Runners battled suspension bridges, sprawling tree roots and Amazonian humidity as the inaugural Amazon Marathon crowned its first champions in the Peruvian rainforest.
Joseph Cistulli claimed victory in the first-ever Amazon Marathon, setting the inaugural course record on Wednesday 9 September and establishing the benchmark for future editions of Marathon Tours & Travel’s newest event.
Cistulli’s win came on a course runners consistently described as challenging and technical: a trail loop through the Peruvian rainforest featuring suspension bridge crossings, exposed tree roots and uneven terrain underfoot, all tackled in punishing Amazonian humidity. The race began and ended at the Amazon Planet Eco-Lodge, deep in the heart of the Tambopata region, the primary gateway to the Amazon Rainforest.
The difficulty of the course was a defining theme of the inaugural event. Eleven runners who had entered the full marathon distance made the decision to drop down to the half-marathon during the race itself.
The strength of the women’s field shone through in the half-marathon, where women swept the podium – taking the top three overall places and setting the inaugural course records in the process.
In total, the race welcomed 55 runners across the three distances, part of a wider MTT travel group of 59 clients ranging in age from 34 to 83, representing nine countries and territories: Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, UK, US and Uganda. The trip also included 27 Seven Continents Club® (SCC) members – 8 Platinum, 9 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze and 3 Blue – including one Platinum member on their 40th trip with MTT. The race was supported by more than 50 volunteers and staff from the Bajo Madre de Dios Tourism Association and Amazon Planet.
Elsewhere in the field, Jo Vos capped off a memorable day by winning the women’s 10.5K on her 77th birthday. Ryan Nelson, Kelly Thompson, and Olivia Kasirye completed their first-ever 10K events, and Taylor Darkoch crossed the line for her first half-marathon finish.
Jeff Adams, President of Marathon Tours & Travel, said: “The Amazon Marathon has been such an exciting event to bring to life. To watch runners cross the finish line after racing through one of the most biodiverse, untouched rainforests on the planet is genuinely special, this isn’t a course you can experience anywhere else in the world. It’s exactly the kind of adventure marathon experience we love creating for our runners, and we can’t wait to build on this for future editions.”
Runners were also full of praise for the volunteers along the course, describing the aid station support as going above and beyond – in one case, a volunteer ran ahead to refill a marathoner’s water bottle so it was ready by the time he reached the next station.
Runners reflected on the unique challenge of the course. Half-marathoner Fyroze Osman said: “You want to test your skills? Run this. This is wild.”
Marathoner Dexter Braithwaite said the sun wasn’t the concern he expected – it was the relentless humidity.
Longtime MTT client Juan Piña Medina, who has completed 555 marathons, said: “Marathon Tours not only creates races but creates strong communities. I notice Marathon Tours expanding their race calendar with innovation, flexibility, and unique experiences in mind.”
And Valerie Maugle, who completed her 100th half marathon in the Amazon, said the course was tougher than most runners would expect, and that proper training was essential.
The Amazon Marathon is delivered in partnership with the Bajo Madre de Dios Tourism Association, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the Amazon rainforest and supporting local communities through sustainable tourism. Runners have been contributing to the event’s “Race to Save the Amazon” fundraising campaign in the weeks leading up to the race, with the course’s mile markers also set to be sold and auctioned on-site – all proceeds going directly to the Association.
Results: Full results from the 2026 event can be found as follows: Amazon 10.5k | Amazon Half-Marathon | Amazon Marathon
To find out more about the Amazon Marathon visit: www.marathontours.com/
And for more information about Marathon Tours & Travel, visit: www.marathontours.com
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