Mote’s 39th Annual Run for the Turtles draws over a thousand runners to support sea turtle conservation

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s 39th Annual Run for the Turtles welcomed nearly 1,100 runners to Siesta Key Beach and virtual tracks around the globe. Participants took part in the 1-mile fun run and the Manasota Track Club-sanctioned 5k, showing up in support of Mote’s longstanding sea turtle conservation efforts.

This year’s Run was another major success. While the final fundraising total is still being calculated, the event is expected to bring in approximately $45,000 to support Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program (STCRP), which monitors 35 miles of nesting beaches daily during sea turtle nesting season and studies sea turtles through tagging and satellite tracking.

“For nearly four decades, this event has helped fuel our mission to protect sea turtles in the wild,” said Melissa Macksey, Senior Biologist and Conservation Manager of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. “It’s inspiring to see our community show up year after year to support these incredible animals and the science that safeguards their future.”

In 2024, STCRP documented nearly 4,400 sea turtle nests across the beaches it monitors—a promising sign for these threatened species. To learn more about the program, visit mote.org/research/program/sea-turtle-conservation-research.

Sea turtle nesting season in southwest Florida begins May 1 and runs through October 31. Coastal residents and visitors can help by keeping beaches dark and clear at night—turning off or shielding lights visible from the beach, and removing obstacles like furniture and trash that can interfere with nesting and hatchlings.

Thank you to this year’s partners and sponsors:
Ed Howard Lincoln, Boat Guys, Caldwell Trust Company, Freedom Solar Power, Hollard Law Group, Manatee Gourmet Coffee, Shutts Attorneys at Law, West Coast Power, Whiting-Turner/ Willis Smith Construction, Devin Cahn Associates, and Southern Helm. 

Results

Manasota Track Club sanctioned 5k:
Top Overall:
Male – Sebastian Kovendy
Female – Heather Butcher
Top Master:
Male – Andrew Sargent
Female – Vicky Romocki
Top Grandmaster:
Male – Jason Nixon
Female – Rachel Chambers
Top Senior Grandmaster:
Male – Roger JanczaK
Female – Linda Bayne See the full results here.