Florida Shamrock Distance Classic
St. Petersburg, FL
- Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 Miler
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
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, … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Mar 28):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 86 | 83 | 75 | 81 | 77 |
| L (°F) | 68 | 66 | 68 | 67 | 66 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Go for the location, not the race
Half Marathon is combined with the 10K making it more crowded than it needs to be. Location is great as it’s at Fort De Soto. Very tropical landscape. No elevation. … MORE
Half Marathon is combined with the 10K making it more crowded than it needs to be.
Location is great as it’s at Fort De Soto. Very tropical landscape. No elevation. Con is that since it’s closer to the gulf, it’s way more humid and due to the trees in certain areas of the course, it can be hotter. There also at times is no shade.
Aid stations have water and/or Gatorade. The issue is they are all congregated near the start or end of the race. I think if I recall, they had some at mile 1,2,3 then 6 then maybe 9 and 10? Would have much preferred them to be split out every two miles. The other issue is that at times there weren’t enough volunteers at the water station. At one station, I had to wait for them to fill a cup.
The medal is unique. You get a tshirt. That’s about all the swag unless you win overall or your age group.
Beer was better than other races. Had chips and bananas.
Other than the aid stations, it’s not a bad race. Just don’t expect it to be like more prominent races and just enjoy the run and scenery.
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.
Its fine
Its an ok race. Not much is special about it other than it is flat. It can be hot as there is no shade. I have run it multiple times … MORE
Its an ok race. Not much is special about it other than it is flat. It can be hot as there is no shade.
I have run it multiple times and its the same each time.