Half Marathon races near Ponte Vedra Beach

The Jacksonville Marine Corps Half Marathon & Freedom 5K starts runners and walkers downtown Jacksonville near Riverfront Plaza, with both distances sharing the start on Hogan and Water Street. The half marathon is a 13.1-mile road race, paired with a shorter 5K, and the event is one of Jacksonville’s larger running days, drawing more than 3,000 participants in a past running. The race formerly used the Marine Corps Half Marathon name, and the starting area sits where the Jacksonville Landing once stood. The half marathon route is mostly flat and uses an out-and-back layout along city streets near the St. Johns River. Early on, runners encounter the main climb of the day with a bridge crossing toward Friendship Park, then return to the north side by way of the Acosta Bridge and follow Riverside Avenue along the river. The course continues through neighborhood streets, with turns near Willow Branch Park, St. Johns Avenue, Boone Park, Fishweir Park, and Yukon Street, where runners reach the halfway point before heading back over much of the same ground toward the finish.