Before I start, I want to add special appreciation for Master Trooper Toni Schuck. She's the LEO…read morewho positioned herself & her vehicle in harm's way to stop the intoxicated wrong-way driver on Race Day. I know many volunteers were still at the starting line, & the last wave of racers, as well as bridge support volunteers, were still on the bridge then, so the outcome could've been so much worse without her impulsive & heroic sacrifice. Thank you, Master Trooper Schuck. This review is based on my experience as a volunteer for the 5th annual Skyway 10k in 2022. I signed up for Bridge Support, hoping for great views. Though I was not disappointed, only racers & media were allowed on the incline spans of the bridge. I was posted at the first water station, about a mile into the race course, so I assume all 8,000 racers passed me that morning. And my views were indeed AMAZING! Important note about the Skyway 10k: every cent from registration fees goes to the Armed Forces Families Foundation (AFFF). Not to toot my own horn, because my position was easy aside from waking up super early, this event would not be possible without the countless volunteers that show up & offer their time. And so many racers thanked me for volunteering, which caught me completely off-guard the first dozen times. Also surprising, to me, was the age range of racers: every adult generation was represented! Fitness level also ran the gamut, which leads me to wonder if I should register myself next year. But, if I don't, I'm definitely volunteering again. My only complaint is that I was confused about when I needed to arrive at Tropicana Field. The Bridge Support shift was to begin at 5am, but I didn't know if that was when I should arrive, or if I needed to arrive sooner to take a bus & be IN POSITION at 5am. So I arrived at 4:05am. I was indeed early for my position (1st, actually), but I was still surprised by the number of racers already queued for the 1st wave (their buses began leaving at 4:45am). Closer to race time, after 6am, 2 more volunteers were dropped off at our post, so I'm certain I was early. I was checked in quickly, then issued my volunteer t-shirt (which is so soft!) & hazard vest. I was also offered my choice of boxed lunch (ham or turkey) & a couple of lapel pins (JUST for volunteers!). Side note, I took my Jimmy John's turkey sandwich to work on Monday & it was delicious. At Tropicana Field, after the bus leaders were given their instructions & headed toward their posts, Starting Line & Bridge Support volunteers were addressed. I wish the coordinator had a megaphone because I couldn't hear every word, but I don't think I missed any vital info. We then headed through the metal detectors & boarded a bus. After stopping at the Starting Line at the southern end of the northbound bridge span, the 6 of us remaining decided amongst ourselves which of the 3 water stations we would work. Though my friend & I chose the 1st station, which was the furthest from the main bridge span, we had a great view across the water. The other 2 water stations were at the beginning & end of the incline, so those views were much different. Starting off, we had 2 giant tanks of water, each with fountain-style faucets. The faucets were awkward so we needed to show most people how to use them. The water aggressively spurted straight up & the reactions were amusing. We also encountered many racers that seemed irritated we had no cups, but the organizers did not want any trash on the bridge that could blow into the bay. There were port-o-lets near our water station, which I appreciated. Right before the race started, I used one & found it to be sparkling clean & well-stocked. We were dismissed from our post around 8:20am, after the last wave of racers had started, & we were told we could walk the bridge if we wanted. My friend has a physical reaction to heights, so I knew she wasnt going further than the second water station at the base of the incline, but I wanted to walk as far as could in spite of my aching feet from standing for 4 hours. However, when the last racers passed me, I got on the next bus, which conveniently was the one my friend was already on. Our ride back to the Trop still took over an hour but the organization was very smooth. It was also quite strict, as we were stopped after loading racers to add 7 more to fill every seat. Back at Tropicana Field, the after party was fantastic. Several food trucks were parked, along with a number of retail vendors, a couple of alcohol samples, & a decent band. The QR code signs for race results were cool, too, so I could see how my athletic friends did. My volunteering experience for this year's Skyway 10k was so enjoyable & much more rewarding than I expected. Now I'm thinking I may want to participate next year. As a volunteer this year, I get priority registration for 2023, so we'll see how ambitious I feel when registration opens. Either way, though, I'll be back!

The Annual Tampa YMCA Turkey Gobble 1 mile, 5k, & 8k Race is an out and back annual Thanksgiving…read moreRace Tradition for the whole family to burn some calories before you consume a whole bunch of calories during your Thanksgiving Feast! The Turkey Gobble starts and ends at The Amalie Arena located at 401 Channelside Drive in Downtown Tampa. Patrons can choice between a 1 mile fun run, 5K, or 8K run or walk and a 5k virtual run. Strollers and dogs are welcome. The 5k registration fee is $30-$35, the 8k registration fee is $35-$40, the 1 mile run registration fee is $20, and the virtual 5k is $30 to $35. All race participants get a turquoise turkey gobble shirt with an angry turkey on it and upon finishing the race, participants get a finisher medal with an angry turkey that is the same regardless of which race you did. Unfortunately, the Turkey Gobble starts all 3 races at the same time at 7am and does not organize seperate heats for fast runners, medium fast runners, and walkers, and it holds all 3 races on the same track going down bayshore. The people doing the 1 mile and the 5k race turn around on bayshore earlier than the people running the 8k. So the people running the 5k & 8k have to battle a bunch of walkers who started in front of them because they were not told to stay in the back and the people walking that are turning around after the 1 mile halfway mark and the 5k halfway mark. For next year, management needs to have seperate start times for the 1 mile, 5k, and 8k races and needs to have 3 seperate heats for each race for fast runners, average runners, and walkers like for the Gasparilla distance classic so runners are not constantly dodging walkers. Management also should make seperate medals for the 1mile, 5k and 8k so people actually have recognition for which race they ran. I hope management can improve upon this event for next year as it is a good way to burn calories before consuming a bunch of calories during Thanksgiving!

I got to the race about 30 minutes prior to starting and I did enjoy that the beginning was at the…read moreAmalie Arena, the morning was pretty foggy and I was shocked how many people showed up. But that's when it started getting out of control. The announcer made it clear that everyone was racing at the same time except the family friendly and pets but still they should have made the 5K and 8k separate there were so many people crowded together to start the race I was closer to front so luckily it wasn't to bad. We raced(trotted) down towards bayshore and then once you hit the water station if needed then another mile and it was time to turn around. I loved seeing everyone who dressed up in costumes and definitely themed out for this event. When we got finished the lines for the medals were crowded but once you made it through it felt good to have the medal in your hand! A great accomplishment for sure! They did provide water and snacks as well.

A fun novelty 5K run. The course is a non timed trail run where zombies try and grab your flags. I…read morehad a good time trying to out run the zombies. The zombies ranged in all ages and were fully engaging. This is a cool run to do and check it off your run list. I was a bit disappointed in the after party, hardly any vendors or food trucks. I also did not see any after race snacks like you normally see.

From the owner: Run for your life from flesh hungry Zombies through a 3.1 mile trail run where ZOMBIES are the…read moreobstacles!

I participated in the inaugural half marathon in 2009, and again in 2010. I am super amazed at how…read moreorganized and well run this event was pulled off both years. Organizing so many people cannot be an easy task. The route is scenic with a lot of interesting views as you make your way through the course. A plethora of bathrooms are available at the start and finish line as well as throughout the course. Different musical groups sometimes play along the course. I love the finisher's medals here as well. The 1/2 marathon and the 5k metals are not the same, so if getting the metal is important to you, make sure to find out which one you will be receiving. The metals are unique in that they have a removable charm you can use on a necklace or bracelet after wards. Overall this is a great group adventure and exciting. Some people even walk the entire way and that is acceptable as well--they are not super strict about times at this event.

Women's running events are my jam. I've run this one twice, once in 2011 and this year. I…read moreparticipated both times in the half marathon and have nothing but awesome things to say (Except one thing. The band at the end. Please never again.) The expo started on time, was quick and they gave out all information online and through email so that there was never any guessing as to where to park or where to go. There were plenty of bathrooms to use before the race however there may have been some volunteers needed to let runners know where the second set was. The lines were pretty long at the porta-potties nearest to the starting line were packed. The other set of porta-potties (which there were tons) had no lines and as soon as I spotted those I ran my little butt over there. Nothing makes a girl have to pee more than a starting line. The volunteers were excellent, the crowd support was amazing (AMAZING), and the whole course was well planned and interesting. Can I move to St. Pete now? It is so cool! A great way to showcase it's new restaurants and shops. The after party had fresh Natalie's juices (oh good Lord) and frozen banana slices covered in dark chocolate. That was the best post race food I've ever had. Chocolate and grapefruit juice. Strange, but oh man, so great. A great race and even better if you can sign up earlier and save some money, this one gets pricey.

I lived in St. Pete a long ago. I lived here for about 10 years. I never visited, nor heard of,…read moreWeedon Island. I would not have discovered it, if I had not started doing Parkruns in my home town. https://www.yelp.com/biz/parkrun-bear-creek-greenbelt-keller What a great concept! I guess it started in the UK, and now is spreading to the US. I think this is only the second one in Texas. Be sure to read the information at the URL. If you want to be timed, and results saved, you do need to register (it's free) and print and bring your unique barcode. I've been to this twice, and it's a good course. No streets to cross. Very scenic. Note: I was late the first time (entered into google calendar, in Texas, and forgot to change time zone!) and missed the run, though I did run the course. Very friendly volunteers. I plan to start volunteering too, as it's a great way to give back. Walkers and runners are welcome! Be sure to check out the Cultural and Natural History Center, it's very interesting. https://www.yelp.com/biz/weedon-island-preserve-st-petersburg Bottom line: Great concept. Note: I was here at the end of 2019, so I'm putting this review in my 2019 bucket.

So excited to have a parkrun in the area! Went for their inaugural run and it was so much fun. The…read morerun is through the trails in Weedon Island Preserve so you get run on the cement, the boardwalk & then the trail. The trail area is well groomed with just soon smaller roots to watch out for, so great even if you are not a normal trail runner. Also, being in Florida, this run was great as there was a lot of shaded areas. If you haven't been to Weedon Island Preserve, this is a great way to see it, and enjoy the views and wildlife along the run. The organizers did a great job setting it up and also adding a social after to get coffee and meet new people. If you haven't done a parkrun before, you'll need to register on the online site and bring the barcode you are given, this allows you to get your time and start logging in your runs (you get shirts for hitting milestones such as 50, 100, etc runs). All events are free and runners, walkers, joggers are welcome! If you don't run or have someone coming who doesn't they can volunteer with the race. Kids are welcome and they have junior levels as well! Once you get into it, you'll love that you can look all over the world and find other runs and people to join. Such a great event and group!

All costs were not shown at time of registration. Found out after registering that there was a $20…read moreparking fee plus $5 packet pick up fee.

This 5k run was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds on 6/27/15. Blacklight asked people to get…read morethere at 6p to help with traffic flow, promising plenty of food and drink venders while waiting for the race start time of 9p. In reality, there was one food truck and one drink bar for the 14,000 registered runners! There was a hidden fee of $5 to pick your swag bag up on race day, and most people didn't live anywhere near the early pick up location in Bradenton. I travelled two hours from Gainesville on race day so early packet pick up wasn't possible. I stood in line an hour on the hot blacktop with no shade provided just to get a bib and T-shirt. Even getting there early, the parking was a nightmare and there was an additional fee to park. The race started at 9 and there were still hundreds of people waiting over an hour that hadn't even made it into the fairgrounds. Eventually, the police got involved to handle traffic. I didn't even stay for the race, although I saw several posts on the Facebook event page saying the course was dangerous, they didn't have water stations or staff on the dark course. The event page is gone, erasing thousand of complaints and demands for refunds. What a waste of my time, gas, registration fee, packet pickup fee and parking fee. Hey Blacklight! I'll give my T-shirt back for a refund of my $31+ dollars! Totally frustrating and most disappointing 5k I've ever attended. Stay away from Blacklight events.

Came to Tampa Bay Grand Prix for my Husbands birthday…read more Never been before so as our first time experience, it went really well especially for my son. It was his first time driving a go kart, and the arena is really laid out nice super spacious. Each round you get 12 laps. They had a great time going around the track. For the price I feel like it's a deal and they even have specials during the week . Definitely will be back soon.

We have been here a couple of times. You have to buy a membership but the good news is they keep…read morerecords and they can look you up and you don't have to pay each time just once and your good to go. It works best if you make reservations before you go so you don't have to wait. They give you a clean head garment to put on before your helmet. Nice touch. The carts are electric so they are fast enough. They also have carts for the little ones. I wish they would keep the inexperienced drivers from the experience ones as it can cause so hard hits to the inexperienced drivers as they don't know the racing lines. I know they do birthday parties, they have some drinks and snacks to enjoy. After each race you can pick up your trimming sheet to see how your time stacks up. We will be back as fun times were had!

This event was put on so well! The food trucks were yummy, the entertainment was enjoyable and the…read moreboat races had me on the edge of my seat! The emcee was hilarious and kept everyone informed but also interested, even 3 hours in!