Nevis Marathon 2026: Getting There, Where to Stay and Planning Your Race Weekend
The Nevis Marathon & Running Festival returns on Saturday, 5 September 2026, with three distances starting and finishing at Oualie Beach Resort on the north-western coast of Nevis. It is a predawn race — the Half Marathon goes off at 5:30 AM — which makes it one of those events where the travel planning matters almost as much as the training.
Book Nevis is an official sponsor of the 2026 event, and this guide covers the part we know best: getting to the island, where to stay relative to the start line, airport transfers either side of race weekend, and how to build a few good days around the race. For entry, race rules and official race-day arrangements, nevismarathon.com is the authority.
Race details on this page were verified against the official Nevis Marathon website on 9 August 2026.
Nevis Marathon 2026 at a glance
| Detail | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, 5 September 2026 |
| Start & finish | Oualie Beach Resort, Nevis — start arch on the beach road |
| Half Marathon | 13.1 miles — 5:30 AM start — US$100 |
| 10K | 6.1 miles — 5:45 AM start — US$80 |
| 5K | 3.1 miles — 6:00 AM start — US$50 |
| Package collection | Race morning only, from 5:00 AM at the start/finish area. Bring photo ID and your registration confirmation |
| Breakfast & presentations | 8:30 AM at the finish village |
| Parking | Free at the resort but limited — arrive by 4:30 AM if driving |
Full details, including on-course support, kit list and awards, are on the official participant fact sheet.
What’s new for 2026
The 2026 race weekend is built around three distances — Half Marathon, 10K and 5K. There is no full marathon this year. If you have run Nevis before, the Half is now the flagship: a scenic predawn loop along the west coast, with age-group awards on top of the overall trophies.
Getting to Nevis for race weekend
Flying in: SKB is your gateway
Most international runners fly into Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) on neighbouring St. Kitts, which takes direct services from several North American and European hubs. Nevis has its own small airport at Newcastle, but schedules are limited and connections are easier to get wrong. Our flights into St. Kitts (SKB) hub covers who flies where and when.
Crossing from St. Kitts to Nevis
From SKB you still have a short sea crossing. There are three practical ways to do it: the public ferry from Basseterre to Charlestown; the scheduled water taxi between Reggae Beach and Oualie Beach; and a private pre-booked crossing timed to your flight. Which one suits depends mostly on when you land.
Rather than repeat it here, we keep one maintained resource on the subject — our guide comparing ferry, water taxi and private transfer options, with current schedules and what each route involves. For the airport-specific version, how the SKB to Nevis journey works step by step walks through it door to door.
How early should you arrive?
Package collection is race morning only, from 5:00 AM, and the Half starts at 5:30 AM. Your alarm goes at around 3:30 AM — after a journey that, for most international runners, means a long-haul flight, a regional connection, immigration and a sea crossing.
Arriving the day before is the absolute minimum. Two days before is the sensible plan. Caribbean connections are tight, and a single day of buffer turns a trip-ending delay into an inconvenience. It also buys you a night to sleep off the travel and a daylight look at the finish area before you see it in the dark. If it is your first visit, our Nevis arrival guide covers what to expect when you land.
Airport transfers before and after race weekend
SKB Airport to your Nevis hotel
The simplest way to remove the arrival problem is to have the crossing arranged before you fly. Book Nevis runs a door-to-door private transfer from SKB Airport to Oualie Pier: we track your flight, meet you inside the terminal after customs with a Book Nevis sign, handle the luggage, and take you by road and private boat to Oualie — which, conveniently for this weekend, is where the race starts. Because it is private rather than a shared shuttle, a delayed inbound flight does not mean a missed departure, and it works just as well at 11 PM as at midday. Current pricing is on the product page.
→ Book your SKB Airport → Nevis transfer
Getting back to SKB after the race
Book the return at the same time. Most North American connections out of SKB leave in the morning, and you will not want to be arranging a boat with tired legs. The return leg from Oualie Pier to SKB Airport is the mirror image of the arrival, timed backwards from your flight, and booking both legs together qualifies for our round-trip discount.
Where to stay for the Nevis Marathon
On race morning the only thing that matters about your hotel is how long it takes to reach Oualie at 4:30 AM. Book Nevis does not sell accommodation — what follows is purely about logistics.
Staying at Oualie Beach Resort
The obvious answer. The official fact sheet confirms that runners staying at Oualie Beach Resort or partner properties have walking access to the start, which removes the pre-dawn transport question entirely. You wake up, walk to the start arch, and after the finish you are already at breakfast. Rooms at the race hotel go early, so if this appeals, book it well ahead.
Staying elsewhere on Nevis
Staying elsewhere works fine — it just needs a plan. Oualie sits on the north-western coast, roughly ten minutes by road from Charlestown. Properties in the north and north-west are the shortest run to the start; the plantation inns inland and the resorts further south are longer, and on unlit roads before dawn you should allow more time than a daytime journey would suggest.
The practical test is the same wherever you book: can you reliably be at Oualie by 4:30 AM? Our guide to where Nevis hotels and villas sit on the island is a useful way to orient yourself, and getting to and from Oualie Beach covers the approaches to the race area in detail.
Race morning: getting to the start
What the organisers confirm for 2026:
- Package collection opens at 5:00 AM at the start/finish area — race morning only. Bring photo ID and your registration confirmation.
- Parking at Oualie Beach Resort is free but limited. If you are driving, arrive by 4:30 AM.
- Taxi pickup can be arranged through your accommodation — worth doing the day before, not on the night.
- All three distances start before dawn or at first light, so a headlamp or torch and reflective kit are on the official what-to-bring list.
One honest note: pre-dawn taxis on a small island are a finite resource, and race morning is the busiest 90 minutes of the year for them. If you are staying away from Oualie and would rather have your transport confirmed weeks ahead than arranged on the night, get in touch with Book Nevis and we will quote for it. This is an enquiry rather than an off-the-shelf booking, so send us your hotel, your distance and your dates.
Travelling from St. Kitts on race morning
Some runners base themselves on St. Kitts and cross for the race. Race-day transport arrangements from St. Kitts are normally confirmed by the organisers closer to the event, so we are not going to guess at departure points, times or prices here — check nevismarathon.com during race week, and we will update this section once they are published.
If you are crossing under your own steam, note that the regular services are not built around a 5:30 AM start — a strong argument for spending the night before on Nevis.
Making a weekend of it
Before the race
Keep it deliberately dull. A wander around Charlestown, an hour on Pinney’s Beach, an easy swim, an early dinner. Save Nevis Peak and the full-day boat trips for afterwards — a 3:30 AM alarm punishes ambitious sightseeing.
After the race
Presentations and breakfast are at 8:30 AM, which leaves the whole day. The traditional recovery is the Bath Hot Springs, a short drive from Charlestown and about as good as it gets for post-race legs. Beyond that, a private island tour is the efficient way to see Nevis in a day — and if you can, stay on. Most runners who extend their trip say the same thing: the race was the excuse, not the point.
Official registration and race information
Entries for 2026 are open — US$100 for the Half Marathon, US$80 for the 10K and US$50 for the 5K, with runner details, T-shirt size, emergency contact and waiver acceptance collected at checkout. Worth knowing: T-shirt sizes are only guaranteed for entries made at least four weeks before race day.
→ Register for the 2026 Nevis Marathon
The official site remains authoritative for entry, race rules, the schedule, participant information, race-day transport arrangements and any late race-week updates. Where anything here differs from the official participant fact sheet, follow the fact sheet.
Book Nevis and the Nevis Marathon
Book Nevis is an official sponsor of the 2026 Nevis Marathon & Running Festival. We are not the organisers and we do not sell race entries — our part is the travel: getting runners and their families from SKB Airport to Nevis and back again. If this page saved you an email, it has done its job.
Nevis Marathon FAQs
When is the Nevis Marathon 2026?
The 2026 Nevis Marathon & Running Festival takes place on Saturday, 5 September 2026. The Half Marathon starts at 5:30 AM, the 10K at 5:45 AM and the 5K at 6:00 AM.
Is there a full marathon in 2026?
No. The 2026 event is run over three distances — Half Marathon (13.1 miles), 10K (6.1 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles). There is no full marathon this year.
Where does the Nevis Marathon start and finish?
All three distances start and finish at Oualie Beach Resort on the north-western coast of Nevis. Look for the start arch on the beach road; bag drop, water and medical support are in the start/finish village.
How do I get from St. Kitts airport to Oualie Beach?
Fly into Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) on St. Kitts, then cross to Nevis by ferry, water taxi or private transfer. Book Nevis runs a private door-to-door transfer from SKB Airport to Oualie Pier, with flight tracking and a meet inside the terminal after customs.
How early should I arrive in Nevis before the race?
Arrive at least the day before, and ideally two days before. Package collection is race morning only from 5:00 AM and the Half starts at 5:30 AM, so a same-day international arrival leaves no margin for a delayed connection.
What time do I need to be at the start?
Package collection opens at 5:00 AM at the start/finish area, and you will need photo ID and your registration confirmation. Parking at Oualie Beach Resort is free but limited, so if you are driving, arrive by 4:30 AM.
How much does it cost to enter?
Entry for 2026 is US$100 for the Half Marathon, US$80 for the 10K and US$50 for the 5K. Register at least four weeks before race day to guarantee your T-shirt size.
Where can I find official registration and race information?
All entry, race rules, timings and official race-day arrangements are on nevismarathon.com, including the participant fact sheet and any updates published during race week.
Plan your Nevis Marathon trip
Get the travel booked and the rest is just running. Browse private transfers to see routes and current pricing, or ask Book Nevis about your race-weekend travel if you want arrival, race morning and departure planned as one piece.
