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Florida > Blue Mountain Beach Half Marathon & 10K
Blue Mountain Beach, FL • Sunday, October 13, 2013 • Course Map
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Though there really aren't any mountains here along Florida's Gulf coast in Blue Mountain Beach, legend has it that the sailors who once made their way past this area gave it the name thanks to the high sand dunes here that even today are often covered in wild blue lupine, a flower that's endangered in other parts of the country, but grows naturally in the sandy soil along the beach.
Runners will start the race right around the dunes that gave the area its name at the second annual Blue Mountain Beach Half Marathon, which features a 5K race and a race for kids on Saturday the 13th, followed by the half marathon and 10K race on Sunday the 14th. All four races will take runners among the neighborhoods and beaches of this resort town that's retained the quiet, laid-back style it has become known for over the years, with many of the beach houses here dating back to the 1960s and much of the area protected in nearby Grayton Beach State Park.
The half marathon and 10K races start on Blue Mountain Road, just off Highway 30A. From there, the course winds its way eastward along Blue Mountain Road in the direction of Big Redfish Lake, taking runners along fast, flat streets lined with beach homes before turning left onto Blue Lake Road, which they'll follow to the next turn, a right onto Highway 30A.
The next stretch takes runners past a series of coastal lakes -- Big Redfish, Little Redfish and Alligator Lakes -- along Highway 30A, with the natural landscape of Grayton Beach State Park over their left shoulders and modern resorts, beach hotels and homes on the right. There's a roughly mile-and-a-half-long out-and-back stretch out to Grayton Beach on Defuniak Street, and then runners head back to 30A to continue the eastward trek to Seaside, where some scenes from the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show were filmed.
Once they make it into Seaside, runners head around the square in the middle of town for a brief loop before heading back onto Highway 30A and heading west this time, retracing their steps all the way back along the route they've just run back to the finish line in Blue Mountain Beach. Along the way, runners will get to take in the white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle -- be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen as well as a hat or visor and sunglasses, as the race will take runners out into the open sun for virtually the entire race.
At the race's inaugural running in 2011, 160 runners crossed the finish line in both races combined, including 87 finishers in the half marathon and 73 in the 10K.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled along the Gulf coast shoreline of the western Florida panhandle, roughly 70 miles east of Pensacola and about 120 miles west of Tallahassee, Blue Mountain Beach shares weather much like nearby Grayton Beach State Park, which typically sees October temperatures that average between 55°F and 80°F, while rainfall totals average just over 5.2 inches for the month.
On the day of the race (Oct. 13), the average low is 56°F and the average high is 80°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Blue Mountain Beach Half Marathon
Starting Time
7:00 AM
Fees
$40 for the half marathon, if registered by November 18, 2012
$45 between Nov. 19 - December 2
$50 between Dec. 3 - 30
$60 between Dec. 31 - June 30, 2013
$70 between July 1 - September 15
$80 between Sept. 16 - 29
$90 between Sept. 30 - October 13
Registration
To reserve your spot in the early fall 2013 running of the Blue Mountain Beach Half Marathon or 10K race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.bluemountainhalf.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in Florida's annual Blue Mountain Beach Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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