Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon & 8k

From the starting line in downtown Tampa at the corner of Platt and Parker Streets, the half marathon — presented by Publix — takes the field on a winding course, the first half of which follows a circuitous route around Davis Island, which lies just to the southwest of downtown. After running southward along Channel Drive, which runs alongside the waters of the city’s Seddon Channel, the course then runs around the southern end of the island and back toward downtown across the Davis Islands Bridge for the second half of the race. Most of this stretch takes runners along Bayshore Boulevard, with the open expanse of the gorgeously scenic Hillsborough Bay over the runners’ shoulders in both directions. The course takes runners all the way out to the intersection with West Julia Street, and then turns around and heads back along Bayshore to the finish line. Participants in the half marathon will be expected to keep a pace of 16 minutes per mile or better, as the roadways will close for race participants and re-open to traffic after 4 hours. If they haven’t completed the first five miles by 7:20 AM — the scheduled starting time for the half is 6:00 AM – runners will be asked to move to the sidewalk in order to finish their race.