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Gasparilla Distance Classic

Saturday February 22nd, 2025
Tampa, Florida
Distance: Half Marathon · 15K · 5K
Offical Race Web Site

Run through the city streets of this city overlooking the waters of Tampa, Florida’s Hillsborough Bay at the Gasparilla Distance Classic, which includes a full slate of running events for runners at all levels, including a half marathon, 8K, 15K and 5K.

Mostly fast and flat and great for beginners, the race’s half marathon and 8K races take place on Sunday, while the 15K and 5K races are run on Saturday. The race also features a slew of challenge and team events.

Organized by the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association to raise funding for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the race saw more than 20,000 runners and walkers come out to take the streets of Tampa over the two-day weekend.

From the starting line in downtown Tampa at the corner of Platt and Parker Streets, the half marathon — presented by Publix — takes the field on a winding course, the first half of which follows a circuitous route around Davis Island, which lies just to the southwest of downtown.

After running southward along Channel Drive, which runs alongside the waters of the city’s Seddon Channel, the course then runs around the southern end of the island and back toward downtown across the Davis Islands Bridge for the second half of the race.

Most of this stretch takes runners along Bayshore Boulevard, with the open expanse of the gorgeously scenic Hillsborough Bay over the runners’ shoulders in both directions. The course takes runners all the way out to the intersection with West Julia Street, and then turns around and heads back along Bayshore to the finish line.

Participants in the half marathon will be expected to keep a pace of 16 minutes per mile or better, as the roadways will close for race participants and re-open to traffic after 4 hours. If they haven’t completed the first five miles by 7:20 AM — the scheduled starting time for the half is 6:00 AM – runners will be asked to move to the sidewalk in order to finish their race.

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Gasparilla Distance Classic
Prize Money: $20,000

Race City Location Map - zoom in · zoom out · big map
displays approximate race location · East Lake-Orient Park FL

My Best Runs Comments

Mary Level Menton
This is a premier event that has been around for years and draw elite as well as thousands of other runners.
Gasparilla Distance Classic, Race Date: 2024-02-25, Distance: Half Marathon
Division Time Name Age Home
Male 1:09:48 Adam McCollor
2nd Male 1:09:48 Matthew Taddeo
3rd Male 1:10:53 Jordan Payne
4th Male 1:11:06 Alexis Giraudineau
Female 1:18:27 Christina Welsh
2nd Female 1:21:15 Paige Howard
3rd Female 1:23:44 Chloe Byrd
Division Time Name Age Home
Gasparilla Distance Classic

The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, established in 1978, is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated specifically to raising funds for charitable youth organizations and running programs in the Tampa Bay area. It’s mission is carried out through the administration of the annual Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend and Jr. Gasparilla Distance Classic. $4.4 Million Donated To Date!

The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association takes great pride in its mission. Since the first running of the Gasparilla Distance Classic in February, 1978, $4.4 million has been donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa, Girls Inc. of Pinellas, The Friends of Tampa Parks & Recreation and youth running related programs.

Thank you to the City of Tampa, Publix Super Markets, Gasparilla’s event sponsors, volunteers and every one of the 635,000+ participants that since 1978, that have crossed the Finish Line!

About the course

The Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathonfeatures an out and back course on beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, finishing on Bayshore Boulevardat the foot of the Platt Street Bridge.

START

  • Platt St. & Bayshore Boulevard
    • Platt to Plant
    • Plant Ave to Davis Is. via Davis Island egress bridge
    • East Davis to Arbor
    • Arbor to Columbia
    • Columbia to Barbados
    • Barbados to Channel
    • Channel to South Davis
    • South Davis toroundaboutat West Davis
    • West Davis to East Davis
    • South lane of East Davis off of Island via access ramp to Bayshore (northbound lanes)
    • Bayshore (northbound lanes) toturnaroundat Gandy Boulevard
    • Bayshore (southbound lanes) back to Finish Line

Finish:Tarpon Dock, Bayshore Blvd.(between Beach Place & Hyde Park Place)


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