When you hear 11th Hour Racing, you almost certainly think of the 11th Hour Racing Team, which last year became the first American Team to win the Ocean Race (with Charlie Enright, a Bristol native and Barrington resident, at the helm.)

Certainly, that team is the most visible recipient of 11th Hour Racing’s sponsorship — but it’s far from the only one. At its core, 11th Hour Racing is an environmental organization that advocates for ocean health, climate action, and sustainability by harnessing the power of sport and collaborating with local organizations in coastal communities to inspire solutions for ocean health.

Just recently 11th Hour Racing became the official Sustainability Sponsor of the Amica Newport Marathon, which was held Sunday, Oct. 13. The Marathon joins an exclusive list of local events, including the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Harvest Fair, the Folk and Jazz Festivals, and NewportFILM, benefitting from the support of 11th Hour Racing as they work to reduce waste, cut down on single-use plastics, and ease the burden on Rhode Island’s landfills (which could reach capacity by 2040).

According to Lorraine McKenna, 11th Hour Racing’s sponsorship director, it became apparent that with the many events held in Newport each year, and organizers becoming more aware and engaged with the importance of sustainability, there was a lot of duplication of effort. “Everyone is trying to do the right thing, but in their own silos,” she said. “We asked, what can we do to share resources and showcase Newport as a sustainable community in our events and schools?”

Sponsored events may benefit from the addition of waste sorting stations, water stations for refillable bottles, on site composing stations and sourcing of items like compostable food service products, as well as being mindful about generating waste and doing things like distributing race shirts and other swag that are not encased in plastic wrapping.

“Organizers have the best intentions, but these events can generate a lot of waste,” said McKenna. “Our goal is to inspire both participants and organizers to embrace environmentally friendly practices, not just during the event but in their daily lives, showing that small changes can lead to significant positive outcomes.”

Megan Campbell, 11th Hour racing’s communications manager, shared some preliminary statistics arising from their sponsorship of the International Tennis Hall of Fame this season, illustrating their impact. They achieved Green Event Certification from the Rhode Island DEM for the second year in a row; and the Infosys Hall of Fame open achieved carbon neutrality in 2023.

In 2024, 11th Hour Racing sponsored the event’s reusable cup pilot program, and a total of 8,624 reusable cups were used, with 94% of them returned, eliminating 146 pounds of plastic cup waste. They estimate that 68% of generated waste was diverted from landfills, and water refilling stations helped reduce the number of water cans sold at the event by providing the equivalent of 10,000 16-ounce cans. Water supplied to staff and players through the refilling stations accounted for 1,200 bottles of water saved, and the use of canned water eliminated the use of additional plastic water bottles.

In January, 11th Hour Racing held their first sustainable events workshop, targeting local event planners and organizers. Ultimately they hope to expand their reach beyond Aquidneck Island. Currently, they maintain 18 sponsorships, with another two applicants in the works.

“We don’t have a cap, but we want to be strategic and intentional about what we support,” said McKenna, who added that they encourage interested event organizers to reach out. They also plan to hold additional sustainable events workshops, and find opportunities to share their knowledge and resources.

“We have the opportunity to bring the community together,” said Campbell.

For more information, visit www.11thhourracing.org.