I ran the Clearwater Running Festival Challenge - the 5K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday, as a destination weekend getaway with a friend. We definitely enjoyed the … MORE
I ran the Clearwater Running Festival Challenge – the 5K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday, as a destination weekend getaway with a friend. We definitely enjoyed the race location, start and finish right along the gulf coast. The course is one big loop for the half marathon (2 loops for the full) and loops over 3 large bridges and through neighborhoods and along the strip between Clearwater Beach and Belleair Beach. We were able to stay within reasonable walking distance of the start/finish area.
The packet pickup was a breeze, with a few vendors but no big expo. It was at the start/finish area in Sand Key park with plenty of parking if you didn’t walk.
The beginning of the race was delayed because there was so much traffic coming into the park, the roadway wasn’t cleared in time to start at the scheduled start time. This wasn’t a huge deal at the beginning, but it meant that everyone was exposed to 10-15 extra minutes of hot Florida sun later in the race.
The start line became a huge bottleneck because of the horseshoe bend turn the road takes as soon as you cross the start line. This could easily be avoided or lessened by starting the race in waves or corrals. All 3 races started together – half, full, and 50K. Starting the full and 50K 5-10 minutes before the half also would have been a tremendous help. While the bottleneck was annoying, it also served an unexpected purpose of keeping me from starting too fast.
Out of the park, the race went over the first of the 3 large bridges. I heard many people complaining about these “hills” which I didn’t think were too bad, especially with a nice downhill following the uphill. I also run in an area that has quite a few hills, so for me they weren’t bad hills. There were enough trees and clouds to keep the race from being too hot until you reached mile 8-9. This is where the course left the shelter of the neighborhoods with trees and headed over the last bridge to the straightaway back to the park. This part of the course was in full sun early on and it was quite warm for a January day in Florida. The police did a good job of stopping traffic to let the runners cross the road and head back into the park for the finish.
I enjoyed being able to walk right out to the Gulf of Mexico and put my feet in the water after finishing the race – definitely a nice perk!! Post race food included the standard water, banana and other packaged snacks. They had a big tent set up on the beach to enjoy your post race snacks and adult beverage (if you chose to redeem your drink ticket).
The medals are HUGE! I ended up with the 3rd bonus medal for completing the challenge and these medals are by far my largest race medals. We also received a short sleeve shirt for the 5k, a quarter zip pullover of the same shirt material for the half/full/50K, and a reusable bag which doubled as many peoples’ drop bags.
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Fun Destination Race
I ran the Clearwater Running Festival Challenge - the 5K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday, as a destination weekend getaway with a friend. We definitely enjoyed the … MORE
I ran the Clearwater Running Festival Challenge – the 5K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday, as a destination weekend getaway with a friend. We definitely enjoyed the race location, start and finish right along the gulf coast. The course is one big loop for the half marathon (2 loops for the full) and loops over 3 large bridges and through neighborhoods and along the strip between Clearwater Beach and Belleair Beach. We were able to stay within reasonable walking distance of the start/finish area.
The packet pickup was a breeze, with a few vendors but no big expo. It was at the start/finish area in Sand Key park with plenty of parking if you didn’t walk.
The beginning of the race was delayed because there was so much traffic coming into the park, the roadway wasn’t cleared in time to start at the scheduled start time. This wasn’t a huge deal at the beginning, but it meant that everyone was exposed to 10-15 extra minutes of hot Florida sun later in the race.
The start line became a huge bottleneck because of the horseshoe bend turn the road takes as soon as you cross the start line. This could easily be avoided or lessened by starting the race in waves or corrals. All 3 races started together – half, full, and 50K. Starting the full and 50K 5-10 minutes before the half also would have been a tremendous help. While the bottleneck was annoying, it also served an unexpected purpose of keeping me from starting too fast.
Out of the park, the race went over the first of the 3 large bridges. I heard many people complaining about these “hills” which I didn’t think were too bad, especially with a nice downhill following the uphill. I also run in an area that has quite a few hills, so for me they weren’t bad hills. There were enough trees and clouds to keep the race from being too hot until you reached mile 8-9. This is where the course left the shelter of the neighborhoods with trees and headed over the last bridge to the straightaway back to the park. This part of the course was in full sun early on and it was quite warm for a January day in Florida. The police did a good job of stopping traffic to let the runners cross the road and head back into the park for the finish.
I enjoyed being able to walk right out to the Gulf of Mexico and put my feet in the water after finishing the race – definitely a nice perk!! Post race food included the standard water, banana and other packaged snacks. They had a big tent set up on the beach to enjoy your post race snacks and adult beverage (if you chose to redeem your drink ticket).
The medals are HUGE! I ended up with the 3rd bonus medal for completing the challenge and these medals are by far my largest race medals. We also received a short sleeve shirt for the 5k, a quarter zip pullover of the same shirt material for the half/full/50K, and a reusable bag which doubled as many peoples’ drop bags.
Hot, hot, hot
Pros: Lots of pace groups, easy to find and lots of parking, great after party on the beach, fantastic swag. Cons: SO hot, double loop course, not enough bathrooms (especially … MORE
Pros:
Lots of pace groups, easy to find and lots of parking, great after party on the beach, fantastic swag.
Cons: SO hot, double loop course, not enough bathrooms (especially in the first loop when there’s a lot of runners), aid stations not staffed, and lack of support on course.
Beautiful Course! 🌴
This course was absolutely breathtaking! I flew down from NH for a runcation and stayed adjacent to the start/finish at the Sheraton Sand Keys Resort. The race began at sunrise … MORE
This course was absolutely breathtaking! I flew down from NH for a runcation and stayed adjacent to the start/finish at the Sheraton Sand Keys Resort. The race began at sunrise and the views were spectacular.
Transportation/Parking: The race began 10 minutes late allowing travelers to park and get ready to run. There was parking nearby but I stayed right on site so could walk to pick up my bib
Course: I’m not used to such flat terrain! The bridges had quite the inclines but otherwise the course was a pancake
Scenery: SO much to see! I ran with my phone in hand and snagged photos of the sunrise, birds, palm trees and the waterscape
Crowd Support: There were some areas with spectators which helped for an extra push through the course but wish there were some more
Aid stations: Lots of water stops (some even manned by neighbors of the race) I did not see any gels or syrup available through the course but believe they were out for the full and ultra marathons
Race Photos: I saw a couple photographers along the course and also at the finish along with the finish line video which is a great bonus
After Party/Festival: There was music, a massage area, waters/bananas/granola bars, ice bath area and sauna right on the beach! We also got free beer tickets to relax with on the beach afterwards
Medal/Swag: I ran the 5K on Sat and half on Sun and received 3 giant medals for completing both races! We also got a long sleeved quarter zip for the half and free beer
Negatives: Some areas on the course were tight as we ran along the breakdown lane on the road so I went onto the grass a couple of times.
I’m already planning next years trip back to Clearwater for this race!
Nice weekend, wicked race
Pros: - Clearwater is a lovely destination race in January - Flat, 2x loop course for marathon - Nice medals and shirts - some great views while going over three … MORE
Pros:
– Clearwater is a lovely destination race in January
– Flat, 2x loop course for marathon
– Nice medals and shirts
– some great views while going over three different causeways
Cons:
– won’t be getting much crowd support if you need it
– water stops were understaffed but thank you to those that were there and working feverishly to try and keep pace with the runners
– was a warm run – but it is Florida so it was expected
– narrow running lanes in several spots; fine if running alone but made it tight when in a group. 2nd loop was wide open with some exceptions down the home stretch where runners were relegated to a bike path that was uneven (1/2 asphalt, 1/2 concrete curb)
Other thoughts:
– if I go back to run here again it will be the 1/2 option and be done before it gets too warm
– easy access to ocean to soak sore legs in after your run
– they had a combo medal for those that ran 5K on Saturday and followed with the 1/2 or full on Sunday
Bad event, poor set up
Three of us went, and my niece took 1st Place Overall Woman. None of us will return next year because of how poorly this event was set up. 1. At … MORE
Three of us went, and my niece took 1st Place Overall Woman. None of us will return next year because of how poorly this event was set up.
1. At the start of the race, there was a turn right after the start of the race, and people were tripping on each other.
2. Bridge that runners went up, down, back up, and then down, and the bridge was large, but that is life.
3. No awards at the end of the race, and they had it advertised. I just found out that they gave a clear cheap coaster that said the same thing on all coasters to the winners, I guess.
4. No Awards as promised for the 1st thru 3rd Place winners of the race.
5. The only snacks that were at the end of the race were unripe bananas or crackers.
6. This was a big event and not cheap, yet the race was set up terribly, and no nothing at the end of the race. Within 10 minutes, the event was cleared out, and runners were very disappointed.
Millennium Racing Events put this on, and I suggest not doing their events.
We will not return next year, and many other runners said the same thing.
Easy to get to from Tampa airport
The big draw for me was hearing Ali Feller (podcaster Ali on the Run) announcing my name at the finish! Coming from the mountains of Colorado to sea level, I … MORE
The big draw for me was hearing Ali Feller (podcaster Ali on the Run) announcing my name at the finish!
Coming from the mountains of Colorado to sea level, I thought I was going to nail a PR, but alas I did not. So much for altitude training. The bridges give you some incline, but it wasn’t that difficult. I did not even have to stop and walk, and I am not a fan of hills. The best views were from the bridges. Also, the neighborhoods were pretty. No crowd support, until the finish where others runners cheered you to the line.
Aids stations were plentiful and well run. I chose not to use my hydration vest. Crazy cold weather that day. 32 degrees at the start. I wore full winter running gear. I felt sorry for those not prepared with gloves.
3 weeks post race and I have not received any race photos. I did get a video of the finish line that is the entire race. I scrolled through and did a screen capture to get a finish line picture of myself.
Overall, fun race.
Climb the Bridges for a Beautiful View
Packet Pickup: I picked up my packet on Saturday morning and there was no line for the bib. The line for the shirt was 5-10 minutes. Parking: There are nearby … MORE
Packet Pickup: I picked up my packet on Saturday morning and there was no line for the bib. The line for the shirt was 5-10 minutes.
Parking: There are nearby hotels so some people walked or rode the shuttle (Sunday only). Parking was $5 but it’s the closest parking I’ve ever had to the finish line (and I needed it).
Start Line: Plenty of porta-potties and I only waited in line for few minutes. I was at the back of the pack and couldn’t hear the announcer very well. There were no corrals but I could clearly see the pacers.
Weather: The temperature had dipped to a chilly 36 degrees at the low and was about 55 when I finished. I wore a t-shirt and arm sleeves in case I was too hot but it was chilly enough to keep them on the entire race. I wore a raggedy hoody and dumped it the first two miles to stay warm at the start. My legs also burned a little so it was great having a little protection from the sun. With the sun rising, the second half has much more exposure.
Course: You run a half-marathon loop twice. There are three bridges that I estimate are 75′ tall with the first being the steepest and each succeeding bridge has less of a grade. It’s heck of a climb but it’s such a beautiful view to overlook Clearwater. The course is flat between the first and second bridge and after the third bridge. There are slight hills between the second and third bridge. The course starts wide and gradually gets narrower during the first half-marathon. The second half is narrow when running on the streets.
Aid Stations: There was no entertainment but each aid station had helpful volunteers, orange Gatorade and water. The website says all aid stations will have a porta-potty but they are actually offset by a short distance. One porta-potty per stop.
Crowd: This race really lacked a cheering crowd which I found very surprising because it has so much potential. The course runs by the hotels, through residential neighborhoods, etc. There are so many areas for a crowd to gather but not many were there. Even a few residents came outside and asked what the race was. People were there where it counted though: the last 4 miles. I was walking from maybe 50 feet away and a couple was cheering me to keep going and as much as it hurt to start again, I pushed through.
Finish Line: Of course, most of the crowd was at the finish line cheering everyone when they came in. I received my medal and water nearly right away. Caddy’s was offering breakfast burritos at the end of the lot toward the beach. A tent was setup nearby on the beach to collect a Sam Adams Session Ale and relax in the beach chairs.
SWAG: Love the medal and it really says a lot about the course. The palm trees, rising sun, and beautiful view. Beautiful medal. I’m a bit nitpicky about the 1/4 zip shirt. I like that my wife’s 5k t-shirt has the large emblem on the front. Would’ve loved that on the back of my shirt but its a small emblem on the pec. Also, my ego wants to tell people I ran a marathon but the shirt displays all running distances.
Performance: I was not well prepared for any marathon and I was surprised I pulled off 10:30 pace especially with climbing the bridges. Besides the aid station stops, I ran steadily all the way until the last 5k. Run exercises in hilly Cincinnati are probably what got me through the bridges. My only double digit run during training was 12 miles in mid-November. Afterwards, I was plagued with injuries and lack of time. I would’ve been better prepared for the wall and recovery with more long runs.
Scenic Sunday run
Another great Millennium Running production! This is the only event they do in the South. I teased the owner that they traded the mountains of New Hampshire for the bridges … MORE
Another great Millennium Running production! This is the only event they do in the South. I teased the owner that they traded the mountains of New Hampshire for the bridges of Florida… no sea level racing, but the views of the inter-coastal waterway and sun rising over downtown Clearwater make running the bridges worth it. Not many spectators (it was Gasparilla the day before) but a lot of volunteers. The last 2 1/2 miles are run on the bike lane of Gulf Blvd which made for single file running and you’d have to pass on the right to avoid cars on the left. The various Clearwater, Belleair, Belleair Bluffs and other PDs did a great job marshaling traffic.