Green means “GO!” at the Shamrock Distance Classic Halfathon, 10K & 5K. This may this be your lucky PR race due to the fast and flat courses at historic Fort De Soto Park. With a distance for every level of runner and walker, the Shamrock Distance Classic offers a fun, …
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Green means “GO!” at the Shamrock Distance Classic Halfathon, 10K & 5K. This may this be your lucky PR race due to the fast and flat courses at historic Fort De Soto Park.
With a distance for every level of runner and walker, the Shamrock Distance Classic offers a fun, yet competitive race as we wind down our race season before the heat of Florida summers.
An early morning start, coinciding with a spectacular sunrise, gets you running while it’s still cool and breezy. Though you are never running on the sand, you can see Fort De Soto’s award-winning beach from various points along the course.
Depending on which distance you run, you’ll get to experience the natural beauty of the park – a gorgeous view of the Sunshine Skyway from East Beach, the remains of the historic fort which dates back to 1898, and a shady nature trail through Arrowhead Park.
Parking is plenty and pre-paid to avoid a bottle-neck at the entrance. There are plenty of aid stations on the course with 8 oz. bottled waters.
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Great event as always. Good timing
Great event, but only had a dark beer or IPA. NOT EVERYONE LIKE DARK BEER. Directions needed a little improvement but not bad. Good snacks and it was fun. These … MORE
Great event, but only had a dark beer or IPA. NOT EVERYONE LIKE DARK BEER. Directions needed a little improvement but not bad. Good snacks and it was fun. These guys always do a good job.
Race Production was a Mess
This was my first time running the St. Pete Distance Classic but definitely not my first race. We were spending the winter in Florida so I wasn't familiar with the … MORE
This was my first time running the St. Pete Distance Classic but definitely not my first race. We were spending the winter in Florida so I wasn’t familiar with the area but thought it’d be cool to do a race through a state park next to the ocean. It would’ve been great had the production been better. The announcer/host was trying to give people an updated verbal race map, which apparently wasn’t the same route that had been posted for months. She told everybody the WRONG ROUTE and didn’t correct herself until after the marathon/half marathoners had started. (I was running the 10K.) She then talked about park landmarks like everybody knew the place like the back of their hand. I had no idea what she was talking about the whole time and it gave me so much anxiety prior to start.
On the course, old race mile markers were left out on the course so nobody had any clue where we were at or going the entire time. Many 5K-ers ran way too far because of lack of signage. I seriously had no idea how far I was on the course until I hit the 5 mile mark. I had passed a 4-mile marker way too early in the race and ended up spending way too much energy early.
This is a really flat, easy course for those looking for a PR or good time to qualify elsewhere. But I can tell you I’ll never run this one again.
Nice event but ...
The run was nice and the setup was also good. - The post-party was nice with many snacks and fruit. They did very well on this part. - The T-Shirt … MORE
The run was nice and the setup was also good.
– The post-party was nice with many snacks and fruit. They did very well on this part.
– The T-Shirt was one of the best shirts I have gotten at a race in the past 2 years. It is a real dry-fit shirt and it did not have a big goddy iron on. It is a shirt that I will wear and run in at many future races and that will advertise this event big time.
– The timing was fine but the results getting posted were terrible see below.
Let’s talk about terms that need improvement:
1. The end of the race was confusing for many people. I thought it might just be me but not the case. Some people said it was stupid. The start of the 5K was different than the end of the race which is normal in many races but they were telling people to stay in the left lane and then they removed the start line and had the 5K runners switch lanes and finish acress the Half Start/Finish line which is fine but say something. I saw many runners crossing over between the cones at the end and many people did not kick it at the end because they did not know where the Finish was. Actually it was obvious but confusing.
2. Cheap Finisher medals and lanyards.