Petition to the Organizers of the Colfax Marathon: Drop Chevron as a Sponsor

Zach Detra, Chair of the Colfax Marathon Partnership; Andrea Dowdy, CEO; Lonnie Somers, Race Director; and Melissa Bissett, Sponsorships Director

Sign the petition! Drop Chevron from the Colfax Marathon [the genocide energy company]

Take a Stand Against Chevron’s Destruction—Sign the Petition Now!

Chevron’s pollution is poisoning our air, fueling climate chaos, and supporting human rights abuses. The Colfax Marathon should be a celebration of health, community, and environmental sustainability—not a platform for a company that profits from environmental harm and violence.

We echo the call from the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement to build pressure on Chevron through boycott and divestment campaigns until it no longer conducts business that gravely violates Palestinian human rights and benefits Israel’s genocidal regime of settler-colonial apartheid.

Sign two petitions today: one global and one local to Colorado!

  1. At this link, tell Chevron CEO Mike Wirth you're boycotting Chevron with this message: “I am joining the growing global boycott of Chevron, demanding that your company no longer conduct business that gravely violates Palestinian human rights and benefits Israel’s genocidal regime of apartheid.”

  2. Sign this petition to the organizers of the Colfax Marathon to drop Chevron as a sponsor in the bar to the right, and share with friends!

Why Runners Should Sign
As runners, we care about our health and the health of our community. Chevron’s operations in Colorado contribute to dangerous ozone pollution, which can cause serious health issues like difficulty breathing, chest pains, and increased asthma attacks.

Why Community Members Should Sign
The Colfax Marathon is about more than just running—it’s about our community. The event is majority funded by runner fees, not corporate sponsorships, which means it belongs to us. Accepting Chevron’s sponsorship undermines our values of sustainability, justice, and health. We cannot let corporate greed take precedence over the well-being of the community.

Why Charity Partners Should Sign
Many of the marathon’s charity partners adhere to ethical guidelines that prevent them from accepting donations from companies like Chevron, which have a history of environmental destruction and human rights violations. By accepting Chevron’s sponsorship, the marathon risks undermining the ethical integrity of these charities and contradicts its own commitment to social justice and sustainability.

A Call to Action
We are calling on the Colfax Marathon organizers to drop Chevron as a sponsor. Together, we can ensure that the marathon remains a celebration of health, community, and positive change. By signing this petition, you’re standing up for the values that matter most to runners, community members, and charities alike.

Sign the petition today and make your voice heard! Let’s make sure the Colfax Marathon stays true to its mission—free from the influence of companies that harm our health and our planet.

References to learn more:

  1. https://afsc.org/chevron-fuels-israeli-apartheid-and-war-crimes

  2. https://chevronsglobaldestruction.com/chevrons_global_destruction_report.pdf

  3. https://www.democracynow.org/2022/4/26/steven_donziger_freedom_chevron_ecuador_amazon

  4. https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0214-chevrons-environmental-crimes-13-years-of-evasion-and-escalation

  5. https://www.clientearth.org/projects/the-greenwashing-files/chevron/

  6. https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/06/chevron-consultants-falsified-oil-and-gas-data-colorado/

  7. https://www.cpr.org/2024/11/01/chevron-donation-corporate-support-colorado-election-reform-prop-131/

To: Zach Detra, Chair of the Colfax Marathon Partnership; Andrea Dowdy, CEO; Lonnie Somers, Race Director; and Melissa Bissett, Sponsorships Director
From: [Your Name]

Dear Colfax Marathon Organizers,

We, the undersigned, are passionate participants and supporters of the Colfax Marathon, a beloved event that celebrates health and community in Colorado. We value its positive impact, and we are concerned about the sponsorship of Chevron, a corporation whose actions are not aligned with the values of the running community, public health, and environmental sustainability that the marathon stands for.

CHEVRON: POISONING OUR AIR AND FUELING CLIMATE CHAOS
Chevron is responsible for 36% of the oil and gas facilities in Colorado, many of which are located in areas already struggling with severe ozone pollution. Chevron’s oil drilling and natural gas production releases dangerous pollutants, contributing to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone in the Denver area. On high-ozone days, this pollution poses serious risks to runners, causing symptoms like coughing, eye and throat irritation, chest pains, and difficulty breathing—issues that are particularly harmful during an endurance event like the Colfax Marathon.

As Colorado faces escalating climate disasters—from wildfires to extreme weather patterns—Chevron's operations are only making things worse. Their pollution is a major contributor to global climate change, and by sponsoring the marathon, they are part of the problem.

How can the marathon promote health while taking money from a company that is literally making it harder to breathe?

GENOCIDE AND ECOCIDE, THE CHEVRON WAY
Chevron isn’t just polluting our air—it’s fueling violence and human suffering. Chevron plays a role in fueling human rights violations. The company co-owns and operates gas fields off the coast of Israel, which directly contribute to Israel's military operations against Palestinians. This includes providing energy resources critical to the ongoing violence in Gaza, where hospitals, homes, and schools are being bombed again following the end of the ceasefire. Chevron’s actions indirectly support a system of settler colonialism and apartheid in Palestine, which is the subject of widespread global condemnation.

By partnering with Chevron, the Colfax Marathon is endorsing these crimes against humanity. This isn’t just wrong; it’s morally indefensible.

COMMUNITY, NOT CORPORATIONS
The Colfax Marathon is a special event because it is 99% funded by runner fees, not corporate sponsors. This means that the true heart of the marathon is the community—the athletes, the volunteers, and the supporters who make it such a meaningful occasion. We, the community, do not want our event used as a platform for corporate interests that do not align with our values. We ask that you stand with the community by ending the partnership with Chevron. The Colfax Marathon can continue to thrive by finding sponsors that truly reflect the health-conscious, community-driven spirit of the event.

THE HYPOCRISY OF FUNDRAISING FOR CHARITY WITH GENOCIDE DOLLARS
The Colfax Marathon’s partnership with Chevron is troubling, especially given the success of its Charity Partners Program, which has helped community nonprofits raise over $3 million. Many of these charities refuse donations from companies like Chevron due to ethical guidelines about environmental harm and social justice. By accepting Chevron’s sponsorship, the marathon risks undermining the ethical integrity of these charities and contradicts its own commitment to supporting justice, equity, and sustainability.

DROP CHEVRON AS A SPONSOR. THE COLFAX MARATHON CAN SURVIVE AND THRIVE WITHOUT THE BLOOD MONEY OF A CORPORATION THAT HARMS PEOPLE AND THE PLANET. IF YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, IT’S TIME TO PROVE IT BY CUTTING TIES WITH CHEVRON.

References to learn more:
1. https://afsc.org/chevron-fuels-israeli-apartheid-and-war-crimes
2. https://chevronsglobaldestruction.com/chevrons_global_destruction_report.pdf
3. https://www.democracynow.org/2022/4/26/steven_donziger_freedom_chevron_ecuador_amazon
4. https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0214-chevrons-environmental-crimes-13-years-of-evasion-and-escalation
5. https://www.clientearth.org/projects/the-greenwashing-files/chevron/
https://coloradosun.com/2024/12/06/chevron-consultants-falsified-oil-and-gas-data-colorado/
6. https://www.cpr.org/2024/11/01/chevron-donation-corporate-support-colorado-election-reform-prop-131/