Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon
Biloxi, MS
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Beer Mile, Beer Mile Relay, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon showcases the local culture with a beautiful beachside run from Pass Christian to Biloxi. Kick off the weekend in Biloxi for packet pickup and grab some commemorative merchandise to celebrate your accomplishment. Saturday morning is our Chevron Kids Marathon 1 Mile Run and the Margaritaville … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Dec 12):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (Ā°F) | 69 | 58 | 62 | 72 | 59 |
| L (Ā°F) | 44 | 38 | 39 | 60 | 46 |
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Run along the beach for 12 miles!
What could be better than running along the beach for 12 miles. It was that hill at the end that made me give this 3 shoes. It was EXTREMELY windy … MORE
What could be better than running along the beach for 12 miles. It was that hill at the end that made me give this 3 shoes. It was EXTREMELY windy and that hill was straight up and into the wind! Tough! But overall, great course along the beach. Post race party was great! Good food and awesome people! Only disappointment was, they ran out of race swag bags. We had to pick up our packet the morning of and they were all gone. If you run this and the Louisiana race you are awarded the Beach to Bayou medal. Fun to compete for that!
Fun destination run, PR-friendly course
Though the weather wasnāt as warm as it normally is, the run was nice along the gulf coast. Very flat, so easy to keep a consistent pace. The climb on … MORE
Though the weather wasnāt as warm as it normally is, the run was nice along the gulf coast. Very flat, so easy to keep a consistent pace. The climb on the exit ramp to end the race was a bit tough after no incline for the first 12 miles. Felt out of place, but the ending in the stadium was a nice touch. We stayed at the Beau Rivage so the logistics were great. Itās more of a destination run, so donāt expect many spectators.
Flat and Fast Beach Run in Biloxi, MS
I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi for this race with my mom. We had the best time exploring! We enjoyed a lovely pre-race dinner with the 50 States Half Marathon Club … MORE
I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi for this race with my mom. We had the best time exploring! We enjoyed a lovely pre-race dinner with the 50 States Half Marathon Club group at the Half Shell Oyster House. We stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton, which was very convenient to the start line buses and the finish. Logistically, this race was very well organized. The Expo was small, but had merch and photo ops. Bib pick-up was straightforward and quick, the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. We had opted to rent a car for this trip so it wasn’t a huge deal, but I would have preferred to have bib pick up in Biloxi near my hotel. The start line buses ran very smoothly on race morning. The course is flat and fast, straight along the coastline from Gulfport to Biloxi. The scenery is beautiful, but it is the same for the entire race. I found it to be a bit daunting to be staring towards the finish the entire time! It was cool and windy, most noticeable as we climbed the highway ramp hill in the final mile. Tough to be able to see into the finish line fun and not be done yet! The finish line festivities are awesome! Yes, you have to climb the stairs to get to the fun, but I had 6 (!) food and beverage tags on my bib so we enjoyed warm gumbo, pulled pork sandwiches, and drinks. The swag is top-notch. The race t-shirt is super soft and my new favorite. The medal is beautiful, beachy, sparkly, and features the iconic Biloxi lighthouse. The race is back-of-the-pack friendly, with a long time limit and so many well-stocked aid stations. This is a perfect choice for Mississippi, I would run it again!
Beachfront beauty with a ballpark finish
This race was the hardest one Iāve ever had to work to get to, and it had nothing to do with the production! I was supposed to fly in the … MORE
This race was the hardest one Iāve ever had to work to get to, and it had nothing to do with the production! I was supposed to fly in the night prior from a race in Kiawah,South Carolina, but due to heavy fog, the airplane had to return to Atlanta. And at 1:30 in the morning, my friend and I rented a car and drove five straight hours to Biloxi. With no sleep, changing in the car on the way, running to the Porta potties, and then to the start line, we had about two minutes to spare! So this race was accomplished on no sleep!
All that being said, it was very worth it. Itās a straight shot from Gulfport to Biloxi along the beach in Mississippi. I donāt think youāll find another race anywhere thatās almost entirely beachfront. As a beach bum , I totally appreciated it. It was flat except for a very curved and slanted overpass towards the very end. And on this particular day, with a cold front coming in, the winds were gusting to 40 miles an hour, I believe. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the route, and the ending in the ballpark. It was a fun finish, with delicious Gumbo and pork sandwiches and beer. I was very lucky to have had my bib mailed to me so I could start the race on time. But due to the late arrival in town, there was no swag bag per se. I was handed a T-shirt after the race, and told that even the decorative bags had been misplaced, so no cute bag. Kind of frustrating but a little detail. All the workers and volunteers were super friendly and you could tell they really loved helping out. Unfortunately, we had to fly out so we didnāt spend much time at the after party at the brewery. All in all, glad to have chosen this this is a race. Additionally, if you finish this race and the Louisiana marathon race, youāll get an additional medal.
Nice scenery, but boring
Overall, this was a decent race. Pros: It was ran well and it was organized. Packet pick up had limited parking but was quick. The course was mostly flat. They … MORE
Overall, this was a decent race.
Pros: It was ran well and it was organized. Packet pick up had limited parking but was quick. The course was mostly flat. They had a shuttle to the start line which was very nice. Nice medal. Plenty of aid stations. Post race food was amazing- you truly feel the southern hospitality. There was shrimp gumbo, pulled pork sandwiches, protein drinks, beer, bananas, etc. This is the best selection of post race food Iāve ever experienced.
Cons: No starting corrals. The race was all road which I actually like, but the beach was to the far right and you could barely enjoy it while running. Practically zero crowd support. The biggest dislike for me was the on ramp around mile 12. It was uphill, and we were running against the wind. The wind was VERY STRONG. Iāve never experienced anything like it. I actually was unable to continue running because the of the wind. I couldnāt see or breathe properly. I had to walk for about half a mile which threw my finish time off. I feel everyone should be made aware of this because at this point in a race, you are ready to be done and not faced with this challenge.
In summary, I wonāt run this one again, but it was a decent experience. It checked off my Mississippi half marathon and there were a lot of things I liked about it.
Enjoyable Scenery. Too few toilets.
We had to pick up our bibs in Gulfport. Why not in Biloxi? Meaningless expo. Nothing there. Waste of my time and gas. Too few porta-potties at start line. Had … MORE
We had to pick up our bibs in Gulfport. Why not in Biloxi? Meaningless expo. Nothing there. Waste of my time and gas. Too few porta-potties at start line. Had to wait over 20 minutes. Ridiculous! Cars driving fast in the same direction as runners. Did not feel safe. Race ended with having to climb up an interstate ramp. Last mile could be much better. Finish in stadium was nice. Food and drinks were good. Would not do it again.
Flat and windy
There was some confusion about the shuttles between the time I registered and the time the race was held so my hotel was miles from the shuttle start, which was … MORE
There was some confusion about the shuttles between the time I registered and the time the race was held so my hotel was miles from the shuttle start, which was a bummer.
Weather was windy and a bit of rain just before the start, which seems to be very common yet there is no protective accommodation at the start line except a few (not a lot) portapotties. Then the race is 24 miles of flat (who said boring?) and windy. There’s sand everywhere so wear eye protections, flying sand is no joke. The mileage signs were all down because of the wind (seems to be a recurring issue, why don’t they lest them?) and there were no toilets on-course (a few trees here and there, if you are a man…). Once in Biloxi at mile ~24 you climb onto I-110 which feels unnecessary at this stage: you are now facing the 20mph North winds on an unsafe road (it’s a moving bridge so there are gaps between the pieces, pay attention where you place your steps!), just to U-turn a few hundred yards after the Half marathoners did U-turn (somehow the two distances don’t match and the Half marathoners start at mile 12.6 of the full) and finish in the local baseball stadium. Once you are done with your race, please climb stairs to enjoy refreshments, bathrooms and gear check… This could be improved, just like the app they use for tracking and cheering (whoever designed this never ran once in their life) which stopped tracking at mile 4. Overall a nice mid-size race, perfect to check Mississippi off the list.
Gale Force Winds to Cross the Coastline
Race morning came early at 4:30 A.M. Shuttle service at Keesler Federal Park to the race start opened up for business at 4:45 A.M. for both the marathon and half … MORE
Race morning came early at 4:30 A.M. Shuttle service at Keesler Federal Park to the race start opened up for business at 4:45 A.M. for both the marathon and half marathon. A total of 5,200 runners showed up to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon events. Starting off, the temperature was a breezy 60Ā° with 94% humidity. My weather app said the wind was 11 mph, and it would later increase to 22 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. As the humidity waned throughout the morning, the wind would pick up significantly and the temperature would drop 10 degrees, making for race conditions that gave me Nebraska vibes.
The whole course was nearly pancake flat, with the exception of mile 12, and we ran a straight shot down I-90 the whole way from Gulfport to Biloxi with serene views of the Gulf to our right, and Waffle Houses and hotels to our left. After spotting the first Waffle House, I decided to make it into a game, and counted a total of 4 Waffle Houses along the course from Gulfport to the finish. By my math, on average, there is a Waffle House approximately every 3.2 miles.
My only complaint about this race is that there were not enough porta-potties for the first few miles. Aid stations with water, Powerade, and Gu gel were plentiful, almost every mile, which was wonderful. For a race that had nearly zero spectators along the course, there was no shortage of hundreds of volunteers eager to cheer us on and keep us hydrated. Around mile 5, the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino came into view, and it remained in our line of sight for the remainder of the race. This was a different kind of torture, because not only did the Beau Rivage mark the finish festival right across the street at Keesler Federal Park, but my hotel was also directly across from the Beau Rivage.
For the next 8 miles, I was motivated entirely by the finish line and a hot shower visible in the distance, though they seemed to not get any closer as the miles crept by. When we reached the exit ramp to I-110 just before mile 12, we experienced the less than desirable incline and banking of the ramp, the wind picked up to 22 – 30 mph, and I could feel the bone-chilling 10 degree temperature drop almost immediately. For mile 12 alone, I added a shoe to the “course difficulty” category.
The incline and relentless headwind continued until we reached the turnaround point on the ramp, and we were then treated to a very pleasant downhill, ushered with ease to the finish by gravity and the wind at our backs. After crossing the finish line, I asked a volunteer where we could make use of the food and beverage tickets attached to our bibs. She said she was pretty certain all the food was on the upper level of the stadium. I made the arduous climb up the stairs (exactly what I wanted to do after running 13 miles) to the top level. I am just going to say the post race food was, um… pretty awesome. I had spicy alfredo pasta, by accident (more details in my race report).
The race expo and packet pick-up was in Gulfport at the Centennial Plaza Resort, which was 5 minutes from the half marathon start location, and also served as the exact halfway point for the full marathon, which starts in Pass Christian. We got a nice preview of our race medals at the expo, and there was plenty of official merchandise for sale in the space. Picking up our packets was extremely simple and hassle-free, and all of the volunteers were extremely friendly and helpful. Leaving the coastal small-town charm of Biloxi was really difficult, and this is definitely an experience I would repeat again.
Running on the coastline
Great race experience! Received a lot of communication prior to the race, packet pick-up was easy.... no expo. Race morning was crazy windy, the course was run on the coastline … MORE
Great race experience! Received a lot of communication prior to the race, packet pick-up was easy…. no expo. Race morning was crazy windy, the course was run on the coastline for 11.5 miles then we ran up an on ramp to loop back to the finish line in the Kessler stadium. Awesome post race food!
I could run this race again.
PR'd!
Granted, this was my first half, but you have to celebrate a PR! I'm so happy that I chose this race as my first. Everything was well-organized, and I never … MORE
Granted, this was my first half, but you have to celebrate a PR!
I’m so happy that I chose this race as my first. Everything was well-organized, and I never felt confused about where/when I needed to be. The course is very flat with a ton of aid stations throughout (though the trash cans were lacking). Running into the wind up the ramp at mile 12 would have been quite a shock if I had not overheard chatter about it at the start line. The finish fest was cold but stocked well, and staff/volunteers were very helpful. The medal is super cool and immediately went onto my display when I got home. All in all, I highly recommend this race and can’t wait to do it again!
Gulf of America
The communication for this race was very well organized. The Expo was vey small, no vendors. There was a good selection of race merchandise and a few other items (sunglasses, … MORE
The communication for this race was very well organized.
The Expo was vey small, no vendors. There was a good selection of race merchandise and a few other items (sunglasses, gels, stickers, etcā¦) to purchase from the race organizers.
Weather for race day was about perfect. Overcast skies in the mid 50ās low 60ās and a little breezy.
Finish line was great and the atmosphere was one of the best Iāve ever been to. They had several types of refreshments (water, beer, coke products and protein shakes) gumbo and pulled pork. It was located at MGM Park, home to the Biloxi Shuckers, AA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The thing I would suggest to the race organizers is to have more garbage cans at the aid stations. They only had one close to the tables and most of the cups ended up on the ground because of the lack of cans and proximity of them to the volunteer table.
Beautiful, flat, WINDY course!
Overall a great race! Itās very flat except at the end when you run up an on ramp (against the 25 mph wind) along the coast so pretty views. Great … MORE
Overall a great race!
Itās very flat except at the end when you run up an on ramp (against the 25 mph wind) along the coast so pretty views. Great water stops with porta potties at each. Not great crowd support if you need that.
The VIP experience is definitely not worth the money
You end in the baseball stadium which is pretty cool except everything you need is up the stairs š it was good to keep the legs moving though!
Tough conditions, mediocre event
While this race is considered scenic because it is along the beach, there is a lot of just highway and commercial development that isn't especially compelling. The course is flat … MORE
While this race is considered scenic because it is along the beach, there is a lot of just highway and commercial development that isn’t especially compelling. The course is flat until the last two miles when it climbs an on ramp to a flyover that is actively unpleasant to run. This was probably a particular issue this year because this part of the course was heavily impacted by the high winds. I see no reason the race directors couldn’t have avoided routing the course this way. Provided info about race-day parking was somewhat confusing. There were LOTs of water stops but inadequate portable toilets both at the start and the water stops leading to significant lines/waits until after mile 9.
This is your Mississippi marathon
Fresh Junkie racing does it well. This race is on a nice flat course except for a ramp incline at the end. The swag is comfortable. Stay in Bay St … MORE
Fresh Junkie racing does it well. This race is on a nice flat course except for a ramp incline at the end. The swag is comfortable. Stay in Bay St Louis for quick access to the start of the full. There are small coastal towns along the way and this is an easily accessible course for spectators following you. HWY 90 is only partially closed.
A very windy and well organized race
This race is very well organized and the logistic (transportation, start line, finish line, food, etc.) was very good. If some organizers read these reviews, I would recommend double the … MORE
This race is very well organized and the logistic (transportation, start line, finish line, food, etc.) was very good. If some organizers read these reviews, I would recommend double the porta potties to avoid the long lines before the start. There are many aid station, but the trash boxes should be located farther aways from the tables to give runners time to drink and toss the cup inside the box and avoid seeing many cups flying toward the beach.
The scenery doesn’t change much until mile ~24, when you start running on the overpass (the only significant uphill). This year the headwind speed continued increasing all the way, but it got very strong at the end.
In general, we had a great time in Biloxi and had enough time to also visit New Orleans after the race.
Biloxi - "The New Windy City"
This was my 3rd marathon in about 5 weeks (Fort Woth, Logjammer Shreveport, and this one) so my legs weren't super fresh and I wasn't sure what to expect. I … MORE
This was my 3rd marathon in about 5 weeks (Fort Woth, Logjammer Shreveport, and this one) so my legs weren’t super fresh and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was hoping to get sub 5 and an outside hope at breaking 4 hours.
Race morning – I drove my car from my nearby hotel to the finish line area and found free parking in the Beau Rivage casino garage. Then walked the couple blocks to the finish line to board a school bus. We had to take a bus from the finish line to the start (I think it was around a half hour ride). At the starting area, it was a bit cold (I think in the 40’s) and windy. It started drizzling so many of jumped back onboard the bus until a few minutes before the start. Then we were off.
My legs felt sore from the get-go. Not painful and not tired (actually kind of strong) but sore. Anyway, I wanted to be near the 4:00 hour pacer and found myself there by mile 1.
From the starting gun (technically a countdown) one could feel the wind. It came at me from my left and was cold. I had picked up a $5 t-shirt (from the incorrectly named Dollar Store) the day before to wear until the start to stay warm. I usually drop these at the start as they are often collected and donated to causes….I kept this one on over my running top the whole race. The wind was constant with some gusts – sometimes enough to actually move my drag leg foot if it was in the air.
Overall, the course is flat and 99% right on the Gulf shoreline. It was on a paved road with 1/2 roped off from traffic. Aid stations were evenly spaced and pretty soon – quicker than I anticipate – we were at mile 1o. I was doing well…around a 3:57 pace or so.
At around the half-marathon, my morning coffee and the cup or two of water at aid table caught up and I had to pee. But I passed on the next two port-a-johns as they had people waiting. Soon I came to around the 15 mile area and there were free port-a-johns so I cruised into one. Just trying to close the door in the wind was challenging but I was soon back on the road a liter/gallon of urine lighter.
I found myself slightly behind the 4:00 hour pacers but within a few miles was back with them. I actually passed them a little bit – but they were never more than a minute or two behind me.
I was happy with my pace, still slightly under 4 hours but legs were getting a bit tired. At around mile 24.75 (very rough estimate) we turned the corner and went onto an on-ramp that climbed. I think it was about 3 stories tall (I saw it from my car after the race and I was on the 2d floor and it was a bit higher than me). In addition to this nice climb, the shift in direct put runners into a cold head wind (I hear 20mph).
The 4 hour pacers got ahead of me but I tried to stay up best as I could. That overpass was, just my own personal opinion, the hardest part of the course. As we came down the overpass I saw that I was really close to the 4 hour mark so I tried to pick up the pace but the course ran in front of the baseball diamond where the end was, around another corner, into the ball park, and along the base line to the finish. Missed my 4 hour goal by 2 minutes 57 seconds. Still my fastest marathon in over a dozen years so in light of the cold and wind, I was pleased with my time. It even put the thoughts of a Boston Qualifying time in my mind (I’m checking out future races to use as a possible BQ….I am entered in Little Rock on March 1, but course description tells me that Little Rock may not be my wisest choice for a BQ). This was also my first marathon or longer finish in Mississippi, so one step closer to the 50 States Marathon Club. Plus, I found a dollar casino chip on the parking garage floor heading back to my car – I kept it as a souvenir.
Overall, a very good race. Well organized and, for me, very good support.
Well done!
Great support, well marked course, and the medal is gorgeous! The food and beverages at the finish were phenomenal. My family had no trouble finding places to park along the … MORE
Great support, well marked course, and the medal is gorgeous! The food and beverages at the finish were phenomenal. My family had no trouble finding places to park along the course. Iām one hundred percent coming back!
Tough race for out of towners to plan fo
We enjoyed this race overall. The views of the Gulf are amazing and you can't get much flatter of a course. My only real complaint about the course was the … MORE
We enjoyed this race overall. The views of the Gulf are amazing and you can’t get much flatter of a course. My only real complaint about the course was the fact that the only hill was a freeway ramp at about mile 12 and it felt like hurricane winds running up the ramp. The packet pickup/expo was relatively small, and was held at Centennial Plaza Resort, which is a renovated historical military base. This was about 10 miles from the finish line. I was staying near the finish, so it was an extra expense to get a ride-share to get there. This was also the location of the 5k race on Saturday making it a hassle to have people in my party doing each race.
Smooth as silk
Easy, fun race to cross off Mississippi with! I thought for the race size and host city, the logistics and experience were as excellent as possible. Nothing super exciting in … MORE
Easy, fun race to cross off Mississippi with! I thought for the race size and host city, the logistics and experience were as excellent as possible. Nothing super exciting in the goodie bag but omg so much food and drink after, even my friend who tagged along was getting offered gumbo and beer! The course is lovely as everyone says minus running into a 25mph headwind up the 110 onramp next to downtown Biloxi. I don’t think I could mentally handle running this as a marathon but it was the perfect venue for a half PR!
Blown Away in Biloxi
Writing this the day after the race and I would be surprised if I was the only one to use that title! Everything about the event was great except for … MORE
Writing this the day after the race and I would be surprised if I was the only one to use that title! Everything about the event was great except for that weather that affected every race across the southeast. The area is super nice and very pretty, a great place to visit and really nice people.
Communication for the even was very good, the Race Junkie folks definitely put on a very well organized event. Not much of and expo at all so if you like big expos this one will disappoint. I can go either way with expos, the big ones are fun but the small practical ones like this one are just as good for me. The event merch was nice as well and I snagged a pair of gloves out of necessity given the incoming weather but are now my current favorites, very good quality. This is an out and back course so a long bus ride to the start very early on race morning. We were dealing with rain at that point and the buses stayed on site for us to stay on until right before the race start and by that time the rain had passed.
The course is dead flat for 24 miles and dead straight. Many people comment on the it becoming somewhat monotonous but I enjoyed the ocean on my right and the constantly changing scenery on my left. The unchanging elevation definitely affected my legs by about mile 18. I train around a lot of hills so I’m used to engaging different muscles during runs so this was quite a beating on the same muscles over and over. This might be a race where a lot of treadmill training could be of benefit. The mile 24 hill wasn’t particularly steep but it’s a highway ramp which means it has a fairly steep left to right angle which was more uncomfortable to me than the elevation change.
I’m not going to go into detail about the weather other than to say the wind was strong, cold, and unrelenting. It was also directly into our faces as we made that mile 24 climb.
I highly recommend this race, very well organized and well run by people who very much seemed to care about the runners and volunteers.