St. Petersburg Marathon

The St. Petersburg Marathon invites you to experience Florida’s only waterfront Marathon on the Gulf Coast, featuring a stunning course, ideal weather, and beautiful beaches for post-race relaxation. This mostly flat and scenic route is USATF certified and is the first 26.2-mile race held entirely in St. Petersburg.

The race starts at 6:00 a.m. There is a 7-hour time limit, with the cut-off at 1:00 p.m.

You’ll run alongside our breathtaking waterfront at sunrise, through an eclectic, artsy downtown, and west along the shaded Pinellas Trail, a picturesque linear park. Musicians will energize your run, and numerous aid stations will support you along the way. After crossing the finish line, celebrate at our lively post-race awards ceremony with live music, delicious food, refreshing beverages, and more.

Once the race is over, unwind on our award-winning beaches a short distance away, where you can enjoy the soft white sand and the gentle waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For those dreaming of a mid-winter getaway, St. Petersburg is the ultimate destination.

Pacers
We are excited to offer pacers for both the Marathon and Half Marathon, provided by Beast Pacing. New pace times have been available since the 2025 Marathon, including 3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:20, 4:35, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, making it easier than ever to run at your best. Waiting to fill: 3:10, 3:20, 3:30 (as of 1/16/26) 

Marathon Parking

We have reserved the closest parking for Marathoners to avoid a long walk back to their vehicles after completing 26.2 miles. Please review the Marathon Parking instructions here.

Marathon Course Map

The St. Petersburg Marathon starts at North Shore Park on our beautiful downtown waterfront and heads north into Snell Isle to view some of our area’s finest historic homes. The course continues through Snell Isle and around Coffee Pot Bayou before returning towards North Shore Park. There is one small bridge to cross that is about 10 feet high. That is the only incline during the marathon’s first 10+ miles (see photo).

Our Marathon continues south on the waterfront to Central Avenue, turns north at 1st Street through our bustling downtown, west on 3rd Avenue North passing Fit2Run’s downtown Running Superstore to Mirror Lake, and circling it counter-clockwise.

The race course turns south at 6th Street N, back to and west on Central Avenue, at about mile 7.5, reaching a dynamic mixture of the best local shops. Watch for an abundance of huge murals on Central Avenue’s building walls, as St. Petersburg is genuinely a well-known haven for artists of all types.

Our marathon reaches an out-and-back section on Central Avenue, allowing runners to see their friends and fellow athletes as they head in opposite directions.

Runners turn south at 22nd St. and at mile 10, access the Pinellas Trail, a smoothly paved and shaded linear park recognized in the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame. Runners head west to a turn-around point near the Tyrone Mall, passing more colorful murals on the walls of buildings adjacent to the Trail. There are two overpasses on the Pinellas Trail, which athletes pass over two times each.

The St. Petersburg Marathon heads east along the Pinellas Trail, passing Tropicana Field while running adjacent to First Avenue South, to the waterfront, heading north with gorgeous water views of our marinas and docks filled with sailboats and yachts, to the finish line at North Shore Park. 

The marathon course has been accurately measured and is USATF certified (FL19019TY), therefore, a Boston Qualifier for 2023 and beyond. Besides the overpasses on the Pinellas Trail and the bridge into Snell Isle, this course is extremely flat.

Virtual Marathon

We offer a virtual Marthon  option for runners and walkers who prefer to run this race on their schedule, from their location. Check out our Virtual Races page for details.