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Gopher Weedon Trail Run 8K

October 24, 2015
Weedon Island Preserve
1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33702

Boy Scout Trail at Weedon Island
Sandy trail at Weedon Island Preserve in St Petersburg, FL
A variety of trails during the race. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)

5th Weedon Island Trail Run 8K

This trail race takes place inside the Weedon Island Preserve, a 3,100 acre nature preserve along Tampa Bay. You'll run through mangroves, salt marsh and Florida scrub habitat.

The race is produced by the Friends of Weedon Island and all proceeds are used for environmental restoration, and education.
Florida Scrub Habitat at Weedon Island Preserve
Weedon Island has a variety of micro climates.

What You Need to Know

Packet Pickup: Yes. Local pickup at the Fit2Run store in downtown St. Petersburg the evening before the race. Packet pickup available on race morning. No expo.

Race Course: The course is paved, dirt and sand trails, and boardwalks. The race starts near the Cultural and History Center parking lot, then follows the trails around the park.

Pacers: No.

Aid Stations: Not on trail. Plenty of food and water at the end of race.

Parking: Easy and free in education center parking lot. Arrive early for the best spot. You may have to park away from the start line, but you'll find a spot.

Park Entry Fee: None.

Restrooms: The Cultural and History Center has nice bathrooms available to runners before and after the race.

Cost: 8K $30. This race has limited entries because it's run on the nature trails. If you want to experience it, register early. They sell out.

SWAG (Stuff we all get): Short sleeve tech race shirt and bib. Ladies shirt is v-neck. Mens is traditional round neckline.

Happy Surprise: You have to run up a 3-story observation deck and ring the bell. Friendly volunteers were sprinkled throughout the course giving directions, and encouragement.

Post Race Festivities: Post race food is from local restaurants. Award presentations are given in each category. The party takes place next to the finish line. Runners can lounge in the grass, or rest in the shade. Everyone is encouraged to visit the Cultural and History Center after the race.

Photos: Yes. I believe volunteers took all the race photos. The pictures were wonderful! They were posted on the Friends of Weedon Island Facebook page in mid-November. No notification, so watch the Facebook page for updates and info.

Awards: No medals. Prizes were given 3 deep in each age category.

Timing Chip: No. There is a digital display at the finish line. Runners write down their time on a paper record with name and bib number. Winners are tallied manually.

Race Results: The results were posted by early afternoon on CoolRunning.com

Weather Report: Early October in Florida can be hot. It was 72º at the 9 am start.
-> Sunny with no clouds.
-> Low humidity.
-> Temps were high 70s at finish.

Extra Info: Watch your step. Parts of the course are paved or boardwalk, but a lot of it is dirt and sand. There were tree roots and other natural obstacles. Trail shoes were helpful.

Here's a map of all the Weedon Island Preserve trails.


Race Rating: A+

Logo for Gopher Weedon Trail Run for benefit of Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg
Packet pickup on race morning at Weedon Island.
Packet pick up was available on race morning. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)
Starting line of the Weedon Island Trail Race.
Runners line up for the start. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)
An Osprey is perched on the observation tower the morning of the Weedon Island Trail Race.
Beautiful Osprey at Weedon Island. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)
Observation Tower and Boardwalk at Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg.
Ugh! Boardwalks were nice, except we were approaching the climb to the top of the bell tower.
Race officials tally the results after the Weedon Trail Run
Race officials tally the times. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)
Runners eat and drink after the Weedon Island Trail Run.
Post race eats and ceremony took place on the lawn. (Photo credit: Friends of Weedon Island)
Finish line of the Weedon Island Preserve 8K Trail Race.
Making my way to the finish line after climbing the observation tower. Whew!

My Weedon Trail Run Race Recap

I've been wanting to try a trail run, and this event seemed like a good introduction to running a race on dirt and sandy trails.

You can read my full race recap here.
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  • Blog
  • Race Discounts
    • What's BibRave?
  • Brand Discounts
  • Races
    • 2021 Races >
      • REVIEW: 2021 Tampa Hot Chocolate 15K 5K
      • Hot Chocolate 15K Watercolor Journal
    • 2019 Races >
      • 2019 First Watch Sarasota Half
      • 2019 Legoland Brick Dash 5K
      • 2019 World Refugee Day 5K
      • 2019 Pittsburgh Half Marathon
      • 2019 Rugged Maniac Dade City
      • 2019 Copperhead 5K at the Valspar Championship
      • 2019 Best Damn Race
      • 2019 St Pete Beach Classic Duo
    • 2018 Races >
      • 2018 First Watch Sarasota Half
    • 2017 Races >
      • 2017 Madeira Beach Sunset Series
      • 2017 Best Damn Race Leftover 5k
      • 2017 May Day 10K
      • 2017 5K on the Runway
      • 2017 Valspar Par 4 Miler
      • 2017 Sarasota Music Half
      • 2017 SPB Beach Classic
      • 2017 Kettle Krush 5K
    • 2016 Races >
      • 2016 Caladesi Island 10 Miler
      • 2016 Ronnie's Run 10 Miler
      • 2016 Weedon Island Preserve 8K
      • 2016 Fort DeSoto 15K
      • 2016 One Step Closer 10k
      • 2016 Hippie Dash 5k
      • 2016 May Day 10K
      • 2016 FL Beach Half
      • 2016 SPB Beach Classic
    • 2015 Races >
      • 2015 May Day 10k
      • 2015 Weedon Island Preserve 8K
      • 2015 Fort DeSoto 15K
      • 2015 Honeymoon Island Half
  • Places
    • --> Seen On A Run
    • Azalea Park
    • Crescent Lake Park
    • Weedon Island Preserve
    • Demens Landing
    • Riviera Bay Park
    • Walter Fuller Park
  • My Story
    • Contact
    • Reviews and Sponsored Posts