Defuniak Springs Sprint Triathlon

The 2026 Run4Health theme is Running Through the Decades. Dress in attire from your favorite decade. Best dressed individual and group prizes will be awarded.

Awards for Runners and walkers: Overall Male, Overall Female, Male and Female 1st-3rd in age groups.

The Run 4 Health 5k is presented by the Okaloosa County Community Health Improvement Partnership (OCHIP) in support of the Early Learning Coalition of the Emerald Coast. Their mission is to support the success of every child and family through quality early education and care.

All sponsorships, donations, and event proceeds will benefit Early Learning Coalition of the Emerald Coast and are deemed to be undesignated funds unless otherwise indicated by the donor.

Event details and schedule

Race start: 8 am

Awards ceremony: 9:30 am

Family field day fun and games, food trucks, vendor booths 8-11am

You may still sign up in person at either packet pick up. This is a rain or shine event. Sorry, no refunds for any reason. T-shirts for registrations after March 16 are distributed first come first serve.

Join us this year in participation of the 2026 EOD Memorial Challenge! This year's event is hosted by the NAVSCOLEOD Joint Service Association.

Starts and ends in front of the EOD Memorial located on Range Rd, Bluewater Bay.

Course details: 4.5 mile ruck | 0.5 mile swim | 4 mile run

Garmin course link: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/240469810

Admission includes (1) race entry, (2) beverage tickets, (2) meal tickets, (1) event t-shirt*.

*T-shirts guaranteed to participants registered on or before 13 April 2026. We will order extra t-shirts for those who register after that date, but it is on a first-come first-served basis.

Prizes:

Top Male / Female + Top competitor in age groups:

Under 18, 18-25, 26-30, 31-40, 41-50, over 50

Top team will be awarded as well. Teams will consist of 5 people per team. Teams are optional.

Ruck** weights:

30lb* minimum for 18 y/o and older

15lb* minimum for 17 y/o and younger

*minimum indicates eligibility for prizes. Titrate ruck weight to own fitness level/age.

**ruck= any method of carrying prescribed weight

The awards ceremony will commence when the majority of participants have finished.

Monetary proceeds will be used to execute this event and support the EOD Memorial and other EOD focused organizations.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EODMemorialChallenge

The name says it all!

Everything you will receive (T-shirts, medals & awards) at this race will be from past races. There is no rhyme or reason to what you receive, it’s a mystery! This is a RunPensacola event, so you know it’ll be properly managed & timed. Being the lowest price race of the Run Pensacola brand, you’ll have plenty of leftover cash to tip the bartenders at the soon-to-be Famous: Leftover Post Race Party at Crabs.

Packet Pick Up Info

Friday, May 8th 2026

Location: Running Wild, 3012 E Cervantes St, Pensacola, FL 32503

Time: 3pm – 6pm

Race Day

Saturday, May 9th 2026

Location: Crabs at Casino Beach Parking Lot

Time: 6:30am – 7:30am

Race Start Time 8AM

In 1996, Ann Knight and her friend Janet Boylan put on the very first Santa Rosa Island Triathlon. On race day, as they watched a few hundred new triathletes struggle to complete the race, they decided that a training program for new triathletes might be a good idea.

And so the Mere Mortals program was born in 1997. Ann teamed up with her husband Charlie to plan for the second annual SRI Tri, and Janet took on the task of organizing a free training group for those who might want help getting ready for their first Triathlon. In those first few years, 20-30 people would meet on Pensacola Beach and work their way up from short drills of swimming, biking, and running, eventually building up to a combined practice Tri that covered the full distance of the SRI Tri on the very same course they’d use on race day.

In the years since then, Mere Mortals has grown from an informal gathering to an organized event with attendance often exceeding 200 members. It is now managed by Tri Gulf Coast, the local triathlon club, and staffed by numerous volunteers who handle sign in, water safety, bike course monitoring, run water stops, refreshments, and weekly expert guest speakers!

If you’re thinking of trying out your first triathlon and you live anywhere near Pensacola beach, there is no better way to prepare than Mere Mortals!