Adidas organized a long-standing running event, called “Run for the Oceans,” at the company's new headquarters in Herzogenaurach on June 11. Roland Auschel, sales director Adidas, Harm Ohlmeyer, financial director, Gina Lückenkemper, a world-class sprinter, Sebastian Steudtner, a big wave surfer, and Ian Thorpe, the Australian swim legend, were in the first row of the run in which a total of 2,500 employees participated. Each decided how often he or she wanted to complete the four-kilometer run around Adidas' headquarters, called “World of Sports.” The “Run for the Oceans” program calls for a series of 50 runs this year in major cities worldwide, like New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, London, Milan and Tokyo. Weekly running events will also be organized in Adidas Runners communities around the world. More than one million people are expected to participate in the series. Adidas said it would match every kilometer run with a donation of $1 to the Parley Ocean Plastic Program, focusing specifically on the Parley Ocean School initiative, with a maximum cap $1.5 million. Last year, Adidas donated $1 million for Parley for the Ocean, the environmental organization with which Adidas has cooperated since 2015. In 2015, Adidas introduced the first performance shoe concept with an upper made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from marine plastic waste, in partnership with Parley for the Oceans. Adidas has announced that it will produce 11 million pairs of shoes this year with Ocean Plastic by Parley, made with plastic waste collected on beaches, remote islands and in coastal communities. Adidas plans to use only recycled polyester in its products from 2024.

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