Latest reviews by Eric Blasius

(2023)
"Gasparilla Half - 2023!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

This is a well-organized race that has been running for more than 40 years! They've got it down pat. This is my 3rd or 4th race of theirs I've run, and they keep me coming back! This year, I brought along three of my good friends, and we made a guys weekend out of it.

In the lead up to the race, regular emails kept the info in bite-sized pieces so that I wasn't overwhelmed. A nice sidenote- they have free runner tracking. I was able to get my family and friends signed up to receive updates on my progress. I've seen that less often lately (for whatever reason) so I thought I'd point it out.
As is my usual practice for this race, I booked a hotel directly across the street from the Tampa Convention Center, which is where the Expo is held and the race start line borders. It's clear the nearby hotels have gotten used to the race bringing lots of folks to town, so rates have been quite high for race weekend. Regardless, the convenience of being right across the street made it worth it.

The Expo is a great-sized event and features a ton of brands and gear. Even Meb was there signing autographs and taking photos! I will say, my friends and I were running the Half -which is on Sunday morning- came into Tampa on Saturday. The Expo closes at 3pm, which was super early, in our opinion. We would have loved to see it close around 5-7pm instead, just for those coming from out of town.

The Swag was a long sleeve shirt with easily the COOLEST design I've ever had on a race shirt! Instead of just printing a graphic on the front, the shirt itself is designed with the logo down the sleeve! Truly really cool and I really have gotten a big kick out of it! We also received a branded running hat from the Publix booth. It's great quality and already in my rotation of running gear!

Race day was a breeze, with the Half starting at 6:00am. I would love to see this time pushed back even to 5:30am, as it does tend to get HOT as the time goes on right along the bay. The first 5 miles go on Davis Island, with views of the Municipal Airport and Cruise port. A bunch of residents on these streets are always out cheering runners, which is fun! Miles 6-13 are on the famous Bayshore Blvd, a picturesque place to run! Right on the water, it's a great view of the sunrise as you tackle the last two thirds of the course. It's an out and back for this portion, but it's also fun to see the runners going in the opposite direction as well. The finish line is fun and complete with pictures with pirates and plenty of water, Gatorade, sweet and salty snacks, and a banana. The post race party is just off the finish line with a complimentary Michelob Ultra.

I do also want to point out the medal! It's a really cool themed medal of a skull, and the "mouth" moves. Super classic for Gasparilla, and I love it!

I would wholeheartedly recommend this race for anyone looking for a winter 5k, 8k, 15k or Half Marathon!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2021)
"Fun virtual experience!"
Overall
Race Management
SWAG
Virtual Support

I was really looking forward to running this race IRL, but things came up the week of the race and I had to change to the virtual option. I was excited to still be involved in some capacity!

There was not a ton of pre-race communication, but the instructions to submit my personal race results were communicated in the initial signup email. The part that I didn't see communicated the best was the requirement of elevation gains in your virtual run. I would have liked to have seen that better explained, but not a huge deal.

I have not yet received the swag, which includes a medal and shirt. It's supposed to be shipped at the end of the month, so hopefully it arrives soon.

I really hope to get the opportunity to run this race IRL! It's a beautiful course and the challenge of it looks super rewarding!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2020)
"Very PROUD"
Overall
Race Management
SWAG
Virtual Support

I loved this race as my first virtual race ever! The race is well-branded and has AWESOME swag! More than just a shirt! I received a long sleeve quarter-zip, a rainbow fan, sweat bands, and a drawstring bag. So cool!
My only criticism was that there was next to no emails in advance of the race and no post-race communication either. This is something I hope they’ll improve for next year. I would definitely run this race again!

Loading Comments...

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2018)
"Beautiful sunrise tour of Sarasota"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management


First things first: I loved this race!! The city is beautiful and the race is well produced. Definitely a race I will run again.
This is a smaller race, so I enjoyed the small-town kind of feel. The packet pickup was small, in Miami on Wednesday and then in Sarasota at Fit2Run on Friday and Saturday. It was very quick and efficient. The race shirt isn't my favorite ever, but it is soft and I will certainly wear it. The folks at packet pickup were so nice and welcoming of an out-of-towner like myself, and it made me that much more excited for this race!
Parking on race day was a bit of a challenge, as the race start is in a congested area. This isn't as much of the race management's error as it is just the logistics they have to deal with. I recommend arriving an extra 30 minutes earlier than you might normally arrive for a race. We found parking on a side street, but after searching for a bit.
The start line was well-organized with the pace groups holding their signs to help organize where folks were lined up. The course heads out to St. Armands key briefly, which does mean heading over a pretty steep bridge at mile 2, and then coming back over it around mile 4. The rest of the race goes through residential neighborhoods and is well-shaded from the sun.
Aid stations were plentiful, but I was confused as some aid stations only offered water or only offered Gatorade, while others offered both. The cups it was served in often changed and a few times I didn't get the liquid I needed. It was a little frustrating. The racing rule of thumb is that Gatorade should always be first and water second, and cups labeled accordingly. Nailing details like this will help keep the field much happier, in my opinion.
The finish line was a welcomed sight! I received an awesome medal and a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade.
The First Watch buffet was one of my favorite parts of my race experience- it featured fresh pancakes (they were making them non-stop!), fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, a few other small items. I LOVE First Watch to begin with, and I remember reminding myself in the later miles of the race that the sooner I finished, the sooner I got pancakes!!
Free race photos and finisher certificates from Athlinks also are an incredible gesture and very much apprecated.
Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend this race to Floridians or those looking for a race-cation alike.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2018)
"Sunrise bliss! Arrrrrr!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

This was an overall fun race right along the bay! A flat and fast course as you watch the sunrise -- this was a great experience.

The expo was fairly large with a lot of the usual booths and I found it pretty easy to park, get in, get what I needed, cruise around the exhibitors, and get out. Instructions about where to park, how much to expect to pay, how to navigate to the expo hall, etc. could have been more clear, but nothing too terrible.

Race morning was similarly confusing, with vague instructions on parking and how to then navigate to the start line. Though not publicized other than a blurb in the pre-race booklet, I utilized the gear check inside the convention center. I found my way to the corrals area, which was extrememly confusing. The announcer actually was giving instructions of where each color bib should line up by giving street names, but as an out-of-towner, I struggled to understand where the correct place to be was. The announcer, at one point, apologized and said he had actually been giving out the wrong locations for lining up, adding to my confusion and frustration. I quickly figured it out by seeking out folks who had the same color bib as I did, but I was dissatisfied with this process overall.

The race starts on Davis Island and is rather neat! It begins with a brick road that was in pretty good condition. The route then continues around the island past some beautiful homes and in the view of some of the docked cruise ships in port. The race then heads back toward the bay where the rest of course is run. It is a beautiful view and as you go along, the sun rises to your left. It being so close to the water meant that when the sun came up, there was no shade to provide relief from the heat. I admit that I got a little bored of this since it was out-and-back for miles 5 through Finish.

The finish line finally came and I was so excited to see it! It had begun to really get warm. I received a bottle of water, an ice cold rag (heaven) and one of the sweetest medals I've ever received. There were no race goodies or food to be found. I know a plate of food was supposed to be somewhere in addition to beer, but I never was able to find it? If it was in a different location, there was no signage or information pointing runners in that direction. I gave up looking after a short while.

My last note is that while the festival Gasparilla is held in January, this race is held about three weeks later. Other than a brief photo oppurnunity with a busty pirate, there was no Gasparilla theming to this race.

Aside from my few greiveances, none of these would stop me from running this race again. This was its 41st anniversary and it definitely draws a loyal crowd of runners who come back year after year. I will still recommend this race to those looking for a fun and fast springtime race.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.