SA 23: Quito

Over the course of four days, I relax in Quito and spend time with my family.

Jun 24, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to 1000 Miles South America. My goal is to run 1000 miles on every continent and I started my fourth on May 22, 2026. I finished running from volcano to volcano in Ecuador, climbing and skiing each one, on June 11, 2026. Now I’m continuing to run through Ecuador. Follow this blog or my Instagram for updates.

Trip Report

Summary: Over the course of four days, I relax in Quito and spend time with my family.

I take a four hour bus north to Quito, recovering all the ground I ran through over the past several weeks.

Time to catch up on fruits and vegetables

$1 per huge cup of fruit.

A city tour takes us to this Catholic Church, Basilica del Voto Nacional. Largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas and second highest church in South America with towers at 115 meters.

Construction took a century, beginning in 1892. Ecuador was a poor country at the time of construction, so taking on the project of building one of the biggest churches in the Americas was no small commitment. The idea for the church came from Gabriel Garcia Moreno, the president of Ecuador from 1860-1875. He grew up in a period of civil unrest and disunity between coastal and Andean cultures. He used Catholicism as a way to build national identity, which remains a strong unifying force for Ecuador. Moreno is buried at the church.

Iglesia de Santa Barbara. This church was founded around 1566 much before the basilica and dates back to the colonial era. It has been rebuilt over time.

At about 2850m (9350ft), Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world. That altitude, however, is remarkably temperate on the Ecuador. Temperatures hover around the 60s year round. I have noticed while running that things only tend to feel “alpine” (cold, rainy, stormy) above 4000m or 13120ft.