Some big breakthroughs in life happen through significant milestones, such as getting your first job, place, getting married, or having your first child. But if you spend time with runners, you realize that a lot of progress also happens with the simple things, such as miles. Every mile run is an achievement, which can eventually become a lifestyle.
It’s the simple things that Steve Wittek, President of Sustainability and Business Development for Sneakers4Good, embraces. He wasn’t chasing medals when he started running or going ultra distances. He was just a person who had done a lot of sports, sustained injuries, and decided that running would keep him mentally and physically grounded.
In short, running became a reset as his life transformed from being single to starting a family. It helps him clear his head in a busy life where he’s a family guy and has a busy career leading Sneakers4Good. Amid what could sometimes be a chaotic schedule, running and leading sneaker reuse efforts allows him to focus on impact.
Like many runners, Steve didn’t expect to fall in love with it. And he definitely didn’t expect to become an ultramarathoner. Still, he recently completed his third attempt at ultra-marathon running, a 31-mile run. His story reveals something powerful at the intersection of endurance, community, and global impact. It also helps explain why runners are in a unique position to lead the next wave of the sustainability movement.
Why Runners Naturally Lean Toward Sustainability
When people think about sustainability, they often think of lawmakers and environmental organizations leading the charge. But here’s the thing that Steve has realized in the running community. It’s a close-knit and community-driven group wherever they’re located. Runners tend to be leaders because they care about sustainability.
Runners tend to change their sneakers between 400 and 500 miles of use. Steve calls himself a bit of a “snob” because he did it at 400, 350, 300, and now rotates them at about 200 miles to keep peak performance. Through his work, he knows those running sneakers can enter the reuse economy and support environmental and sustainability efforts.
In short, when runners give away their running shoes through the Mail-In Program or a sneaker reuse program, they’re doing something amazing. First, they keep sneakers out of landfills. In turn, that’s great for the environment. And, they can also make a global impact by planting trees through Green Sneakers. (Yes, you read that right!)
The Reuse Economy: A Simple Way to Create a Big Impact
Runners are an amazing global community because they appreciate the simple things in life. Running is an excellent example of it, because it’s simply the runner and their run. But runners can also turn those miles into global impact by supporting the reuse economy. It’s a really extraordinary concept. One person’s used sneakers are another person’s “exactly what I need.”
When runners and running communities give their sneakers to legitimate reuse programs, it redirects running shoes from landfills. As we know, every pair going to landfills is a pair too many. Instead, the sneakers are redirected to more than 4,000 micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations who sell them to earn a sustainable living for their families.
So, when runners give their sneakers to these programs, as Steve says, they’re giving people a hand up. It’s an opportunity to create a meaningful circular loop for performance gear, so running shoes don’t end up in landfills when they still have life in them. In short, it’s a chance for small actions to have big outcomes.
Steve’s Advice to New Runners: Start Simple, Stay Grounded
Steve’s been doing distance running and everything in between for years. When asked for advice for new runners, he said he would share two things to help them start running through life.
1. Never Forget Your Why.
Steve’s first piece of advice to new runners is always to remember your why. Why did you start running? It’s going to get you through the tough days filled with cold, rain, sore ankles, or the day you say to yourself that you want to quit. Remembering your why will give you the mental clarity and an anchor to keep going.
2. Don’t Be Like Steve and Progress Steadily
The second piece of advice he learned the hard way, and he laughs a bit when he shares it. Don’t do what he did, which was to increase distances too much and too fast. It’ll only cause a lot of pain. Instead, increase your distance gradually by about 20-25% each week. Slow progression protects the body, builds confidence, and prevents burnout.
Running Through Life, One Simple Step at a Time
Steve’s journey in running isn’t just about sport. It’s a lens about the simple things and living a healthy life. Running teaches patience, humility, and the power of small actions that, over time, translate into big wins. When you join the running community, you not only have the chance to make new friends. You also have the opportunity to keep yourself strong, fit, and centered. And, you have the opportunity to make a global impact that reverberates.
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