🍃 There’s a new competition spreading around the world

If you thought sport was all balls, bikes, and broken records, think again.

There’s a new competition spreading around the world, and the entire point of the game is picking up rubbish.

Yes… really.

It’s called spogomi, and it started in Japan when a runner named Kenichi Mamitsuka realised he could turn his morning jog into something more purposeful.

He began collecting litter as he ran then someone had the genius idea to make it a sport.

Fast forward 15 years:

• Over 165,000 people have played.

• Nearly 200,000 tonnes of rubbish have been collected.

• And spogomi has gone global, complete with world championships.

Teams race against the clock in a 45 minute sprint, armed with tongs, bin bags, and surprising amounts of strategy.

Points aren’t just for quantity, they’re for the type of waste collected.

Cigarette butts, although tiny, earn big points because of their toxic punch.

Glass, metal, plastic… everything has its own score.

In a world obsessed with gamifying everything… steps, sleep, shopping, someone finally gamified something that actually matters.

A sport where the scoreboard helps the planet.

Imagine if businesses adopted this mindset?

Imagine spogomi-style corporate clean-ups replacing usual team building events.

Imagine cities hosting contests that turn streets spotless in an afternoon.

Imagine communities competing not for trophies, but for healthier neighbourhoods.

This sport proves one thing:

When you turn purpose into play, people show up.

Source: How litter picking became a competitive sport

Best,
Jasper