Sports
Around the Island Relay starts at Belair at 7 a.m. on St. Maarten's Day, Nov 11
The St. Maarten Road Runners Association's annual Around the Island Relay starts at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, from the Belair Community & Fitness Center. Teams of 11 run 33.4 km around both sides of the island.
By SXM Daily ยท
The St. Maarten Road Runners Association's annual St. Maarten's Day Around the Island Relay Race starts at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, from the Belair Community & Fitness Center parking lot, according to the association.
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The course
Eleven legs cover 33.4 km (20.75 miles) counter-clockwise around both sides of the island. The route passes through French Quarter, Orient Bay, La Savane, Galisbay, Marigot and Cole Bay before finishing back at Belair.
Teams and entry
- Teams: 11 runners, each running one leg with the baton
- Mix: at least two runners of the opposite sex per team
- Limit: 60 teams, first come, first served
- Entry: USD 220 per team (about XCG 393.80, SXM Daily conversion)
Race packs
Pick up race packs at Tri-Sport, Simpson Bay, on November 7, 9 and 10, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Contact
Call +1 721-553-1918 or +1 721-522-9267, or visit sxmroadrunners.com. Expect traffic delays along the route on race morning.
The 2026 race
This is the 39th edition, according to SXM Road Runners. The association says the relay has been held since 1987 to celebrate unity across the island. The shortest leg in 2026 is leg 2, from Walter Plantz Square to Suckergarden Road (2.15 km). The longest is leg 9, from Marigot to the Border Monument (4.38 km), and leg 8, from La Savane to Galisbay (3.42 km), is described as "all hills".
No team member may run more than one leg, and the baton must be handed over between two yellow lines at each transition area. Race packs contain the race numbers, the baton and race information, and the team fee can be paid in cash at Tri-Sport at pickup or by transfer in advance. Supporters are asked to keep transition areas clear and not to drive alongside runners. The association can also be reached at sxmroadrunners@gmail.com, according to its 2026 race page.
Sources
- https://www.sxmroadrunners.com/events/relay-2026
- https://www.sxmroadrunners.com/events
- https://www.lepelican-journal.com/saint-martins-day-le-programme-de-la-66eme-celebration/