Florida Keys Fishing Fun Run

The Islamorada Running Company is proud to present the Florida Keys Virtual Fishing Run Challenge.  As representatives of Islamorada and the Florida Keys, this means three things…...we RUN, we FISH and we have FUN.  We’re here to bring you a virtual race that keeps your endorphins alive while supporting a great cause.  Whether you are a seasoned marathoner or just looking for a nice walk in your neighborhood, we have a distance suitable for everyone. As with all of our events, you can expect to get some great swag. 

BENEFICIARY (A Portion of Each Registration)
As many of you are aware, Islamorada is known as the “Sport Fishing Capital of the World.”  Fishing in Islamorada as well as the rest of the Florida Keys is Monroe County’s most important and loved industry.  As you can imagine, the Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected this industry. All fishing charters came to an abrupt halt as tourists were no longer allowed in the Keys during the quarantine.  This meant that all of our world-class fishing guides were immediately without work with no income coming in.  In addition to everyday living expenses, these guides still need to cover the high overhead of being a fishing boat captain such as boat maintenance and marina costs. We knew that our virtual race needs to be a top tier event that is exciting for our runners as well as supporting a local beneficiary that is close to our heart.  So it was an easy decision for us to pick the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association Inc as the beneficiary to our virtual event. We will be donating a portion of proceeds from every registration.  Please join us in running our race and helping a great cause!

CHARTERS (Runs/walks) 

We have turned our run/walk options into common fishing charters that represent the distances you would expect when leaving the docks in Islamorada.  Each trip varies in cost from shorter distance to longer distance.  The longer the trip, the more mileage you complete and the more SWAG you earn.  

PLEASE NOTE: It is ok to break up your total distance into separate runs/walks.  The goal is for you to have the total distance you committed complete by August 31st.

Mangrove Trip, 3.1 (5K) - $35

Whether you are looking to hook some big tarpon or fly fishing for Bone Fish, our Mangrove Trip keeps you close to shore and the distance low.

Reef Trip, 6.2 (10K) - $47

The biggest and most beautiful reef system in the western hemisphere is only a few miles from your hotel.  Take a trip with us to catch some snapper, grouper, barracuda and more.

Hump Day, 13.1 (Half Marathon) - $60

Ok, you came to Islamorada for exactly what Islamorada fishing is known for, Sport Fish.  Take a trip to the hump and get yourself a sailfish, mahi-mahi, tuna, or a marlin.  You earned it!

Square Grouper Challenge, - 50 miles - $75

Running and gunning in the Florida Keys.  You wouldn’t be the first and won’t be the last.  Not sure what a square grouper is? Maybe ask your fishing guide. Maybe they have stories. But you didn’t hear that from us.  Either way, you are taking every fishing trip that Islamorada has to offer and perhaps making a few deliveries along the way ;-) 

When catching a square grouper, you’ll be making stops at the Hump, Reef, inside the Mangroves, and most importantly out to Flamingo in Everglades National Park (another popular fishing spot).  The Square Grouper Challenge is a minimum of a marathon distance but often takes these boats over 80 miles to make a full trip. All are popular locations to catch a square grouper.  Run, walk, jog.  Take your time if you need to.….just don’t get caught.  Leave that for the fish.

SWAG

ALL Charters receive an exclusive “Florida Keys Virtual Fishing Run” medal, BOCO Hat (high quality and infamous at our events), drink koozie and a raffle entry to win a prize.

PLUS (if chartering a Reef Trip or more) - Runners/Fishing Buff (great for blocking sun and/or face mask, headband, etc.)
PLUS (if chartering the Hump Day or more) - 50/50 blend T-Shirt
PLUS (chartering the Square Grouper Challenge) - SPF tech long sleeve shirt

Prizes

We will have some awesome prizes that will be awarded to our participants such as Yeti coolers, gift certificates, and fishing trips.  There is a limited amount of prizes and all will be awarded through a raffle system, not through timed winners or age groups.  Everyone who registers for an event will be automatically entered to win. Participants who register for upgraded/longer distance races will have additional chances to win given the level they register for (i.e. Reef Trip - two raffle entries, Hump Day - three raffle entries, Square Grouper Challenge - four raffle entries).

Rules and Additional Info

Times and distances are based on the honor system.  All participants run/walk at their own risk and may run/walk in the location of their choice.  All runs/walks to be completed by August 31st, 2020.  We ask you to use RunSignUp when completing your event as you can automatically upload your run/walk (along with any photos which we strongly encourage). All participants WILL receive their swag regardless if they completed their event(s) or not.  Please allow up to 5 weeks post-event to receive swag as it is important our orders are accurate to help control costs.