The second annual Endurancelife sports event was held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) on the 23 January. The event saw 500 competitors flock to Weymouth and Portland for stage 3 of the environmentally friendly Coastal Trail Series organised by Endurancelife. The event had three staggered starts, starting with the marathon (09:00), followed by a half marathon (10:30) and a 10k run (12:00) all starting from the Academy.
All runners took up the challenge of picking up one or more pieces of litter along their route to then be disposed of in the recycling bins at the finish line, the races finished at the WPNSA where recycling bins were provided for litter collected. This ensured that all competitors improved the condition of the natural environment around Weymouth during their race.
Endurancelife chose the WPNSA to host the event because it has similar environmentally friendly values and prides itself on a commitment to sustainable development and preservation of the local environment. The Academy has been described as ‘an example of best practice’ by Natural England for its approach to protecting the local environment during the development of the Academy and also won the Sport Industry Award for Environmental Concern in Sport. The venue has the largest installation of solar photovoltaic panels in Dorset, generating renewable on site energy and also uses grey water for washing boats.
Chris Knight, Business Manager of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy reported:
‘This is the second year that the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy has teamed up with Endurancelife to facilitate their event. Endurancelife share our passion for the local environment and the collection of litter picked up during the run was very impressive. It is a huge pleasure to know that this event has left the countryside cleaner.’
