Sustainability begins with small steps, and during a brand change, there are plenty of opportunities to represent this approach and to turn a simple idea into a fantastic project with added value.  At Ayvens, which is a mobility service provider created from the merger of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan, we followed this direction and embarked on an internationally admired project, the recycling of our old marketing materials.

As the consequence of the brand change, we are unable to use our LeasePlan and ALD branded marketing materials accumulated over the years – or at least, not in their current forms. In cooperation with Ursuslupus Upcycling Production, we created the unique Ayvens bag collection from our old materials, molinos, rollups, etc. These special accessories were handed out to our colleagues as gifts on the day of the Ayvens brand launch. The speciality of these bags is that they combine three brands at the same time – the colors and the parts of ALD and LeasePlan form a new unit with the Ayvens logo label, so the tradition of our old brands and the future of the new Ayvens brand come alive in them. These giveaways also represent an emotional value for colleagues, as each employee could take with them one last physical piece of memory from the past, all with the new brand’s identity. Last but not least, each piece has an unique design, none of them are the same. In order to ensure full involvement, we also organized a workshop where colleagues could make the simple accessories they liked with their own hands.

Find out more in our video how our waste reduction efforts turned into a great team building experience and a special internal gift with an added value.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck96Prcox5g&list=PLdXM-r6XW_ueJBb7RPngKbV437v8-KuIL&index=2

There is only a week left until the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival. Hungary’s biggest and oldest running event is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year as the first mass marathon in Budapest was organised 40 years ago in 1984. There will be close to 30 000 participants from 107 countries competing in one of the categories running along the most scenic sights of the capital on the 12th and 13th of October 2024. The organisers will also welcome those who opt to do shorter or longer city tours. 

A celebration of movement – a name well-deserved as the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival is not only an opportunity for marathon runners to beat the 42-kilometre distance as well as themselves, but also a chance for everyone who wants to signal to the world, by either running a shorter distance or even walking one, how important sport and exercising are to them, and to send the whole country a message that regular exercise makes life better and happier.

Runners can choose from a total of 18 distances during the 2-day event with the shortest being the 1000-metre NESTLÉ Family Run and the longest the classic 42 km marathon. As it has become tradition in recent years, participants can also walk or do one of the SPAR City Tours, or the 2.3-kilometre Gondosóra Walk joined by the Breast Cancer Info Association this year.

Based on the entry data it can be confirmed already that the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival will set a record. There has never been this many foreigners in our country attending a leisure sporting event. About 6 000 foreign runners from 107 countries have applied already which breaks the previous record set before the pandemic with 5400 foreigners. Together with their companions there will be about 10 000-12 000 runner tourists visiting Hungary because of the event.

As an example, in the 42 km distance every second participant will be an international guest, most of them British, Italian, French, citizens from the neighbouring countries or the Visegrád region.

“The SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival now has a four-decade-history and offers a spectacular sport experience for all participants and supporters every year. This year is a significant milestone as the 40-year jubilee symbolises the perseverance, stamina, and the power of community. Today Budapest is without a doubt one of the sport capitals of Europe. The breathtaking cityscape offers an exceptional background while the city’s love for sports provides the perfect atmosphere for this unforgettable event. “We are proud that after having organised the world’s most prestigious sport events, we can host such an international competition again this year which is not only celebrating the joy of exercise but the power of community for the 39th time,” said Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs, patron of the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival.

The Celebration of Movement is putting the whole country into motion, not only foreigners. There have been entries from 1000 towns and villages so far and they are still expecting further applicants in the coming days (except for the half marathon which has already reached the maximum entry limit). The organisers are expecting about 30 000 participants in total which will make the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival the biggest and most significant leisure sport event in Hungary since the pandemic, making the whole city of Budapest very proud.

• “Regular exercise is a chance for a good, long, and healthy life and Budapest is a city that welcomes community sports and events that promote healthy lifestyle with open arms. The first Budapest Marathon was organised 40 years ago. Back then there were 700 participants from 18 countries attending the first running competition in the history of the Hungarian capital where amateurs were allowed to compete. The competition has become a community building event since then where everyone can find the challenge that best suits their level of fitness. I respect every participant who achieves the goal they set out for themselves. Let us celebrate community life, sport, and Budapest!,”  said Gergely Karácsony, mayor of Budapest, main patron of the 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival.

Budapest has one of the world’s most beautiful marathon routes which explains the high number of international participants.  The festival centre will be located on the Pázmány Péter promenade. The short distance routes will be marked around the start and finish areas, but the long-distance runners will be able to admire the most beautiful sights of the city.

The marathon runners will run across the embankments on both sides of the Danube, by Parliament, under Buda Castle, over the Chain Bridge and across Liberty Bridge, enter Margaret Island, reach a section of Andrassy Avenue, see Saint Stephen’s Basilica and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences building from close by.

The 30 000 participants will include enthusiastic amateurs, record holder marathon runners with hundreds of successful competitions behind them, diplomats, actors, media personalities, equal opportunity ambassadors, old and young, families and the representatives of different professions to promote the joy of running and sport.

• “Running is the most popular sport in Hungary with a large group of supporters. The SPAR Budapest Maraton^® Festival is the biggest celebration of this form of sport. We are proud that the event has been carrying SPAR’s name for 16 years and we gladly support it because our goal is mutual; get as many people as possible to love exercising, to look after their health through their lifestyle and quality diet. This year we set up stands between the start and finish line areas with activities to involve and motivate all generations to move in a playful way. Based on the ideas of our Gen Z colleagues we will await visitors with a special reflex game and an obstacle course. The lucky players can win our own-brand, health-conscious products. We will try to motivate our colleagues – who will enter for free yet again – with a good cause. For each colleague who competes we will donate 2000 forints to support the work of the Utcáról Lakásba! (From the Streets to a Home Association),” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

The organiser Budapest Sports Office (Budapest Sportiroda) asks the locals of Budapest to show up to support the runners of the international caravan along the routes with applause or a few nice words. Runners will have access to refreshment stations and music spots.

“The 39th SPAR Budapest Marathon Festival has a special place in our hearts. The first marathon in Budapest took place 40 years ago, in 1984, and we would like to celebrate this jubilee in style this year. The world and the Hungarian capital have changed a lot in the last 40 years, however the joy of reaching the finish line will never change. I wish every participant, whether they will walk the shortest distance or run the marathon at the speed of professionals, that they reach the goal they set for themselves, have fun, enjoy every moment of the festival, and keep moving and exercising regularly going forward because it will make their lives better and happier,” said Árpád Kocsis, director of the Budapest Sports Office.

BACKGROUND – milestones from the history of the 40-year-old Budapest Marathon

1984. The first mass marathon in Budapest has participants from 18 countries, 25 women and 625 men reach the finish line of the 42-km distance
1985. The first time when the number of participants reached 10 000 (11 700 entries)
1986. There were then different distance categories, the event earned the Day of Running title
1987. SPAR became the main sponsor of the Budapest Marathon
1988. The first year when the number of participants reached over 15 000 (16 500)

The first year when street musicians supported runners along the route

Charity work began which has raised 209 million forints by 2023

2013. The first time when the number of entries reached over 20 000 (21 302)

2015. More than 7000 individuals entered the marathon, a record which has not been broken since

First FODISZ equal opportunities race was organised

2017. The first time the festival became a 2-day event

The first time the number of participants reached over 30 000 (32 000)

The first time when more than 5 000 foreigners entered

2018. A new record was set with 34 000 entries

2023. The event returned after the pandemic

The first City Tours took place

Even it is September, the heatwave has not eased so far, and it is getting harder and harder to bear the heat that has lasted for months. The shade and the cooling effect of trees and plants can significantly improve our well-being, but the animals also need green surfaces. In this spirit, the K&H animal friendly groves program turned the yards of 30 educational institutions green. The 100 square meter parks will even attract birds, butterflies and hedgehogs into the immediate environment of children. As a result, the young generation can experience the beneficial effects of plants, and thanks to the educational materials, they can learn more about the harmonious coexistence of humans and the flora and fauna.

We experienced an extremely hot summer and even in September the heat has barely eased. This is becoming more and more difficult to bear – especially in the cities. The situation is worst in inner-city areas: this is due to the so-called urban heat island effect, which means that the temperature is much higher in densely built-in downtown areas than in areas with plants. So even in the suburban areas the temperature is much more tolerable, not to mention the parts densely covered with trees. This can be traced back to the fact that green surfaces reflect solar radiation better than built-in surfaces, and also help cool the environment through evaporation. Measurements prove that while the pavement and the road can be 50-60 degrees Celsius on a sunny summer day without shade, the soil in green areas and shaded parts is only 15 degrees.

“Green surfaces play a significant role in combating climate change, but our own well-being is greatly improved even in a sort time if we surround ourselves with plants. We need trees not only in forests, but also in our immediate environment – and it is up to us how many trees and bushes we plant where we live” – said Guy Libot, CEO of K&H Group. “With our K&H animal friendly groves program, we create a small park in the yard of schools and kindergartens, where they can not only cool off in the shade, but also observe birds, insects, and hedgehogs. In addition, we also help them with educational materials so that young people can become even more familiar with the importance of the organic unity of humans, plants and animals”- he added.

The K&H animal friendly groves program was implemented in 30 kindergartens and schools across the country in the past six months. In this way, the financial institution has already turned 130 educational yards green with the professional cooperation of the 10 million Trees Foundation, since in the 2022/23 academic year 555 trees and 1110 shrubs were planted in 100 educational institutions in the K&H cooling groves program.

In the yards of the institutions participating in the K&H animal friendly groves program, a green area of ​​100 square meters was created each, consisting of 28 plants. The biodiverse parks contains birdhouses, feeders, birdbaths and hedgehog hiding places and offer attractive habitat for the animals.

The program also includes educational materials, as well as a treasure hunt game that is held by the 10 Million Trees Foundation after planting the trees and bushes with the children.

In the summer months, several publications were published about the innovative air filtration technology, which we represent in Hungary.

Among the publications, we would like to highlight a professional article and case study published on the website of the prestigious professional organization, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC).

The technology reduces the operational carbon footprint of buildings, and is also a useful tool in the field of green building certifications and ESG. Serious electricity savings and significant waste avoidance can be realized with their introduction. Details and case study in the article.