Clearwater Marathon 2027 and the Races That Close the Beach Roads

When is the 2027 Clearwater Marathon, and what are the distances?

Millennium Running, a New Hampshire race company, puts on the festival, and All Day Running Co. is the title sponsor. Every distance starts and finishes in Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Blvd., just across the Sand Key Bridge from the south end of Clearwater Beach. The organizer's 2027 schedule, as of October 2026:

Marathoners who fall behind the 14:19 pace at mile 13 are directed to finish the half, and ultra runners behind 12:06 at mile 18.5 finish as marathoners. The organizer lists the marathon course as USATF certified (FL21013JK) and a Boston qualifier. The city's 2026 notice mentioned a 10K, but the 2027 page doesn't list one. Registration is on RunReg; the organizer's page doesn't publish entry fees, so check there for the current price. The relay is capped at 125 teams.

Which races close Clearwater Beach roads from October 2026 to September 2027?

Every organized race in that window that we could confirm uses the Memorial Causeway, Gulfview Boulevard or the Sand Key roads is below, plus the big Thanksgiving race that stays off them. Dates are from each organizer's own page, closure windows from the City of Clearwater and the organizer.

The marathon rows use the 2026 closure windows because they're the latest official ones. The 2027 organizer page describes the same Sunday course and 7 a.m. starts. Last year's notice came out ten days before the race, so look for the 2027 version in mid-January and check it before you plan the morning.

What closes on marathon Sunday, and until when?

The course runs clockwise. Runners leave Sand Key Park, cross the Sand Key Bridge, loop through the south end of Clearwater Beach and take the Memorial Causeway trail to the mainland. Marathoners and ultra runners do the loop twice, so the beach streets get one wave right after 7 a.m. and a second later in the morning. That's why the city's 2026 notice listed delays on Hamden and Devon from about 8:15 to 10:50 a.m.

The calculated times show when a runner holding the slowest even pace the time limits allow would pass. On the longer windows (S. Gulfview, the Hamden and Devon delays, Coronado and the Gulf Boulevard runner lane), the second-lap times land just inside the end of the city's window. The short first-lap closures on the Sand Key Bridge (until 7:15 a.m.) and on Hamden and Devon (until 7:30 a.m.) end a few minutes before the slowest half runners would clear them, so expect stragglers on those roads after they reopen. Nobody is allowed on course after 1:15 p.m., when the 6-hour-15-minute limit runs out. On the mainland, the 2026 notice also closed parts of Oak Avenue, Rogers Street, Orange Avenue and Druid Road until 11:30 to 11:45 a.m., and the course continues south through Belleair to the Belleair Causeway. The organizer says street parking isn't permitted in Belleair.

Does the Memorial Causeway close for the Clearwater Marathon?

Not in 2026. Neither the city's closure list nor the organizer's race notice included the causeway roadway. The course sheet sends runners onto "Causeway Boulevard (Rail Trail)," the paved path beside the bridge, at mile 2.33 and again at mile 15.5. The city's January 22, 2026 newsletter still warned of "traffic impacts" on the Memorial Causeway Bridge, so allow extra time. Expect the worst of it at the beach end, where Coronado Drive's right lane was closed until 11 a.m. and runners funnel onto the trail.

Driving over from the mainland on Sunday morning, the causeway itself should keep moving. The slow part starts once you're on the island and heading south toward the Sand Key Bridge.

Where do runners park, and is there a shuttle?

• Sand Key Park parking: limited, first come, first served. Gates open at 5:15 a.m. and close at 6:30 a.m., or sooner if the lots fill. The race site lists $6 per car, the park's flat daily rate as of October 2026, paid at the kiosks or in the parking app. Pinellas County switches the park to $3.50 an hour, capped at $12 a day plus tax, on Dec. 1, 2026, so expect the race-morning price to follow unless the race says otherwise. Overflow parking is across Gulf Boulevard next to the Clearwater Community Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd.
• No drop-offs at the park. Rideshares and drop-offs go to the front entrance of the Sheraton Sand Key, 1160 Gulf Blvd., the host hotel next to the start and finish.
• Free shuttle from Pier 60: both days, buses run from Pier 60 to the Sheraton Sand Key starting at 5:45 a.m., and the last one leaves at 6 a.m. Miss that 15-minute window and you're finding your own way. Return buses run Saturday from 8 to 9:30 a.m. from the Sheraton drop-off and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Sand Key Park, near the finish. Look for the big pink buses.
• Bib pickup: Friday 4 to 6 p.m. at Sand Key Park. Saturday 5:45 to 6:50 a.m. is for the 5K only, and Saturday 8:15 a.m. to noon is for the Sunday races. You can also pick up race morning from 5:45 a.m.

For a room, anywhere on Sand Key near the park puts you within walking distance of the start, and our guide to staying on Sand Key vs Clearwater Beach weighs the two sides. Pier 60 hotels work too if you can make the 6 a.m. bus. Our where to stay in Clearwater Beach guide compares the areas. For January weather and what else is on that month, see our Clearwater Beach in winter guide.

Where can spectators watch near the beach?

The organizer encourages spectators to cheer along the course. These spots are easy to reach from beach hotels, with mile marks from the organizer's aid station list.

• Sand Key Park finish: every distance finishes here, and the post-race party on the beach behind the Sheraton Sand Key runs 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
• Clearwater Marina aid station: mile 2.1 on lap one and mile 15.2 on lap two. It's a short walk from Pier 60 and the main beach hotels, and you can see marathoners twice.
• Memorial Causeway trail: runners pass just after the marina. Stay off the path itself.
• Bay Park aid station on Gulf Boulevard: mile 11.7 and mile 24.8, the last aid station before the finish.

On Sunday you can follow runners live from the organizer's results page. Relay runners aren't tracked.

What other races run near Clearwater Beach?

Most races in the area stay off the beach roads. The Achieva Clearwater Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2026, starts on Keene Road at Druid Road, just south of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, and finishes at Clearwater High School, 1951 Gulf to Bay Blvd. Its road closures are all on the mainland. Our Thanksgiving at Clearwater Beach guide covers the rest of that day. The Run Run Rudolph 5K on December 5, 2026, goes out and back from Coachman Park on the causeway trail, capped at 500 participants. Our Christmas season events guide covers the boat parade and lights that month. The Sugar Sand Festival 5K ran on the hard-packed sand from Pier 60 in April 2026, and we found no 2027 date yet. The U.S. Coast Guard 5K, which the city's newsletter promoted as a run over the Memorial Causeway on March 29, 2025, has no later date that we could find.

For training routes, from the Sand Key Bridge loop to the Pinellas Trail, see our guide to running in Clearwater Beach. Its race list still puts the running festival in October; the festival is now in late January. For festivals, fireworks and concerts, see the Clearwater Beach events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Clearwater Marathon in 2027?

Sunday, January 31, 2027, at 7 a.m. from Sand Key Park. The 50K, half marathon and half relay start at the same time. The festival's 5K is the day before, Saturday, January 30, at 7 a.m.

Is there a Clearwater half marathon?

Yes. The half is part of the same festival on Sunday, January 31, 2027, at 7 a.m. It's one loop of the marathon course, from Sand Key Park through Clearwater Beach, over the Memorial Causeway trail, through downtown and Belleair and back up Gulf Boulevard. The time limit is four hours.

Where can I see the Clearwater Marathon course map?

The organizer's event page at millenniumrunning.com links a Garmin course map for each distance, and its race notice links a mile-by-mile turn sheet. The marathon is two laps of the half course, and the 50K adds a 2.5-mile out and back on the Pinellas Trail between miles 18.5 and 23.5.

Will the Memorial Causeway be closed on marathon morning?

It wasn't in 2026. Runners use the trail beside the bridge, and the roadway wasn't on the closure list. Expect slower traffic at the beach end, where Coronado Drive's right lane was closed until 11 a.m. Check the city's 2027 notice in mid-January.

Does the Clearwater Turkey Trot close beach roads?

No. The Achieva Clearwater Turkey Trot on November 26, 2026, starts on Keene Road on the mainland, and none of the roads on the city's closure list for it are on the beach.