Wh a t
c o u l d
be better
than
jogging along the St. Pete downtown
waterfront and nearby neighborhoods
enjoying the sunshine and blue skies
while friends up north are working out
at indoor tracks and shoveling snow?
It’s no surprise that St. Petersburg is
a highly sought-after destination for 5K
and 10K road races, as well as half marathons
and even triathlons.
“We live in a beautiful city and there
are so many great areas for running,”
says Kelly Lindhardt, a local real estate
agent, avid runner and member of the
organizing team for St. Pete Run Fest.
“It’s amazing to be up at 5 a.m. and see
so many other runners out enjoying the
sunrise over the water. Everyone waves
and smiles; we have a very friendly, welcoming
running community here.”
Nearly every weekend in fall, winter
and spring, it’s easy to participate in a
group run, many of them organized to
depth look at three landmark races for
which St. Pete is known.
ST. ANTHONY’S TRIATHLON
Ranked as the 4th largest triathlon in
the country and #5 on the bucket list
for Olympic distance triathlons, the St.
Anthony’s Triathlon has helped put St.
Pete on the map as a favorite international
racing destination. The three-day
event, held in April, just completed its
36th successful year, with 3,150 ath-
participating.
“There may be still snow on the
ground in places like Wyoming and
Montana, and athletes can come here,
train outdoors in the sunshine rather
than inside, and enjoy our beautiful
downtown waterfront and neighborhoods,”
says Race Director Susan
Daniels. “You can’t imagine how often
I’ve heard people say, I can’t believe
this, I’m going to move here.”
Athletes compete in one of three
USA Triathlon-sanctioned races: the
Olympic Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon or
Meek & Mighty. Although the distances
vary depending on the race, all three
feature an open water swim from North
Shore Park out into Tampa Bay and
back; a bike course through neighborhoods
south of downtown to Pinellas
Point, and a run along the waterfront
parks and Old Northeast and Snell Isle
neighborhoods. Athletes can do all
three competitions themselves or join a
relay team.
An event of this size requires extraordinary
organization and planning. More
than 1,000 volunteers assist Daniels
“WE’VE
SPENT YEARS
TWEAKING IT
TO MAKE IT ONE
OF THE BEST
EXPERIENCES
ATHLETES HAVE
EVER HAD.” RACE DIRECTOR SUSAN DANIELS
St. Anthony’s
Triathlon
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