Big Beach Marathon & Half Marathon

White sand beaches and the clear Gulf of Mexico greet runners at Gulf Shores’ annual Big Beach Marathon & Half Marathon, where runners and walkers will race through Gulf Shores and Gulf State Park. Both races start and finish at The Hangout, a popular dining and entertainment establishment in Gulf Shores that also hosts packet pickup and the pasta buffet available for purchase the night before the race. All runners receive a finisher medal, timed results, aid stations with water and sports drinks approximately every two miles, race photos, and a post-race party at The Hangout. Walkers are welcome as long as they can maintain a 16-minute mile throughout the race, as the half marathon course closes in 3.5 hours. While the marathon course is a Boston qualifier, both the marathon and the half marathon courses feature a flat out-and-back course that takes runners through Gulf State Park twice — on the way out and on the way back, through different routes.