Visit Pensacola Invites Extreme Athletes to Combine Racing with Vacation Time this Fall
Pensacola, Fla. (PRWEB) September 08, 2015 -- On your mark… Get set… Go! Race to the Pensacola Bay Area this fall for two of the most scenic, and yet challenging, racing competitions the region has to offer — the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon and the Pensacola Marathon. With both events offering mild fall temperatures and sweeping panoramic water views, athletes will be tempted to linger post race and enjoy the beautiful destination.
Santa Rosa Island Triathlon
Saturday, October 3, 2015
The Santa Rosa Island Triathlon celebrates its 20th year this October. The race features competitors of all ages, ranging from teens to seniors.
Start off the race with a 600-yard swim in the cool, emerald-green water of the Gulf of Mexico along Casino Beach. Contestants will swim about 75 yards out from Casino Beach, then parallel the shoreline for about 450 yards east to west, then swim the remaining 75 yards back to shore. The course will be configured to take advantage of the currents.
Next, ride 18 miles on a flat, fast course that parallels the shoreline and winds you through the white sand dunes of the Gulf Islands National Seashore toward Navarre Beach and then back to Pensacola Beach.
Finish the race with a 3.1-mile run through the scenic Gulfside neighborhoods of Pensacola Beach along Via de Luna Drive, ending back at Casino Beach to a welcoming committee.
A sold-out field of 1250 athletes is expected to compete in this nationally-renowned sprint triathlon, held October 3, 2015, on beautiful Pensacola Beach.
Pensacola Marathon
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Combine Veteran’s Day weekend, historic Pensacola and sugar-white sand beaches. Add a route atop the bluffs overlooking Escambia Bay, where runners greet the sunrise, and you have the perfect recipe for the 11th Annual Pensacola Marathon.
Taking place on Sunday, Nov. 8, the 26.2-mile scenic USATF-certified course is one of the last Boston Marathon qualifiers in the Southeast. The terrain is a mixture of flat roads and hills. Participants wind through Historic Downtown Pensacola and around neighborhoods crowned with oaks, then parallel the beautiful Pensacola Bayfront leading up to Pensacola’s Scenic Highway, which both supply ample water views.
“It’s a great course for first time runners. There are some hills, but it’s a relatively flat course. Runners won’t experience extreme weather, just nice moderate fall temperatures. And, we offer a lot of motivation to encourage everyone to have fun and take their mind off the next step,” says Ray Palmer, Executive Director of the Pensacola Sports Association.
Because of its timing, the weekend before Veteran’s Day, the race aims to honor veterans. The course begins and ends at Veteran’s Memorial Park, where you will find the nation’s only replica of the National Vietnam War Memorial.
The race’s motto is “Come for the challenge, stay for the fun.” Organizers encourage participants to arrive in Pensacola early to enjoy the beautiful white beaches and stay after the race to participate in the numerous activities taking place in the Pensacola Bay Area, including the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show and the popular Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, part of the city’s new 12-day Foo Foo Festival, which celebrates arts, culture, and entertainment.
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For more information on running events or for a complete list of 2015 events in the Pensacola Bay Area, go to http://www.VisitPensacola.com.
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About Visit Pensacola
Visit Pensacola leads the effort of economic development through tourism in Escambia County. Comprised of over 200 member businesses, Visit Pensacola’s mission is to position the Pensacola Bay Area as a premier year-round travel destination through tourism marketing, communications, meetings and conventions, reunions and group tour initiatives. For more information about Visit Pensacola, call 1-800-874-1234 (toll-free) or go to http://www.VisitPensacola.com.
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Brooke Fleming, Visit Pensacola, http://www.visitpensacola.com, +1 8504330724, [email protected]
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