A combination of the words “jogging” and plocka upp, the Swedish phrase for “pick up”, plogging is a trend that started in Sweden in 2016 and has since taken off around the globe in response to increased concerns over plastic pollution.
Now, the fitness craze has its own world championship.
Val Pellice was the setting for the unique competition, which brought together both amateur and professional athletes from all over Italy and beyond.
Fifty-five contestants ran through the area, collecting the litter that pollutes the surrounding mountains.
At the end of the eight-hour race, contestants proudly carried bags full of rubbish over the finish line.
The “ploggers” collected a total of 795 kilograms of litter, covering over 1780 kilometres of trails with an average of almost 500 grams per kilometre.
On average, the runners collected around 15 kilograms of litter each.
Contestants’ scores were calculated according to three parameters: distance, elevation gain and collected litter, converted into the equivalent of CO2 saved.
The race was followed by an awards ceremony, in which contestants were given unique medals made by Italian architect and artist, Andrea Sarzi Braga, from e-waste.
Pietro Olocco and Elena Canuto were crowned the first World Plogging Champions, with 79,980 and 75,804 points respectively.
Pietro Olocco and Elena Canuto with their medals
Massimo Staffolani was also recognised for bending down to collect litter a record 520 times.
The athlete who came from the furthest away was Pablo Criado Toca, from Spain.
Plogging groups have sprouted up all over the world, including in the UK, Italy, Finland, the US, Canada, Venezuela, Malaysia, India and even Australia.
