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Marathon Details - Big Beach Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > AL > Gulf Shores > Big Beach Marathon

Big Beach Marathon

Big Beach Marathon & Half Marathon, 7K

Gulf Shores, AL USA

January 26, 2025

http://www.bigbeachmarathon.com

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Contact Information

Name:	Mike Clark
Address:	101 E Beach Blvd Gulf Shores, AL 36542
Phone Number:	336-215-0564
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (9)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.2

Spectators 2.6

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Number of comments: 9

G. H. from IL (2/1/2021) "Nice small race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a small marathon, which I like. I think the total number of finishers was about 285, but that might be reduced because of COVID-19. The course is nice, there's lots of shade, and the town is a nice place to visit. For anyone traveling here on their 50-state quest, Pensacola airport is about an hour away. It's a pretty drive, much of it along the Gulf. I had no problem finding a reasonably priced and comfortable hotel less than a mile from the start/finish line. The course is a 13.1 mile loop that you run twice. Most of it is very natural, lots of trees and views of water. It was pretty. This is a good destination for a marathon in January. It was very windy, humid, and rainy when I ran it--I can't say if the high winds and humidity were a fluke, or if it's always like that in Alabama in January. But the temperature was just right. Some COVID observations: * Running a race during COVID-19 comes with its challenges, no doubt. I see the need to have waved starts and to prevent people from jumping into a wave to which they weren't assigned, but not distributing bibs until 20 minutes before race time wasn't a great idea. It was disorganized; the line moved slowly (especially since you had to sign a waiver too) and prevented me from being calm and relaxed before a big race. *A bottle of water instead of cups makes sense because of the pandemic, but I would have appreciated smaller bottles more often instead of receiving one bottle every 3+ miles. You either need to chug-a-lug or carry the bottle, which aren't ideal options. There were a lot of discarded bottles all throughout the course, which is too bad because some of those are just going to end up polluting the landscape. No sports drinks, either. That was a mistake. Something that must be improved: there are a couple places where the course isn't clearly marked. I recall a mile-long stretch on a boardwalk that comes to a fork at one point, right before an RV park. That should definitely have been marked. I couldn't see anyone ahead in either direction. I'm glad I made the right decision, but it sure was stress I didn't need having to worry that I might have gone the wrong way.
S. C. from Arkansas (12/18/2019) "Nice race but poor support once on the course" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 +Parking for the event was good +Course scenery was nice +Indoor waiting out of weather -No restroom support on the course. Unless you use the woods when available. -Course markings were poor. Several times I didn't know if I was still on course.
S. A. from Minnesota (2/10/2019) "Super location, good race and could be great race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a great no-hassle destination winter marathon. Once you get to Gulf Shores from the Pensacola or Mobile airports, the event is pretty low-stress. Packet pickup was in a confusing and not very well-marked area, but after I got that taken care of the logistics were easy. I bet that will improve in future years. (This was only the fourth year of the race.) Gulf Shores itself is fantastic. There are plenty of reasonably priced lodging options a 5- to 10-minute walk from the start/finish, and having The Hangout as the pre- and post-race hangout is a huge bonus. And everyone associated with the race was super nice. The race itself is hard to describe. Much of it is on trails, which is great, but the trails included a bunch of boardwalks (elevated away from the alligators) which made things interesting, but were not spectator-friendly. So if you are running the marathon, get ready for many miles of solo running. That's not all bad, just be ready for it. Also ... the lack of timing mats on the course itself is a bit concerning for those running for BQs. (I was running for a BQ, and got one -- and have the Garmin data in case there is a question, but I would've liked some timing mats on the course.) There were some strange turns that could've been marked better, and the water stops were rough because some volunteers did not really know what they were doing, at least with respect to helping those who are running for time. But they were trying and that is what counts. This race is good and has a ton of potential. I would expect it to grow and I hope it does. I would recommend it for a winter destination race.
T. M. from Chicago (2/1/2019) "Great, flat, small town race" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First off, this was a great marathon do do in the winter. The weather and conditions were absolutely perfect. The course is mostly flat and very fast. The scenery in the state park helps to pass the time, and the finish along the ocean is amazing. I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a no hassle winter marathon. Gulf shores is a beautiful area of the country and this time of year is off peak, so it is almost completely marathoners and snowbirds, with virtually no other tourists. The packet pickup was small but nicely done, with the local zoo bringing animal for the kids and live music. The race itself was small but well run. Pace groups mostly catered to the half marathoners which was fine by me. Once the halfers pulled off the course got a little lonely. Spectators were sparse but the few present at aid stations were very enthusiastic. The Pre-Race gear check, keeping warm in the hangout till minutes before the start, and parking were a breeze. Host hotel literally had an ocean view and view of the course start/finish. And no starting corrals... Doesn't get any easier than that! If you are looking for a low key Boston qualifier in a beautiful location, and don't care about running in/for crowds put this on your list! I pr'd and will be back again for sure.
M. N. from Atlanta Georgia (2/2/2017) "Small , Flat, and Pretty" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 2nd year of this marathon and I hope it stays around. I really enjoyed the course. It's sea level so the course was totally flat. I don't remember a single hill. Since it's mostly in the park it is not a good spectator marathon where someone can follow you. There are a few spots that people can drive to but that's about it. The paths are not closed so you will come across the random dog walker, bike rider, or jogger that had no idea there was a race going on. But there was shade from the trees and temp this year started in the mid 40's and ended in the high 50's which was perfect. The final 3 1/2 miles is along beach blv and is parallel to the beach and there was a strong headwind. I suppose that depends on the day if it's with you or without you. I thought it was well organized and people were super friendly. They gave out top 3 for each age group which is generous since not many people in each age group. The town and beach are totally cute and fun. Lots of great places to eat and the beach is amazing. The start and finish are at the Hang Out which had a live band and good food and drinks. I had a great time.
N. K. from Lancaster, PA (1/31/2017) "A beautiful small, shaded marathon." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Reading the comments from last year, they made a lot of improvements. This was a great course with a really enthusiastic director. There are a lot of Alabama marathons; I'm glad I ran this one. Pros: Beautiful course through a state park with a lot of shade and very little vehicle traffic. Post-race food was great with boxed lunches and a fun candy 'bar' with oreos, cookies, Bugles, M&Ms, and some other goodies. A lot of water stops in the last half had food like PB sandwiches, bananas, and GU. Signage made navigating the course a breeze. The medal is beautiful. The town itself is worth visiting. It's a summer spot for sure, so there wasn't a lot of traffic and no waits at restaurants. There are some terrific seafood joints down there. The expo/start/finish spot (The Hangout) is really fun and we had a blast hanging out there. The 8am start was really nice. Waking up at 3-4am for races gets old after a while. Cons: I wish races would stop giving out white shirts. They stain so darn easily and I like my marathon shirts to last. There's one water stop (mile 3 or 4) that was way too congested. On my way back from the out-and-back I had to navigate between a few runners who were either packed together or stopping for water before turning right onto a bridge. I would move the water stop to avoid that congestion. Other than that though, the course was great.
Kathleen Bauer from Charlotte, NC (3/11/2016) "Race with a lot of potential, but needs some work" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was also a state for my 50 state quest, and I would recommend it for AL. I agree with all of the comments of the above runner and will add a few of my own. I believe there were some runners who didn't make a crucial turn, and there needed to be a volunteer at that point not just a small sign about 2 feet high. There was another highway section just before the out and back also that got pretty monotonous. Otherwise, I loved running in the park, its gorgeous! There really were no spectators that I could see. People who were walking on the same shoulder where we were trying to run seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a race going on, but since it's the first one, that is probably understandable. I know that food was a problem at the finish, but all these are fixable. The venue is great. I stayed right next door to the expo (small), the start and finish, and right on the beach. My kind of race!
50 State Runner from FL (2/7/2016) "Inaugural race with a lot of potential" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I was apprehensive signing up for an inaugural marathon in another state in my 50 state quest, but I'm so glad I did Big Beach. The course was USATF certified (the half was not, as of this writing), but the mile markers seemed a bit off, particularly mile 25-26. Much of the race was flat, with slight rollers within the state park, which consisted of a paved trail. The last out and back on the side road was a bit of a drag, including the last mile straightaway along the highway; having to cross the lanes of traffic toward the end, which were manned by police, still became a bit hairy, as did running on the shoulder, in general. The aid stations could use some improvement (more uniformity in the amount of liquid/water in the cups, more volunteers), along with the finish line offerings. I barely saw any food at the finish, and always wonder if all the half finishers had already gotten to it. It also did not look cordoned off to non-runners. The start/finish are along the beach, which is always a great venue. I did not see a bank of port-o-potties, but the bathrooms at The Hangout were more than sufficient for the small race. The field was a few hundred for the half, and maybe 200 for the marathon, which made navigating the trail and shoulder of the roads doable. Given that the half starts five minutes prior to the marathon, catching up to the stragglers of the half did not take long. The half and full follow the same course for about 8 miles. I found myself running faster in the beginning just to get out of the crowd. Improvements can always be made for an inaugural race, but all in all, not bad.



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G. H. from IL (2/1/2021) "Nice small race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a small marathon, which I like. I think the total number of finishers was about 285, but that might be reduced because of COVID-19. The course is nice, there's lots of shade, and the town is a nice place to visit. For anyone traveling here on their 50-state quest, Pensacola airport is about an hour away. It's a pretty drive, much of it along the Gulf. I had no problem finding a reasonably priced and comfortable hotel less than a mile from the start/finish line. The course is a 13.1 mile loop that you run twice. Most of it is very natural, lots of trees and views of water. It was pretty. This is a good destination for a marathon in January. It was very windy, humid, and rainy when I ran it--I can't say if the high winds and humidity were a fluke, or if it's always like that in Alabama in January. But the temperature was just right. Some COVID observations: * Running a race during COVID-19 comes with its challenges, no doubt. I see the need to have waved starts and to prevent people from jumping into a wave to which they weren't assigned, but not distributing bibs until 20 minutes before race time wasn't a great idea. It was disorganized; the line moved slowly (especially since you had to sign a waiver too) and prevented me from being calm and relaxed before a big race. *A bottle of water instead of cups makes sense because of the pandemic, but I would have appreciated smaller bottles more often instead of receiving one bottle every 3+ miles. You either need to chug-a-lug or carry the bottle, which aren't ideal options. There were a lot of discarded bottles all throughout the course, which is too bad because some of those are just going to end up polluting the landscape. No sports drinks, either. That was a mistake. Something that must be improved: there are a couple places where the course isn't clearly marked. I recall a mile-long stretch on a boardwalk that comes to a fork at one point, right before an RV park. That should definitely have been marked. I couldn't see anyone ahead in either direction. I'm glad I made the right decision, but it sure was stress I didn't need having to worry that I might have gone the wrong way.
S. C. from Arkansas (12/18/2019) "Nice race but poor support once on the course" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 +Parking for the event was good +Course scenery was nice +Indoor waiting out of weather -No restroom support on the course. Unless you use the woods when available. -Course markings were poor. Several times I didn't know if I was still on course.
S. A. from Minnesota (2/10/2019) "Super location, good race and could be great race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a great no-hassle destination winter marathon. Once you get to Gulf Shores from the Pensacola or Mobile airports, the event is pretty low-stress. Packet pickup was in a confusing and not very well-marked area, but after I got that taken care of the logistics were easy. I bet that will improve in future years. (This was only the fourth year of the race.) Gulf Shores itself is fantastic. There are plenty of reasonably priced lodging options a 5- to 10-minute walk from the start/finish, and having The Hangout as the pre- and post-race hangout is a huge bonus. And everyone associated with the race was super nice. The race itself is hard to describe. Much of it is on trails, which is great, but the trails included a bunch of boardwalks (elevated away from the alligators) which made things interesting, but were not spectator-friendly. So if you are running the marathon, get ready for many miles of solo running. That's not all bad, just be ready for it. Also ... the lack of timing mats on the course itself is a bit concerning for those running for BQs. (I was running for a BQ, and got one -- and have the Garmin data in case there is a question, but I would've liked some timing mats on the course.) There were some strange turns that could've been marked better, and the water stops were rough because some volunteers did not really know what they were doing, at least with respect to helping those who are running for time. But they were trying and that is what counts. This race is good and has a ton of potential. I would expect it to grow and I hope it does. I would recommend it for a winter destination race.
T. M. from Chicago (2/1/2019) "Great, flat, small town race" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First off, this was a great marathon do do in the winter. The weather and conditions were absolutely perfect. The course is mostly flat and very fast. The scenery in the state park helps to pass the time, and the finish along the ocean is amazing. I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a no hassle winter marathon. Gulf shores is a beautiful area of the country and this time of year is off peak, so it is almost completely marathoners and snowbirds, with virtually no other tourists. The packet pickup was small but nicely done, with the local zoo bringing animal for the kids and live music. The race itself was small but well run. Pace groups mostly catered to the half marathoners which was fine by me. Once the halfers pulled off the course got a little lonely. Spectators were sparse but the few present at aid stations were very enthusiastic. The Pre-Race gear check, keeping warm in the hangout till minutes before the start, and parking were a breeze. Host hotel literally had an ocean view and view of the course start/finish. And no starting corrals... Doesn't get any easier than that! If you are looking for a low key Boston qualifier in a beautiful location, and don't care about running in/for crowds put this on your list! I pr'd and will be back again for sure.
M. N. from Atlanta Georgia (2/2/2017) "Small , Flat, and Pretty" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 2nd year of this marathon and I hope it stays around. I really enjoyed the course. It's sea level so the course was totally flat. I don't remember a single hill. Since it's mostly in the park it is not a good spectator marathon where someone can follow you. There are a few spots that people can drive to but that's about it. The paths are not closed so you will come across the random dog walker, bike rider, or jogger that had no idea there was a race going on. But there was shade from the trees and temp this year started in the mid 40's and ended in the high 50's which was perfect. The final 3 1/2 miles is along beach blv and is parallel to the beach and there was a strong headwind. I suppose that depends on the day if it's with you or without you. I thought it was well organized and people were super friendly. They gave out top 3 for each age group which is generous since not many people in each age group. The town and beach are totally cute and fun. Lots of great places to eat and the beach is amazing. The start and finish are at the Hang Out which had a live band and good food and drinks. I had a great time.
N. K. from Lancaster, PA (1/31/2017) "A beautiful small, shaded marathon." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Reading the comments from last year, they made a lot of improvements. This was a great course with a really enthusiastic director. There are a lot of Alabama marathons; I'm glad I ran this one. Pros: Beautiful course through a state park with a lot of shade and very little vehicle traffic. Post-race food was great with boxed lunches and a fun candy 'bar' with oreos, cookies, Bugles, M&Ms, and some other goodies. A lot of water stops in the last half had food like PB sandwiches, bananas, and GU. Signage made navigating the course a breeze. The medal is beautiful. The town itself is worth visiting. It's a summer spot for sure, so there wasn't a lot of traffic and no waits at restaurants. There are some terrific seafood joints down there. The expo/start/finish spot (The Hangout) is really fun and we had a blast hanging out there. The 8am start was really nice. Waking up at 3-4am for races gets old after a while. Cons: I wish races would stop giving out white shirts. They stain so darn easily and I like my marathon shirts to last. There's one water stop (mile 3 or 4) that was way too congested. On my way back from the out-and-back I had to navigate between a few runners who were either packed together or stopping for water before turning right onto a bridge. I would move the water stop to avoid that congestion. Other than that though, the course was great.
Kathleen Bauer from Charlotte, NC (3/11/2016) "Race with a lot of potential, but needs some work" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was also a state for my 50 state quest, and I would recommend it for AL. I agree with all of the comments of the above runner and will add a few of my own. I believe there were some runners who didn't make a crucial turn, and there needed to be a volunteer at that point not just a small sign about 2 feet high. There was another highway section just before the out and back also that got pretty monotonous. Otherwise, I loved running in the park, its gorgeous! There really were no spectators that I could see. People who were walking on the same shoulder where we were trying to run seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a race going on, but since it's the first one, that is probably understandable. I know that food was a problem at the finish, but all these are fixable. The venue is great. I stayed right next door to the expo (small), the start and finish, and right on the beach. My kind of race!
50 State Runner from FL (2/7/2016) "Inaugural race with a lot of potential" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I was apprehensive signing up for an inaugural marathon in another state in my 50 state quest, but I'm so glad I did Big Beach. The course was USATF certified (the half was not, as of this writing), but the mile markers seemed a bit off, particularly mile 25-26. Much of the race was flat, with slight rollers within the state park, which consisted of a paved trail. The last out and back on the side road was a bit of a drag, including the last mile straightaway along the highway; having to cross the lanes of traffic toward the end, which were manned by police, still became a bit hairy, as did running on the shoulder, in general. The aid stations could use some improvement (more uniformity in the amount of liquid/water in the cups, more volunteers), along with the finish line offerings. I barely saw any food at the finish, and always wonder if all the half finishers had already gotten to it. It also did not look cordoned off to non-runners. The start/finish are along the beach, which is always a great venue. I did not see a bank of port-o-potties, but the bathrooms at The Hangout were more than sufficient for the small race. The field was a few hundred for the half, and maybe 200 for the marathon, which made navigating the trail and shoulder of the roads doable. Given that the half starts five minutes prior to the marathon, catching up to the stragglers of the half did not take long. The half and full follow the same course for about 8 miles. I found myself running faster in the beginning just to get out of the crowd. Improvements can always be made for an inaugural race, but all in all, not bad.

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Marathon Details - Big Beach Marathon