Swamp Forest Trail Run

Event information

The Swamp Forest Trail Run is scheduled for Saturday, January 3, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida. The event is organized by Gulf Winds Track Club and takes place at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, 4000 N Meridian Rd, Gate B off Miller Landing Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32312. Registration opens October 1. December 15 is the last day to register to receive a race shirt. The event is limited to 150 runners.

Distances offered:

• Quarter Marathon - 6.8 mi
• Half Marathon - 13.6 mi
• 20-Mile Challenge - 20.4 mi

Event fees listed on the event page are $39 for the Quarter Marathon, $49 for the Half Marathon, and $59 for the 20-Mile Challenge.

Course and logistics

The course is a 6.8-mile loop formed by three main loops of the Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park Trail: Swamp Forest, Coon Bottom, and Oak Hammock, with several connecting trails. Terrain includes rolling single-track and multi-use trails. The Quarter Marathon is one loop, the Half Marathon is two loops, and the 20-Mile Challenge is three loops.

Loop descriptions note varied natural features: the Swamp Forest Loop runs next to a seepage basin swamp with ferns and ephemeral ponds; the Coon Bottom Loop follows a clear sand-bottom seepage stream and crosses a black-water stream; the Oak Hammock Loop runs near the shore of Lake Jackson and adjacent open fields with gopher tortoise holes. Additional trail segments include Creek Forest Trail and the Big Tree Cutoff, which pass ponds, Giant Cane patches, and a stand of large Tulip-Poplars.

A course cut-off and time limit apply; runners who do not complete the second loop within the allowed window may be recorded at the half marathon distance. Packet pickup is available on race morning. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.