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Marathon - St. Petersburg Distance Classic
 
 
 
 
 

St. Petersburg Marathon

Enjoy central Florida’s only downtown waterfront marathon on the Gulf Coast that offers the perfect combination of a scenic course, ideal weather, and award-winning beaches for your post-race recovery.

You will love our visually varied, primarily flat, scenic course. The marathon course is USATF certified (FL19019TY). The St. Petersburg Marathon was the first ever 26.2 mile race staged entirely in St. Petersburg. After a tour of the west coast of Florida’s most wonderful waterfront and eclectic downtown area, the marathon course heads west on the Pinellas Trail, a Hall-of-Fame, Rails-to-Trails linear park that stretches from St. Pete’s waterfront through Pinellas County to Tarpon Springs.

Afterward, you’ll be able to relax and recover on our award-winning beaches just a few miles away, featuring our area’s famous white sand and the mild waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

St. Petersburg is an excellent choice if you’re seeking a mid-winter break and considering an escape to the south. C’mon down!

Pacers

We will have pacers for the Marathon and Half Marathon, courtesy of Beast Pacing.

The Course
St. Petersburg Marathon

Click here to enlarge map and zoom in.

The St. Petersburg Marathon starts at North Shore Park on our beautiful downtown waterfront and heads north into Snell Isle to view some of our area’s finest historic homes. The course continues through Snell Isle and around Coffee Pot Bayou before returning towards North Shore Park. There is one small bridge to cross that is about 10 feet high. That is the only incline during the marathon’s first 10+ miles (see photo).

St. Petersburg MarathonOur Marathon continues south on the waterfront to Central Avenue, turns north at 1st Street through our bustling downtown, west on 3rd Avenue North passing Fit2Run’s downtown Running Superstore to Mirror Lake, and circling it counter-clockwise.

The race course turns south at 6th Street N, back to and west on Central Avenue, at about mile 7.5, reaching a dynamic mixture of the best local shops. Watch for an abundance of huge murals on Central Avenue’s building walls, as St. Petersburg is genuinely a well-known haven for artists of all types.

Our marathon reaches an out-and-back section on Central Avenue, allowing runners to see their friends and fellow athletes as they head in opposite directions.

Runners turn south at 22nd St. and at mile 10, access the Pinellas Trail, a smoothly paved and shaded linear park recognized in the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame. Runners head west to a turn-around point near the Tyrone Mall, passing more colorful murals on the walls of buildings adjacent to the Trail. There are two overpasses on the Pinellas Trail, which athletes pass over two times each.

The St. Petersburg Marathon heads east along the Pinellas Trail, passing Tropicana Field while running adjacent to First Avenue South, to the waterfront, heading north with gorgeous water views of our marinas and docks filled with sailboats and yachts, to the finish line at North Shore Park. 

The marathon course has been accurately measured and is USATF certified (FL19019TY), therefore, a Boston Qualifier for 2023 and beyond. Besides the overpasses on the Pinellas Trail and the bridge into Snell Isle, this course is extremely flat.

Receive race updates & special offers

We’re located in the beautiful Tampa Bay area, with races in St. Petersburg, Fort DeSoto Park, and Madeira Beach to Largo.

“I have run many races (all distances) and many marathons (28-29). I know that putting on a race is not easy; putting on a marathon is a tremendous undertaking. The traffic control was excellent; I just can’t praise the volunteers enough – they are wonderful – we runners couldn’t do it without them. There was lots of water, Gatorade, etc. on the course, and great food afterwards (and my husband enjoyed the beer). So thank you for everything. Enjoyed running your race. Again, congratulations on doing an excellent job.”
– Cathy Detman, Flint, MI

Our 2024-25 Season

Fort De Soto Distance Classic
15K, 10K, 5K & Virtual

Sunday, September 15, 2024
Fort De Soto Park

Sunday, October 13, 2024
Fort De Soto Park
TBD, 2024
Madeira Beach to Largo (Taylor Park)