TCS New York City Marathon this weekend jogged around the Upper West Side on Friday to remove trash from sidewalks and streets.

It's part of New York Road Runners' commitment to sustainability made in 2019, now with a goal of having zero emissions by 2040.

Participants walk or jog with a compostable bag that they fill with litter as they go. It's called "plogging," a Swedish term combining jogging with "plocka upp," meaning "to pick up."

This is NYRR's fifth year plogging away for 1.5-2 miles ahead of the marathon.

"If we can pick up some trash while we do it, that's a win-win for the city and us," first-time participant Stacie Jefferson said.

New friends Danny Peter Smith and Gilbert Gaona had full bags.

"Lots of cigarettes," Smith said.

"Lots of New York parking tickets," Gaona said.

Former elite marathoner and sustainability advocate Tina Muir founded the nonprofit Racing for Sustainability.

"We can also do our part by taking care of the city that loves us so much," she said.

New on the marathon course this year will be five additional Culligan water refill stations, with an extra one at the finish line. Runners can also purchase lightweight reusable bottles in hopes that they'll be using fewer single-use cups along the way.

"Saving thousands of cups from going in the landfill and having an opportunity to stay hydrated. It's great for accessibility, as well, for people not tripping on the cups," said Aly Criscuolo, NYRR's head of sustainability and social responsibility.

Even if it feels like a small amount of trash is picked up, volunteers say every bit of walking or running path that they clear is a big help.

"If you don't think that one piece of trash that you're picking up doesn't matter, it matters because if everyone does one piece of trash, it's so much more," Gaona said.