This year’s George Washington Parkway Classic race, a 5k and 10 mile run along the Potomac River, is going green. 

In an attempt to reduce the race’s impact on the environment, the Old Town-based Pacers running and walking shoe store is purchasing one tree in the name of each runner through the Conservatory’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign, the goal of which is to plant them in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest by 2015.

“This is part of a growing trend among running races,” said Pacer’s owner Dave Dadurka in an email. “For example, the AT&T Austin Marathon in February recently claimed the spot as the first running race in the nation to go green.”

More than 5,000 runners have already registered for the April 27 race, according to Dadurka.

Fuel-efficient city buses will transport runners to the starting line, and a hybrid provided by the Conservatory will be the lead car to the 10-mile start.

The littler things, like printing race brochures on recycled paper using soy inks and reminding participants to recycle their water bottles and race bibs will also add to the environmental footprint left by the race.