20 years of organic fruit

For 20 years, the organic supplier has provided the marathon runners with fresh, organically grown fruit. Race director Jo Schindler and Querbeet founder Thomas Wolff have now extended the partnership. At a ceremony at the Pappelhof farm in Reichelsheim in the Wetterau region, Querbeet’s headquarters, they signed a new contract for another year. Also present was Hans-Georg Dannert, chairman of the Rhine-Main Environmental Forum, another important partner in Frankfurt’s pursuit of a “Green Marathon.”

Twenty years of sustainability, regional partnership, and shared commitment to running – Querbeet is one of the longest-standing partners of Germany’s oldest city marathon. Since the partnership began, the company has delivered an almost unimaginable amount of organic fruit to the marathon runners along the course and at the finish line: approximately 600,000 bananas weighing around 90,000 kilograms. Participants in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon can also expect delicious organic apples at the post-race refreshments. So far, around 200,000 apples, weighing approximately 30,000 kilograms, have been provided.

With the introduction of organic fruit in the runners’ refreshments, the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon took on a pioneering role in the field of sustainable sporting events early on. It was the first marathon to rely on organic fruit for its participants. This commitment was recognized as “Best Practice” by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, together with the German Olympic Sports Confederation.

Race Director Jo Schindler: “Our partnership with Querbeet exemplifies sustainability in elite sports. Providing athletes with organic fruit is a key pillar of our commitment to an environmentally friendly marathon. This aligns with our ambitious goal of hosting a climate-neutral Mainova Frankfurt Marathon by 2030.”

Querbeet founder Thomas Wolff: “Marathon and organic products have a perfect match – they only work sustainably. Querbeet and motion events have been working together since 2005 and have truly paved the way for organic products.”

Thomas Wolff is himself a passionate marathon runner and has participated in the 42.195-kilometer race in Frankfurt many times. The Bio-Runners, a group of athletes who actively promote sustainably produced fruits and vegetables and their wider distribution, have become an integral part of the marathon field. Often, over 100 runners compete wearing the Bio-Runners’ colors.

For its numerous actions and initiatives aimed at minimizing the event’s environmental footprint, the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon was awarded the “Green Award” by the AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Road Races) in 2014 as the world’s most environmentally friendly marathon. Since then, the organizers have invested considerable time and money in this crucial area. The classic race along the Main River continues to be considered a pioneer in the running world in this regard.