Puerto Galera International Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Puerto Galera)

Three distances on Mindoro’s north coast

The race is held on December 6, 2026. Runners choose from three distances:

• 10K, for first-timers and anyone combining the race with a beach holiday
• 21K, the half marathon
• 42K, the full marathon

Puerto Galera sits on the northern tip of Oriental Mindoro. Its coastline is one green headland after another, each with a cove between it and the next. The roads linking Muelle, Sabang and White Beach go up and down over those headlands, so longer distances on these roads involve real climbing.

Since 1973 the bays here have been part of a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve. Puerto Galera Bay is also a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World club. Expect sea views and some hills.

Crossing from Luzon

There is no bridge and no airport. The usual route starts in Manila with a bus south to Batangas City, which takes roughly two to three hours depending on traffic. From Batangas Port, ferries and outrigger bancas cross the Verde Island Passage to Puerto Galera in about an hour to an hour and a half.

Boats land at Muelle Pier in the town proper, at Balatero, or straight onto the beaches at Sabang and White Beach. Arrival points vary by operator, so most runners pick a ferry that lands closest to where they are staying.

Some ferries are cancelled when the sea is rough. For that reason, runners from Manila usually travel on the Friday or Saturday before a Sunday race, not on race morning.

Race weekend, Philippine style

Local road races follow a familiar pattern. Visiting runners settle in faster when they know it.

• Kit claiming: the bib and race shirt are usually collected before race day, at a set claiming point. The organiser publishes these arrangements together with registration.
• Pre-dawn gun times: Philippine races generally start in the dark so runners finish before the heat builds. Even in December the coastal mornings are humid.
• Tricycles: the motorbike sidecars are how people get around town, including to a pre-dawn start. Drivers are paid in cash pesos, ideally with small notes.
• Cash generally: Puerto Galera has fewer ATMs than mainland cities. Many visitors bring cash from Batangas or Manila for food, transport and port fees.

Entry fees and registration terms are set by the organiser, and this page gives no figures.

Where runners sleep and what comes after

Where you stay changes the feel of the weekend:

• White Beach: the long sandy stretch with a lively evening strip, good for groups.
• Sabang: the diving hub, with dense bars and dive shops along the shore.
• Muelle and the town proper: quieter, and closest to the main pier.

December is the start of the northeast monsoon season, usually the drier part of the year here. It is a popular time to visit, and the long weekends around the race fill up fast with Manila travellers.

Recovery days are easy to fill. Snorkelling trips leave from Sabang and White Beach to the reefs that earned the bays their UNESCO status. On the road towards Calapan, Tamaraw Falls drops right beside the highway, and many people stop there on the drive. Overall, a marathon weekend here usually takes two to three nights.