2023 Run for Pompey & the upcoming 2024 Tour du Turquoise
The 9th annual Exuma Half Marathon, featuring the Run for Pompey, was hosted on November 11, 2023. The event was a great success, welcoming approximately 300 runners to Regatta Park for a true community event. Young and old, Bahamian and tourist, it brought together a wide cross-section of people with a shared love for the island. Thanks to the generous sponsors and supporters, the race raised close to $10,000. These funds, as in the past, will go towards our annual Pompey Scholarship, awarded to a deserving student graduating high school each year to assist with university fees.
The much anticipated 10th Exuma Half Marathon is already in the works. While the date has not been officially announced, it is looking at Saturday, November 23rd, 2024. The hope is to make this event our biggest ever, inviting back all of the past runners and supporters.
The Tour de Turquoise, otherwise known as Ride for Exuma, is set for January 18-21, 2024. While it draws a smaller number of people compared to the Exuma Half Marathon, this event has become a significant fundraiser for the island. In recent years, it has raised upwards of $100,000 for a variety of causes across the island. Through the Tour de Turquoise, the donation proceeds have purchased a bus for the hospital, a bus for the local high school, iPads and computers for the schools, refurbished a basketball court, supported the Bahamas Humane Society and Bahamas National Trust, and many other accomplishments.
This year, it is projected that at least 20 VIP riders will join from abroad, and typically around the same number of local riders. The ride benefits from both a police and ambulance escort, and in addition to the cycling, participants can enjoy organized boating, dinners, parties, and all the island has to offer.