The CB&I Triathlon took place in The Woodlands, Texas for the fifth time on Saturday, May 3, 2008. The Woodlands is a planned community on the northern outskirts of Houston, Texas, home to 85,000 people and in the midst of becoming an incorporated city. The Woodlands was envisioned in 1974 by George Mitchel as an experiment in planned living, and it is still growing today (both in terms of land area and population). The development is arranged into "neighborhoods" connected by roadways, with parks and trail systems weaving throughout. Each neighborhood comes complete with a shopping center and recreation facilities, designed to eliminate the need to leave the heavily wooded and regulated community. The typical Woodlands resident is affluent (median income: $100,000), educated, and professional. The typical mode of transportation is by car; despite its emphasis on staying local and over 100 miles of paved trails, public transportation is not available and daily commuting by bike is not common.

The name of the triathlon derives from its 5-year title sponsor, Chicago Bridges & Iron, which has based its worldwide headquarters in The Woodlands, within site of the event's finish line. The greater Houston economy is heavily based on revenue from oil and gas, and many of the corporations located in The Woodlands reflect this market. Environmental stewardship or sensitivity is not as prevalent here as in other regions of the country, but the local organizing committee has nonetheless placed an emphasis on this aspect in building the triathlon. The primary local organizer is The Woodlands Parks Department, spearheaded by race director Willie Foulks. Certain zealous and committed employees of the Parks Department drive the waste minimization initiatives of the triathlon, with some support from county agencies.

The event attracted a capacity field in 2008, with 1,060 registrants. Most came from the local area, and many were repeat participants. The triathlon was sprint distance: 600-yard swim, 15.8-mile bike, and 3.1-mile run, entirely within the confines of The Woodlands.

Waste
Waste minimization was the primary environmental focus of the CB&I Triathlon. Prodded and implemented by spirited persistence from Lynne Aldrich, the event strived for "zero waste" through extensive recycling and composting. Attempts to minimize the amount and type of packaging were made, including requests made to event sponsors Sam's Club and Chik Filet to package muffins on sheets of cardboard and chicken sandwiches in recyclable "clamshell" containers, respectively. Typically the packaging is not recyclable and much bulkier. The requests were met with reluctance, but the companies complied.

Waste stations distributed throughout the race site provided highly visible disposal options, with roving Parks Department employees supervising and sorting the well-labeled trash, recycling, and compost containers. At times this supervision took the form of public scoldings, which perhaps undermined the development of public enthusiasm necessary for waste separation to work. One man, a doctor in the medical tent, was told repeatedly to compost his fistful of trash when it was clear it contained plastic gloves. He eventually gave in to frustration and relented, with the gloves entering the bin meant for compost.

Though the event was not "zero waste," it did significantly cut the amount of waste destined for the landfill. Plastic bottles, aluminum cans, paper, cardboard, and glass were recycled, while food, paper cups and plates, and some of the corn-based utensils (found only in the VIP Tent) were diverted to the local compost facility. The event produced 21 bags (945 gallons) of recyclables, 20 bags (900 gallons) of compostables, and 4 bags (180 gallons) of trash. This represents a diversion rate of 90%.

The transition area at the conclusion of the event symbolized the efforts made to reduce landfill waste. Recycling containers with instructional signs were placed inside the transition area, resulting in very few plastic bottles or cans littering the ground. Instead, discarded swim caps, paper cups, and gel wrappers formed the bulk of the litter. Even so, the amount was small and it was evident that athletes made attempts to dispose of their waste responsibly.

Climate
The gusto supplied to waste minimization did not carry over into concerns over climate. Nearly everyone drove to the event, often in large, fuel-inefficient vehicles like trucks and SUVs. Neither shuttles nor public transportation were utilized, and encouragement to carpool was not evident. The race production staff mainly used large trucks and SUVs loaned to the race by vehicle sponsor Munday Chevrolet, including a 2008 4-wheel-drive Tahoe achieving 14 miles per gallon.

Electrical energy for the timing, sound system, and other needs came from the grid via outlets located on light poles throughout the park. Extension cords transported the electricity to where it was needed.

Post-race food for athletes included pizza from Papa Johns, chicken sandwiches from Chik Filet, and bottled drinks from Glaceau and PowerAde. The pizza was made on-site in a diesel-powered cooking trailer, and the rest of the meal was hauled in from local distributors. Though attempts were made to site the diesel-powered trailer away from athletes, its proximity to the transition area guaranteed a steady supply of exhaust fumes to athletes and spectators for the duration of the event.

A curious inefficiency developed in the making of the pizzas. Workers from Papa Johns baked the pies inside the trailer kitchen on the north side of the transition area, then the finished pizzas were placed in individual cardboard boxes for transportation by electric cart to the serving tent, a distance of perhaps 200 meters. At the serving tent, event volunteers removed the pizzas from the boxes and placed individual slices on paper plates. The boxes were then discarded. Simply locating the serving area closer to the trailer, or transporting the pies on foot and reusing a smaller number of boxes, would have resulted in reduced waste.

Materials
Most equipment for the event was built from new materials, with little emphasis on recycled or reused supplies. Bike racks were constructed from new steel purchased at a steep discount from Home Depot, signs and banners were held aloft by new PVC piping anchored by cement in plastic buckets, plastic flagging lined chutes from the water to transition, and popup tents sheltered the vendors lining the post-race expo area.

Each participant received a towel made of cotton, a polyester t-shirt, and a plastic/vinyl bag at packet pickup. The bag contained paper fliers and advertisements from sponsors, as well as an issue of Competitor magazine. The contents were typically discarded by athletes into the nearest waste receptacle, with little effort made to separate the contents into trash and recycling. At the finish line, participants were handed a baseball cap featuring the race logo; it is not known if they were given the ability to decline the finisher award during the registration process. Volunteers received cotton t-shirts.

CB&I implemented a novel approach to race registration which cut down on the number of unused items purchased for athletes. Pre-race registration was paperless and online, and the event filled to capacity before raceday. Unless a request was made beforehand, athletes were required to pick up packets the day before the race. All unclaimed packets were resold the morning of the race to athletes on a waiting list, which guaranteed that supplies purchased for a certain number of participants would not be wasted.

The awards consisted of glasses emblazoned with the event logo, purchased from an out-of-state promotional item vendor, as well as products from local sponsors and cash. Most award winners stayed for the awards ceremony.

Certain items were rented, and therefore reused, for the event. At least twenty port-o-loos lined the side of the park, and some of the vendor tents were from a rental company.

Community and Outreach
The event donates a portion of its proceeds to the Woodlands Recreation Association, a non-profit organization tasked with providing events and recreational opportunities to the residents of The Woodlands. The association provides grants to low-income families not able to afford the membership fees.

Though a number of women participated, few minorities were present and there was not a youth-specific component. It is unknown whether or not handicapped athletes participated. The event's title sponsor, CB&I, uses its financial support of the triathlon to satisfy a company mandate to support local events that promote health and well-being. About 95% of the employees working at the company's headquarters in The Woodlands also live in the development.

The triathlon enjoyes a positive relationship with the Woodlands Homeowners Association, the collective which administers the rules and provides the services for the community, although in 2007 the relationship soured slightly when an out-of-state company attempted to start a new triathlon in The Woodlands. Tri One O One, under ownership in Ohio and which ultimately fizzled before an event could be held, left local officials leery of triathlons attempting to cast a wide footprint on the available resources.

Health Promotion
The swimming venue provides a perfect opportunity for promoting the health potential of a local resource. With its first discipline (the swim) held in Lake Woodlands, the triathlon is the only time during the year when swimming in the lake is allowed. Each waterfront resident must grant permission for use of the lake, and each year grumbling is heard. There are two "trial" swims held in weeks leading up to the triathlon, but aside from that, the lake is only used for recreation by the rowing club. The man-made lake is dredged by the local fire department three weeks before the event, to ensure sufficient depth for the swim.

Four announcements were made during and after the event to publicize sustainability initiatives. The Council for Responsible Sport was specifically mentioned, along with the primary goal of waste minimization through recycling and composting. Participant response was polite and generally appreciative.

Additional environmental and social sustainability initiatives may have been undertaken by organizers of the CB&I Triathlon, but documentation was not provided before the event. This is understandable due to the short period of time (four weeks) between the release of CRS Standards Version 1.0 and the event.