The Flying Tortoise Marathon, half marathon and 10K events!

Only in the Galapagos can tortoises fly!

The Flying Tortoise Marathon and Running Events are held each year in early August on the Island of San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador, South America.

Race Course and other odd details:

August is a cool month here, frequently overcast, day time high temperature at the coast seventy degrees.

The new and improved marathon course now starts at 574 meters above sea level on the highest part of the paved road which crosses the island. It ends in the soccer stadium in town at 19 meters above sea level. The course is run on asphalt, cement or inlaid blocks with the exception of two stretches of dirt road, 4 kilometers and 2.3 kilometers. These two stretches are within the first 18 kilometers of the race. There are two stretches that run along the coast. The runners will pass through 5 vegetation zones (miconia, scalesia, transitional, arid and costal). Figuring in all of the undulations the course has an approximate net downhill of 808 meters (2,650.9 ft.) and an approximate net uphill of 234 meters (767.7 ft.). The last 10 kilometers have a net rise of 75 meters (246 ft.) and fall of 60 meters (196.5 ft.). The last 3 kilometers are flat. We will be sending cross sections of the elevation changes in the races so you’ll know what to look forward to.

The half marathon is run entirely on asphalt, cement or inlaid blocks. It starts at 574 meters above sea level on the highest part of the paved road which crosses the island. It ends in the soccer stadium in town at 19 meters above sea level, has an approximate net downhill of 584 meters (1,916 ft.) and an approximate net uphill of 42 meters (137.8 ft.).

The 10K course is run entirely on asphalt, cement or inlaid blocks. It begins in the soccer field in the small pueblo of Progreso at 288 meters above sea level and ends in the soccer stadium in town at 19 meters above sea level. It has an approximate net downhill of 286 meters (938.3 ft.) and an approximate net uphill of 30 meters (98.4 ft.).

We’ve made every effort to have as much of the course shaded and on dirt roads. There currently is a half mile stretch on pavement.

The race is an international event attracting runners from several countries in North and South America. For environmental reasons, enrollment is limited to two hundred and fifty entrants. Please write for registration form and to check availability, RickandBere@ComeToGalapagos.com or use the Contact Us feature on this web site.

Net proceeds from the races are donated to the local High School, Ignacio Hernandez. The kids from the school will be manning aid stations and helping with race coordination. Included in the race fee are t-shirts for all and metals for all marathon finishers. Please click HERE for current fee schedule.

Each year we put together one or two “packages” for international travelers which include a tour of several islands, day boat trips, hotels, food, flights between islands within the Galapagos, flights to and from the mainland to the Galapagos, hotels and tours of Quito and airport transfers in Quito, so that all you’ll need to do is arrive here and everything else will be taken care of. These tours change somewhat from year to year. Click one of the following links for current tour packages: Guayaquil/Santa Cruz Package or Quito Package.

Please write with any questions. We’re looking forward to an exciting, unique event and hope to see you here.