End Polio Now

Rotary Club of Copán Ruinas · District 4250

An End Polio Now race, part of Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio

Polio Run 2026 Run among the ruins for a polio-free world

Copán Ruinas, Honduras

Saturday, October 24, 2026 World Polio Day Registration open

Start: 6:00 a.m.

Five or ten kilometres from Parque Central, past the Maya city and its nobles’ quarter, on the morning of World Polio Day. What the race raises goes to PolioPlus, Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio from the planet.

  • 5K and 10K
  • All categories
  • Shirt and bib
  • Supporting PolioPlus
Register See the route
Why we run

Polio is down to two countries. Let’s make it none.

Since 1985 Rotary has led the global effort to eradicate polio. Every registration for this race is a contribution to that campaign, and every contribution to PolioPlus is tripled.

Watch the video
The video is hosted on YouTube and only loads if you play it.

  • 1989

    Honduras’ last polio case, in La Ceiba. None since.

  • 2

    Countries where wild poliovirus still circulates: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

  • ×3

    Every dollar Rotary raises against polio is matched two to one by the Gates Foundation.

  • Oct 24

    World Polio Day: the birthday of Jonas Salk, who led the team behind the first vaccine.

In 1988 there were some 350,000 cases a year in 125 countries. Today they can be counted on two hands. What remains is the hardest part, and that is why we keep running.

Sources

  1. PAHO/WHO — Honduras marks 35 years without wild polio (2024)
  2. WHO — Polio IHR Emergency Committee statement (2025)
  3. Rotary International — Ending polio
  4. Rotary and the Gates Foundation extend the funding match
Distances and price

Two distances, one price per distance

The fee depends on how far you run, not on your age or category: the same registration for everyone. Paid only by bank transfer or deposit to the club’s account at Banco de Occidente.

  • 5K

    5K race

    L 250 per person

    All categories

    From the town square past the Archaeological Park to the Maya nobles’ quarter and back. Run it or walk it.

    Register for the 5K

  • 10K

    10K race

    L 350 per person

    All categories

    Out to the Marina Copán Convention Center and back, then a second lap to the Maya nobles’ quarter. For those who already run.

    Register for the 10K

What registration includes

  • Official race shirt
  • Race bib number

Kit pickup: Friday, October 23, 2026. Place and time to be confirmed.

Registration open through October 21, 2026.

Registration

Register for the Polio Run

First transfer or deposit the total to the club’s account; then fill in these three steps with the reference number from your receipt. You’ll get a “registration received” email and, once the treasurer verifies the payment, another one confirming your spot with your bib number.

Your details

As it will appear on your bib and in the results.

Used to assign your category, by your age on race day.

Sex

Each category has a women’s and a men’s division.

If you run with a group. Shown in the results.

In case we need to reach you about your registration or kit pickup. Include the country code.

Optional. Who to call on race day if needed.

Your race

Distance

Sets the fee. It is the same for all categories.

Shirt size

The official shirt. Sizes cannot be changed after registration closes.

Distance 5K race
Total to pay L 250
Your payment

Registration is paid only by bank transfer or deposit to the club’s account at Banco de Occidente, before you send this form. Without a reference number you can’t register.

Club account for the transfer or deposit

Transfer or deposit exactly L 250

Banco de Occidente

11-102-001225-1

Account type: Cuenta de cheques

Account holder: Club Rotario de Copán Ruinas

Put your full name and “Polio Run” in the transfer description, so the treasurer can find it even if the reference is mistyped.

The 7 digits on the transfer or deposit receipt. Numbers only.

Your details are used only to manage your registration and the race. You can ask to be removed at any time.

Fields marked with * are required.

Total to pay L 250
Categories

There is a category for you

Four categories by age on race day, each with women’s and men’s divisions. You don’t pick it on the form: it is worked out from your date of birth.

  • 12–19

    Ages 12 to 19

    Women’s and men’s

    Under-18s need a parent’s or guardian’s consent.

  • 20–29

    Ages 20 to 29

    Women’s and men’s

  • 30–39

    Ages 30 to 39

    Women’s and men’s

  • 40+

    Ages 40 and up

    Women’s and men’s

Minimum age: 12 on race day. Runners under 18 hand in a parent’s or guardian’s consent when picking up the kit.

The route

From the town square to the Maya city and back

Few races in the world start in a colonial square and pass, a kilometre later, in front of a World Heritage Site. This one does: you leave Parque Central along the CA-11 road, run past the Archaeological Park and the quarter of the Maya nobility, and come back to the square along the same road.

Start and finish: Parque Central de Copán Ruinas

Start at 6:00 a.m., both distances together.

The route, kilometre by kilometre

5K course

One lap: Parque Central, the Archaeological Park and the Maya nobles’ quarter, turning at km 2.5.

  1. Lap 1: To km 2.5, just past the Maya nobles’ quarter, and back to Parque Central · 5 km
See the 5K route on Strava

10K course

Two laps: the first to the Marina Copán Convention Center, the second to the Maya nobles’ quarter.

  1. Lap 1: To the Marina Copán Convention Center and back to Parque Central · 6 km
  2. Lap 2: To the Maya nobles’ quarter and back to Parque Central · 4 km
See the 10K route on Strava
  1. Kilometre 0

    Parque Central

    Start and finish, in front of the church.

  2. Kilometre 1

    Archaeological Park

    The entrance to the Maya city of Copán, a World Heritage Site since 1980.

  3. Kilometre 2

    Maya nobles’ quarter

    Where Copán’s nobility lived, right by the road.

  4. Kilometre 3

    Marina Copán Convention Center

    The farthest point of the course: the 10K turns here.

Every kilometre, a Maya number

The Maya of Copán wrote numbers with dots and bars: a dot is one and a bar is five. On this page every kilometre of the course carries its number that way. Learn to read them before the start.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10

Stay for the weekend: after the race, the archaeological park, the macaws and the hot springs fill Saturday and Sunday. We have a full guide.

See the Copán Ruinas guide
The #PolioRun returns

Not the first time Copán runs against polio

The Rotary Club of Copán Ruinas has organized the #PolioRun before as a community fundraising race. In 2026 it returns with two distances and categories for all ages, with the Maya city as the backdrop.

Photos and videos from previous editions are on the club’s Facebook.

See previous editions
Sponsorship

Your brand on every shirt and every bib

The official shirt is worn on race day and for months afterwards. The bib is in every finish-line photo. The spaces are few and sell on a first-come basis.

The official shirt

Polio Run 1 3 3 2 4

  1. Chest 1 space

    The main space, next to the race name.

  2. Back 1 space

    The most visible during the race: everyone behind reads it.

  3. Sleeves 2 spaces

    One brand per sleeve.

  4. Lower back 6 spaces

    The partners strip, in two rows.

The bib

Polio Run 2026 1 8 2 2

  1. Top strip 1 space

    Above the number, next to the race name.

  2. Bottom strip 2 spaces

    Below the number, in every finish photo.

Also available

  • The start and finish arch
  • The water stations
  • The runner’s kit bag

What your company gets

  • Your logo in the contracted space, printed on every shirt or bib.
  • A mention in the race posts on the club’s social media and on this page.
  • Presence on race day: a banner at the start and finish, and space for an activation if you wish.
  • A letter of thanks from the club for your social responsibility report.

The price of each space is sent in the proposal, together with print dimensions. Ask for it and you’ll have it the same day.

Request the sponsorship proposal

Or write directly to patrocinios@rotarycopan.com

On the form, choose “The Polio Run 2026” under what you’d like to sponsor.

Sponsorship

Your business can come along with us

Tell us what interests you and we’ll send a proposal with the detail of each tier.

That’s where the proposal goes.

Please include the country code.

It shapes the proposal. Leave it blank if you’d rather not say.

Your details are used for that and nothing else.

Fields marked with * are required.

See you at the start

Every step counts. So does every registration.

Polio Run 2026 · Copán Ruinas · Saturday, October 24, 2026.

From L 250 · All categories

Register info@rotarycopan.com
Your questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a Rotarian to run?
No. The Polio Run is open to everyone: Copán residents, visitors, running clubs, schools and companies. All it takes is registering and showing up at the start.
How much does it cost and what does it include?
There is one price for the 5K and another for the 10K, the same for every category; both are in the distances section. Registration includes the official race shirt and the bib.
How do I pay?
Only by bank transfer or deposit to the club’s account at Banco de Occidente; the account number is on the form. Pay first, then register: the form asks for the seven-digit reference on your receipt. Put your name and “Polio Run” in the description.
When is my spot confirmed?
When you register you get a “registration received” email: your spot is pending confirmation. The treasurer checks your reference against the bank statement and, as soon as it shows up, you get a second email confirming your spot with your bib number. If it hasn’t arrived within three business days, reply to that email.
Where does the money go?
What the race raises, after the cost of organizing it, goes to PolioPlus, Rotary International’s polio eradication fund, where every dollar is tripled thanks to the Gates Foundation. The club publishes the result after the race.
Can children run?
From age 12 on race day, in the 12–19 category, and with a parent’s or guardian’s consent if under 18. There is no kids’ race for under-12s this year.
When and where do I pick up my kit?
On Friday, October 23, 2026, the day before the race, in Copán Ruinas. The place and time are published here as soon as the committee confirms them, and sent by WhatsApp to every registered runner.
Where do I stay if I’m coming from out of town?
Copán Ruinas has hotels and hostels a few minutes’ walk from Parque Central, where the race starts. Our visitor guide covers how to get here, what to see and what it costs.
How do I sponsor the race?
There are spaces on the official shirt and on the bib, plus the start and finish arch and the water stations. They are in the sponsorship section; request the proposal and you’ll receive it with prices and dimensions.

From L 250

Register