Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon, 10K, 2.8-Mile & 1-Mile

Saturday, February 3, 2024 • Tybee Island, GA • Course Map

Nestled just off the coast of Savannah near Wilmington Island and the mouth of the Savannah River along the border between Georgia and South Carolina, Tybee Island still has much of its wild, untamed natural beauty, scenery that runners will get to take in at the annual Critz Tybee Run Fest.

Now set for its 16th annual running, the race actually dates all the way back to the late 1970s, when it was run as the March of Dimes Marathon at the nearby Hunter Army Airfield.

Over the years, it changed its name a few times as well as its venue — to the Savannah Marathon and then the Tybee Maritime Marathon, to which the half marathon was added for the first time in 1995.

Today, the race is run on Tybee Island’s downtown city streets and near the end of the island around the Tybee Island Lighthouse and the Fort Screven historic district, which served as an active fort between 1899 and 1947, when it was decommissioned.

It’s perhaps best known for its famous Army general George C. Marshall, who would go on to develop the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after the devastation of World War II.

Runners start the half marathon — like the other races in the event, which includes a kiddie run and a 5K on Friday, followed by the half marathon, 10K, 2.8-mile and 1-mile race on Saturday — near Memorial Park on Tybee’s 15th Street, just off Butler Street.

From there, the route takes runners to both ends of the 21-square-mile island and passes by sights such as Jaycee Park and the historic Tybee Island Light Station, one of handful of 18th-century-era lighthouses still in operation in the United States.

Runners make their way along the beach at the Critz Tybee Run Fest. (Courtesy Critz Tybee Run Fest)

Participants are cautioned to remember that the roads for this event remain open to traffic, so runners are encouraged to stay in the right lane at all times, unless directed otherwise by race organizers or traffic police.

While you’re in town, you’ll likely also see signs or hear stories about the “Tybee Bomb,” an unexploded atomic bomb that was dropped into the ocean off the coast of Tybee in the late 1950s and never recovered, even after multiple attempts to find it.

Though in past years the race also included a full, 26.2-mile marathon, since 2014 the half marathon has been the longest race distance offered.

The historic Tybee Island Light Station. (Photo by Ron Cogswell/flickr)

Race Weather & Climate

Located just off the Georgia coastline, about 18 miles east of downtown Savannah, Tybee Island typically sees February temperatures that average between 39°F and 61°F, while rainfall totals average just over 3.3 inches, making February its fifth-driest month of the year.

On the day of the race (Feb. 3), the average low is 38°F and the average high is 60°F.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:00 AM – 10K
8:30 AM – half marathon
12:00 PM – 2.8-mile Beach Run
1:00 PM – 1-mile

Fees

$90 and up – half marathon
$50 and up – 10K
$30– 2.8-mile Beach Run
$30 – 1-mile
$145 for all five races (including Friday’s 5K)

Registration

To reserve your spot in the winter 2024 running of the Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon, 10K, 5K or one-mile run, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

www.critztybeerun.com

Comments

Ever run in the Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments box below.

See more races in: February, Georgia

2 comments… add one

mark latham November 22, 2021, 5:52 pm

is critz 1/2 marathon certified?

Qualifying times must be run at an event that has a certified half-marathon or full marathon course. Race courses must be certified by USA Track and Field, Association for International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), or a national governing body for distance running for the country in which the race is held. To check if a race is certified, please contact the event you are intending to compete in directly.

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Scott Mclelland September 17, 2018, 6:26 pm

Do you have a discount code for a running group ? I may be bringing 10-20 people from my running club.

thank you

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