13 running, walking, swimming, and other events in Clearwater, Florida

Dear Swimmers,

Get ready to dive into our annual swim challenge, “Swim What You Can”! This is a fantastic opportunity to set your own swimming goals and stay motivated throughout the year. Here are the details:

Challenge Guidelines:

Swim Frequency: Swim at your own pace, whenever and wherever you can! There are no minimum or maximum distances—just swim what you’re able to accomplish each week.

Weekly Reporting: Every week, please report your distances to Coach Leo. Include both your weekly total and your cumulative total for the year.

Motivation: Let’s keep each other motivated! Share your progress, tips, and encouragement with fellow swimmers.

Year-End Challenge: Join us for our traditional 100x100 swim on December 31, 2026. This is a great way to celebrate our hard work and achievements!

Awards and Recognition: All participants will receive a specially designed shirt and an award indicating your total distance swum for the year.

Plus, you’ll earn bragging rights within our swim community!

Registration Details:

• Challenge Fee: $50 for the entire year.

• Sign-Up Deadline: Please register by February 28, 2026.

We can’t wait to see how far you’ll swim this year! Let’s make it a memorable one filled with achievement and camaraderie.

Best,

Coach Leo

The SPC Titan Trot is organized by SPC Faculty Volunteers as a way to raise scholarship money for our students. Join us for an inclusive, fun 5K.

THEME: LOVE ON THE HIGH SEAS! COSTUMES ARE ENCOURAGED! Yacht Rock or Pirate, whichever you prefer.

Why choose the SPC Titan Trot?

We welcome walkers and runners of all abilities.

We have room for local athletes who would like to test their 5K time in a casual setting.

YOU CANNOT BE LAST! Why? Because we have 2 coaches who have volunteered to be last. If that was one of your excuses, you can cross it off now. :)

FUN FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

From corn hole to beach balls to kid’s Jenga, the finish line will be surrounded by fun games to keep everyone entertained while they wait to cheer you in for your fantastic finish.

STROLLERS

Strollers are allowed but there is a short, 3 foot section of grass. Please plan accordingly.

POST RACE DRAWINGS AND AWARDS!

Once you’ve completed your race, hang around to enjoy snacks and see if you won anything in our free drawing!

PACKET PICK UP

Friday from 12:30-6pm ES 102 – SPC Clearwater Campus

Saturday from 6:45-7:45 AM Tables will be located outside, between the LA and ES buildings

Registration is available on Friday and Saturday! Cash Only. $40

LOCATION

St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus

2465 Drew St, Clearwater, FL 33765

Campus map: https://go.spcollege.edu/locations/

WAIVER

Every athlete needs to sign a printed waiver before they can pick up their packet. You can bring a signed copy with you. A copy of the waiver can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1og6TvbVmzmQE03PlBWHLLhf0ufazwGyH/view?usp=sharing

THE COURSE

The course is an out-and-back layout. The race is chip timed. Chips will be attached to your bib.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7221188

We start on the beautiful Clearwater campus before turning left onto the Duke Energy Trail. There is a short section on grass as you cross Old Coachman Road so please be careful! Continue north across Drew Street until you reach the Ream Wilson Trail (past the Phillies stadium). Turn right. The course continues on Ream Wilson until the turnaround at Fairwood Avenue. Volunteers are stationed at the turnaround. After that you just retrace your steps to campus.

We have one water stop conveniently located about a mile from the starting line.

We look forward to seeing you.

Event details and schedule

RACE DAY SCHEDULE

6:45AM -- Packet Pick Up Opens! Located between the ES and LA buildings.

7:45AM – Packed Pick Up Closes!

8:00AM -- Race Start on the campus quad.

9:00AM -- Awards & Give Away Drawings near the finish line! All athletes are entered into the drawings so why not hang around? We’ll have snacks!

LOCATION

St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus

2465 Drew St, Clearwater, FL 33765

Campus map: https://go.spcollege.edu/locations/

PARKING:

SPC’s Clearwater Campus offers plenty of free parking. Please avoid spaces marked for Staff

You are respectfully invited to participate in the 4th annual TOC5 memorial 1-mile swim with Rory O'Connor, the Clearwater Beach lifeguards, and myself on February 14, 2026.

This complimentary event honors the legacy of Tom O'Connor, a former Clearwater Beach lifeguard and member of the Tampa Bay Frogman.

Donations of any amount are welcomed in support of the non-profit Leo's Swim Safe Foundation FKA Open Water Open Arms

Thomas O'Connor Charity Swim

Event Description:

1 Mile Ocean Swim

Event Day & Time

Feb 14, 2026 (Saturday) arriving at 7:45 AM

Event Location:

Lifeguard Tower 5 Clearwater Beach FL

This annual event is to celebrate the Tampa Bay Open Water and Clearwater Lifeguard communities.

Please participate in the “1 Mile Ocean Swim” or come to hang out with us, no matter your choice; donate and help us spread the word out and increase the amount of awareness and importance of our lifeguards.*

*Activities are subject to change

SCHEDULE:

7:45 AM – Arriving Time

7:50 AM – Safety Briefing

8:00 AM – Swim Event Start

9:00 AM – Event Ends

Ready to build confidence and sharpen your open water swim skills before race day? Join us for a supportive and practical clinic designed ideal for all swim levels.

Led by Coach Coral Owen (Team BABE Head Coach, BABES Tri Race Director) and Coach Katie McEnery (Team BABE Tri Coach), this session will help you feel more prepared and at ease in open water. With over 20 years each of experience coaching swimmers of all levels, Coral & Katie specialize in helping women feel strong, confident, and calm in the water.

Details:

~ Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026

~ Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

~ Location: Sand Key Park (Clearwater Beach, FL)

~ Ladies only!

What we’ll cover:

~ Sighting and swimming straight

~ Buoy turns

~ Managing different water conditions

~ Triathlon-specific skills like water entries, exits, and handling contact

Additional details:

~ No open water experience required

~ Must be able to swim 50 yards continuously

~ Limited spaces available

Questions? Email Coral at [email protected]

**Registrations after February 15 will be discounted 25% and will NOT include a race t-shirt. Join us in your bright colors!

The Be The Glow Fun Run-5K is a family-friendly community event with a powerful purpose. Families near and far come together for one common goal: fighting food insecurity in our community.

This annual fundraiser directly supports Lotz of Blessings’ food insecurity programs, including Pack-A-Snack, Brown Bag Buddies (PB&J), and Blessings Boxes. Through Pack-A-Snack, we provide weekend food to school children who rely on school meals. Brown Bag Buddies brings families and youth together to make thousands of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for children in need. Blessings Boxes are free-access food boxes placed throughout the community to ensure families can get food when they need it most. When you participate in Be The Glow, you are helping ensure kids and families don’t go hungry.

What makes Be The Glow different is the element of glow. When we spread kindness, we become a light in someone else’s life. This event celebrates that idea in a joyful and memorable way, encouraging participants to wear bright colors, glow gear, and anything that shines as we light up the course together.

Participants can expect a fun, welcoming experience that includes glow stations along the course, a DJ and high-energy music, photo booth opportunities, a finisher medal, and an event t-shirt. Be The Glow is designed for all ages and abilities — whether you choose to run, walk, push a stroller, ride in a wagon, or cheer from the sidelines, you are part of the impact.

Be The Glow is more than a run. It’s a celebration of kindness, community, and coming together to help feed our neighbors.

Coach Coral and Coach Skye host a weekend for women only focusing on open water swim technique, strategy and mental hacks to prepare you for your triathlon or swim race. On the last day, participants get to participate in a swim race!

Friday, March 27

3-4 PACKET PICKUP

4-5 Welcome Session

5-6 Form and Technique

DINNER ON OWN

Saturday, March 28

Morning OWS Session

Sighting, Buoy Turns, Contact

Saturday Mid-Morning Learning Session

Mobility and Breath work

Saturday Afternoon Lunch Provided at Hotel**

Saturday Mid-Afternoon Learning Session

Fueling your Swim

Saturday Late Afternoon OWS Session

Race Simulation and Distance Practice

Saturday Evening

GROUP DINNER PROVIDED (walking distance from hotel)

Sunday Morning

2nd Annual Women's Open Water Swim Race

(registration included)

RACE DAY!

Sunday Mid-Morning Wrap Up

Sunday Noon Depart

*Lodging not included

**Meals are not provided unless specified

The BayCare Team Member 5K is offered to BayCare team members and their friends and family. The course starts and finishes at 2985 Drew St., Clearwater, FL in the parking lot of the BayCare Health System offices (BSO). A beautiful run/walk through Kapok Park takes you through park scenery, over waterways and by the softball fields. The Kids Dash is an untimed event for kids 8 and under.

All registration entries go towards the Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund.

In the 5K and 1 Mile events, strollers are allowed to start in the rear. Please do not bring your dogs to the expo site or on the course.

Women's Open Water Swim Race is a celebration of community and strength set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico at Sand Key Park just south of Clearwater Beach, FL. This inclusive event welcomes women of all experience levels—from beginners to seasoned competitors—to take on the challenge of open-water swimming in a supportive and empowering environment.

Race location: Sand Key Park, Clearwater Beach, FL

Distances: 1/2 mile, 1 mile

🏅 PACKET PICKUP

Pick up your race packet, swim cap, and swag on:

🗓 Saturday, March 28, 5-6pm

📍 Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 1160 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767

Parking is available next to the Sheraton at Sand Key Park for $6 flat rate. Limited free parking is available in the gravel lot across the street from the Sheraton at the Sand Key Sailing Center. Parking at the Sheraton itself is variable; please check parking lot signage at the hotel for limitations and rates.

If you cannot pick up your packet on Saturday afternoon, limited packet pickup will also be available on race morning.

🎁 ATHLETE SWAG

Your race packet will include:

💙 Custom event swim cap

💎 Event sticker for your water bottle, laptop, or cooler!

🥇 Every finisher receives a medal!

🅿️ PARKING & SITE MAP

Race morning parking is available on-site at Sand Key Park. Be sure to park at the south end of the parking lot. Review the site map below for visuals. If you are staying at the Sheraton Sand Key, you can easily walk out the back of the hotel down the beach to the race start.

Race day address: Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767

🌴 RACE MORNING SCHEDULE

Please arrive no later than 7:30am to pick up your timing chip (and packet if not doing Saturday packet pickup) to ensure a smooth, unhurried start to your race day.

7:30-8:10 am // Timing chip pickup for all athletes & race day packet pickup (on beach next to race start)

7:20 am // Pre-race briefing (at start line on the beach)

8:30 am // 1 mile swim start

8:35 am // 0.5 mile swim start

9:30 am // Overall awards & post-race celebration

Note: The tentative course plan and timeline is what we intend for race morning with the currently projected wind and water conditions. Please note this is subject to change for the best race experience possible - thank you!

☀️ WEATHER, WATER TEMPERATURE & WETSUITS

We’ll send an update the week before the race with projected weather and water temperatures so you can plan gear accordingly. The swim will be wetsuit legal. If you need to rent a wetsuit, please contact PlayTri St. Pete at 727.383.0551.

The Clearwater Beach Sugar Sand Festival 5K for CFY presented by Single Source will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 9 a.m.

This run walk kicks off the final weekend of the globally acclaimed and internationally celebrated, Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival on Clearwater Beach, Florida.

The course will take place on the hard packed sand of Clearwater Beach along the shoreline, but running shoes are recommended. The run course mimics asphalt much more so than the beautiful sugar sand you will see with your free tickets to the festival in one of the greatest Sugar Sand Festival displays of art and sand on the planet.

Registration is limited to 300 in this 5K run/walk open to all ages and levels of ability.

The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival presented by Visit St.Pete-Clearwaters returns March 27 - April 12, 2026. For 17 days, Clearwater Beach takes center as Master sand sculptors from around the world will bring the beach to life in this internationally celebrated event that draws visitors from near and far. The 2026 theme, “United in Sand: Celebrating Sports & Spirit!”, is a dynamic showcase of teamwork, triumph, and tradition paired with live entertainment, fireworks, and unforgettable sunsets at Pier 60. This makes 2026 the perfect year to kick off the all-inclusive and participatory Sugar Sand Inaugural 5k Run, Walk, and Kid’s Single Source Sand Dash, welcoming participants of all ages and levels of ability.

On Saturday, April 11th, The 5K Run/Walk and Kid’s Sand Dash will take place on the hard-packed sand along the shoreline, offering a race setting that is truly unique to Clearwater Beach, Florida. With the gulf as your backdrop, participants are encouraged to bring their cameras along. The Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m. at Pier 60 and follows a scenic north out-and-back course. Participants will receive an exclusive finisher medal only available at this event.

Throughout the 17 days of Sugar Sand Festival, we’ll have some of the best live music on the main stage, performers around the venue, and fireworks at Sunsets at Pier 60. The names still being announced to perform will draw people from all over the state, as we benefit the children and sports programs through CFY Pinellas.

Registration is available ONLY on RunSignUp Included in your 5K registration is the 5 inch finisher’s medal featuring the “United In Sand” sports themed logo, your event t-shirt, one free ticket into the 24,000 square foot sand sculpture exhibit, and a goody bag stuffed by CFY Pinellas who use every dollar they raise in sponsorship dollars for the youth of Pinellas County through its 3 Pillars of Giving, Athletics, Education and Water Safety.

Timeline:

8:10 a.m. participant check in opens in front of Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach, 1 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater, Florida 33767. There is NO race day registration as this event is open to the first 300 registrants through our registration portal at www.RunSignUp.com (there is no race day registration)

9:00 a.m. Kid’s Dash ages 0-12 (children are called to the starting line by size and take part in a race designed especially for them) the children are never out of sight from parents/guardian

9:15 a.m. The run/walk 5K is called to the starting line for the national anthem and the run begins. This race is electronically timed with AMAZING 5-inch finisher’s medal, an event t-shirt, however, non-competitive in nature in our direct attempt to attract all levels of age and ability to participate. No awards will be presented but a great celebration will take place at 10 a.m. to acknowledge ALL runners at the main tent.

10:00 a.m. Sand Sculpture Exhibit is open to the runners and to the public to view this amazing United in Sand Exhibit exclusive to Clearwater Beach, April 11, 2026!

About CFY Pinellas: Established in 1972, CFY proudly supports youth athletics programs and organizations, reaching over 17,000 Pinellas County youth annually and expanding. Funding efforts are aimed at providing the children of Pinellas County the opportunity to participate in their chosen activity unhindered by costs. CFY’s Endowment allows that every dollar that is donated goes 100% to supporting a child. CFY continues to grow as we focus on three core areas: Youth Athletics Grants, Education and Water Safety. For more information, please visit our website at www.cfypinellas.org.

Raise your glass—and your heart rate! The Miles for Mimosas 5K is the perfect blend of fitness, fun, and a little post-race fizz. Runners and walkers will enjoy a refreshing course designed for all experience levels, whether you’re chasing a personal best or simply soaking in the atmosphere.

Every athlete will be treated to a race-themed shirt, a sparkling finisher medal, and a complimentary mimosa to toast your accomplishment at the finish line. (We will have juice available for those under 21.) In addition, awards will be presented in the usual five-year age groups, starting at 10 & under, so everyone has a chance to shine.

Join us for a run that tastes as good as it feels! Cheers to the Miles for Mimosas 5K!

We even have a special Sip & Stroll division. It includes all the goodies of the 5K, with no requirement to run:-)

The Heritage All Day 5k was dreamed up in 2021 with a route encircling our church, local school, and dozens of our neighbors. The format is designed to represent the power of prayer and how praying circles around our community can make meaningful change. Since it’s inception, we have collectively circled our community 864 times and raised over $44,000 towards our mission! We hope you can join us in 2026 for a fun day or running, walking and raising funds to circle and support our community.

Our 5th annual event will be in the Spring of 2026 and will have 4 waves of races (7am, 8am, 9am, 10am) each with 2 loops effectively circling our community over and over all morning long –hence the name, All Day 5k. Race day culminates with a kids fun run at 11am with laps in the parking lot, music, popsicles and a bounce house.

In addition to the 5k and running events on Saturday, we have a pre-race dinner the night before (separate meal tickets sold at our event website) which is hosted at Heritage and is catered by locally owned Three Brothers Pizza. They provide a delicious pasta dinner meal and all the funds raised by the dinner and the raffle items go directly to supporting the foster care ministries of Heritage. During the meal, guests are treated to a presentation with a few guest speakers to educate on the importance of foster care, the great need for foster care services in our Tampa Bay community, and how they can partner and get involved with the foster care ministries to make an impact!

Thanks for joining us a fun and impactful weekend in April

JOIN Clearwater Fire and Rescue Beach Lifeguards for the 2nd annual Ocean Mile Swim on beautiful Clearwater Beach. Proceeds from this year's swim will be donated to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay ensuring that no one in our community has to face crisis alone. Crisis Center of Tampa Bay | Compassionate Services that Offer Help, Hope & Healing, including this year a portion donated to Amber Nahorodny- Clearwater Police Department Telecommunicator. Amber was recently diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. “I have worked in Clearwater as a police dispatcher for the past 20 years. I like to travel and be active and one of my favorite places to do that is at our National Parks. Looking forward to the Tampa Bay Lightning playoffs! Also, if you have any unusual symptoms for your body, or have put off a cancer screening, schedule that appointment.”

Event details: Sunday, May 3, 2026

Location: Clearwater Beach- Lifeguard Tower 7

Swim Course: Start/Finish shoreline at tower 7 with a beach start, swimmers will swim south to a turnaround buoy just north of pier, and loop back north along the shoreline with a beach finish.

Event timeline: 6:30am- Registration Open to receive your chips and post brunch wrist band, 7:15am- Safety debrief and check presentation, 7:45a- Swim Start, 9:30am- Course Closed *Parking: 4 Rockaway Street, Clearwater Beach- you must pay for parking

NEW this year: 10:00am-Noon we will host a post party brunch complete with a Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar at Hogg Daddy's Beach Bar and Grill located at 752 S. Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach. This is open to family and friends. Wrist bands will be given out at registration, you may purchase more than one ticket with your registration, wrist bands will be provided at registration to attend the brunch.

Thank you to our sponsors this year.

Kennedy Law Racing, Deboer Swim, Future Home Reality: Mike and Lori Dunlap, Tower 8 Staffing Solutions, Hogg Daddy's Beach Bar & Grill, City of Clearwater, Clearwater Fire & Rescue, and Race Director OWS Leo Briceno.