Tampa’s Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K

FEBRUARY 22, 2026

2026 PGDC REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Click below to view the 2025 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K video!

START TIMES

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026

PUBLIX GASPARILLA DISTANCE CLASSIC 8K

Publix Gasparilla Rolling 8K Start:

Bayshore Blvd. & Verne St. Start: 9:15 a.m.

8K Seeded Start Access

8K Seeded Start Access: is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For access to the 8K Seeded Start Area you will need to upload your qualifying past race results during online registration.

Finish Times required for 8K Seeded Start Access:
MEN
• Half Marathon – 1:30:00 or less
• 15K – 1 hour or less
• 10K – 40-minutes or less

WOMEN
• Half Marathon – 1:45:00 or less
• 15K – 1:15:00 or less
• 10K – 50-minutes or less

9:15 a.m.

Seeded &

Wave Start #1

Seeded Start Race Number

Wave #1 Race Number

START: Bayshore Boulevard & Verne Street

Please access the Start lines from the rear and by utilizing the Platt Street Bridge adjacent to the Franklin Street Entrance of the Tampa Convention Center.

Seeded men & women ONLY will access the 8K starts from the front and should utilize the seeded/elite entrance adjacent to the start platform on the north side of Bayshore Boulevard.

9:15 a.m.

Wave Start #2

Wave #2 Race Number

START: Bayshore Boulevard & Verne Street

Please access the Start lines from the rear and by utilizing the Platt Street Bridge adjacent to the Franklin Street Entrance of the Tampa Convention Center.

Seeded men & women ONLY will access the 8K starts from the front and should utilize the seeded/elite entrance adjacent to the start platform on the north side of Bayshore Boulevard.

Click To Download Map

Entry Requirements

All 2026 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K participants MUST sign the Race Application Waiver. For participants under 18, a parent or Legal Guardian MUST sign the Waiver.

All Mail-in 2026 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K Applications must be postmarked by January 9, 2026.

Click here for a 2026 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Mail-in Registration Form.

LATE ONLINE REGISTRATION FEES WILL BEGIN ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026.

Entry forms received postmarked after January 9, 2026, WILL be processed on Race Weekend and during the ABC Action News Health & Fitness Expo. If available, 8K Weekend Late Registration Fees Will Apply.

8K Entry Fees

The prices below do not include a service fee charged by our registration partner.

$45

March 17 – April 18, 2025

$50

April 19 – July 6, 2025

$55

July 7 – September 30, 2025

$60

October 1 – November 30, 2025

$70

December 1, 2025 – January 9, 2026

$75

January 10 – February 15, 2026
Online Only

$80

Race Weekend

(If Available)

Refunds and/or transfers of registration are not allowed in ANY of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend Events.

If available, online registration will remain open until Sunday, February 15, 2026, but beginning Saturday, January 10, 2026, the cost of 8K registration will be according to the Online Late Registration Fees.

Participants who register online will receive a Race Week Registration Confirmation via email no earlier than Monday, February 16, 2026. This confirmation will be in addition to the confirmation received from Race Roster upon completion of online registration. The Race Week Registration Confirmation will include each participant’s Race Number, Name, Address, Race Entered, and Age.

PLEASE NOTE: If you unsubscribe from the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic E-Blast Database at any time, you WILL NOT receive a Registration Confirmation. You MUST rejoin the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic E-Blast Database. To rejoin our e-blast database, Click Here.

Mail-In Offline Registration Fees:

Due to the administrative costs associated with processing Offline 2026 PGDC Registrations, a $5 Processing Fee must be added to the Total Registration Amount Due. The entry form and payment will be returned if payment does not reflect the additional $5 Processing Fee.

To register by mail, please download and complete a 2026 PGDC By-Mail Form-Fillable Registration Form.

The PGDC Registration Form must be downloaded and opened in Adobe Reader for the form-fillable feature. Once opened, please click on each field, provide the requested information, and then print for signing, enclose the Entry Fee Payment (including the $5 Processing Fee), and mail it to the following address: GDCA, P.O. Box 1881 • Tampa, FL. 33601-1881

Registered participants who provide a correct and legible email address will receive a Registration Confirmation via email by Monday, February 16, 2026. Confirmation will include each participant’s assigned Race Number, Name, Address, Race Entered, and Age.

PLEASE NOTE: Registrations by mail must be postmarked by January 9, 2026.

Runner Premiums

Publix Gasparilla 8K participants that pre-register by January 9, 2026, will be guaranteed an Official 2026 Publix Gasparilla 8K Performance Wicking Gender-Specific T-Shirt**, a Virtual Race Bag, a PGDC branded Rooms to Go Reusable Booty Bag and for those who cross the Finish Line, a colorful 2026 Publix Gasparilla 8K Finishers’ Medal, a 2026 Publix Gasparilla 8K Finisher’s Towel, presented by Michelob Ultra Zero, Post-Race Food & Beverages, Columbia Restruant’s 1905 Salad and Black Beans & Rice, a complimentary 12-ounce Michelob Ultra (21-yrs & Older) and a personalized Virtual Finisher’s Certificate (a valid email address MUST be provided with registration).

2026 PGDC Gender-Specific Sizing Chart

ChronoTrack Timing Tags

The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association is again proud to lead the pack in offering its runners and walkers the latest timing technology. In 2026, race participants will be timed utilizing the ChronoTrack B-Tag Timing System, developed and designed with RFID radio frequency identification.

Here’s how it works: The technology is woven into a tag placed on the back of each runner’s race number.

Transponder pads at the Start and Finish will record the participant’s time at each location in preparation for the Tampa Bay Times Race Weekend Results. Post-race, each participant will receive their Start Time (Gun Time) and Net Time (Timing, starting when the runner/walker crosses the 8K Start Line and ending upon crossing the 8K Finish Line.

At the Finish Line, there will be no back-ups…runners and walkers will cross the Finish Line…revel in what they’ve just accomplished…be given their Finisher’s Medal, stop to pose for pirate-y photos at the MarathonFoto Booth, and then head to the Q105 Post-Race Celebration at Cotanchobee Park!

PLEASE NOTE—If you intend to run the 2026 Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon AND 2026 Publix Gasparilla 8K on Sunday, February 22, 2026, you must register and complete an individual Entry Form for both events. Unless you are running the Michelob Ultra Challenge, you will be issued a Half-Marathon Race number and an 8K Race Number.

When running the Half Marathon, you MUST wear your assigned Half Marathon Race Number ONLY. Do not wear or carry your 8K Race Number. Before starting the 8K, YOU MUST remove your Half Marathon Race Number.

Because of the sensitivity of the ChronoTrack Timing Device, wearing or carrying your 8K Race Number during the Half Marathon OR wearing or carrying your Half Marathon Race Number during the 8K could impact your Tampa Bay Times Race Weekend Results.

Packet Pick Up

Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K Race Packet, T-shirt, and Race Number Pick-Up will take place during the ABC Action News Health & Fitness Expo, presented by Tampa General Hospital, being held at the Tampa Convention Center – East Hall on Friday, February 21, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., and on Saturday, February 22, beginning at 6:00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are not able to attend the Expo and pick up your Race Number, a Race Number Pick-Up Authorization Form must be completed, signed, and presented by whoever WILL be picking it up for you. A downloadable version of the Authorization Form can be found below.

Race Number Pick-up Authorization Form

Standard – (Name and Chip Time) $25 per medal

Custom – (Name, Chip Time, and up to 20 Custom Characters) $30 per medal

Finish Line Engravers

Celebrate your perseverance and pride with the help of Finish Line Engravers by personalizing your 2026 PGDC Finisher Medal (including multiple events and Challenges) with your name and net finish time. After you complete your race(s), simply bring your medal(s) to the Finish Line Engravers Booth at the Runner Revive Area on the Platt Street Bridge, and they will engrave it on the spot! When making your purchase, please designate the number you wish to engrave.

To purchase the 2026 PGDC Finish Line Engravers, register online. If you have registered, please use the link below to order your 2026 PGDC Finish Line Engravers.

PGDC Finish Line Engravers

FinisherPix, the Official Photographers of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic, allows you to order your photos now & save!

For a small fee, you can receive the FinisherPix Photo Pack in Digital Format. The FinisherPix Photo Pack includes ALL photos we identify of you in all digital formats (Basic digital image, Digital images with Finish Time, and Digital images in certificate format). A link to download all images will automatically be emailed when the photos are available online.

Presale Pricing

15K $19.99
5K $14.99
Half Marathon $29.99
8K $14.99
Michelob Ultra Challenge $69.99
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold Challenge $44.99
Michelob Ultra Infusion Challenge $29.99
Michelob Ultra Zero Challenge $29.99

To purchase the 2026 PGDC FinisherPix, register online. If you have registered, please use the link below to order your 2026 PGDC FinisherPix.

PGDC FinisherPix

2026 PGDC Supporter Medals

Throughout the 2026 PGDC Race Weekend, thousands of runners will step up to their Start Lines and head down Bayshore Boulevard toward their Finish Lines. They have trained for countless hours, all for the 2026 PGDC Race Weekend.

Their families and friends have supported them in their endeavors to run or walk their best. They were there for motivation and, if needed, cooked meals, did laundry, provided hydration and snacks, or said a few kind words.

The 2026 PGDC 15K, 5K, Half Marathon, and 8K Supporter Medals are a way to thank you…after crossing the Finish Line and receiving your finisher’s medal, you can walk up to them, present their 2026 PGDC Supporter Medal, and say, “BECAUSE OF YOU, I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE…THANK YOU!” And when the celebrating begins, they’ll truly be a part of your experience.

The 2026 PGDC Supporter Medals are replicas of the official 2026 PGDC 15K, 5K, Half Marathon, and 8K Finisher’s Medals but with an acrylic finish. They will feature the same colorful ribbons.

To purchase the 2026 PGDC Supporter Medals, register online. If you have registered, please use the link below to order your 2026 PGDC Supporter Medal.

PGDC Supporter Medals

The Sports Massage Team will provide Post-Race Massages following the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K & 5K and the Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon & 8 K.

On Saturday and Sunday, following the 15K, 5K, Half Marathon & 8K, the Team will offer 15-minute Post-Race Massages ($21) or 20-minute massages ($28). Pre-paying for a massage is available through online registration ONLY at www.RunGasparilla.com. (This rate applies to pre-paid massages only. The Race Day rate will be slightly higher.)

The team will also offer pre-race massage during the ABC Action News Health & Fitness Expo.

To purchase the 2026 PGDC Post-Race Massage, register online. If you have registered, please use the link below to order your 2026 PGDC Post Race Massage.

PGDC Post Race Massage

ASICS Runkeeper is the official 2026 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic training app

Are you signed up to run, but not sure of where to start for training? The ASICS Runkeeper app is here to offer the support you need ahead of race day. As part of your registration, ASICS will provide free access to the Runkeeper Go™ premium experience. The app features training plans and guided workouts led by ASICS running coaches. Additionally, users can easily set goals, train, and track their progress in the build-up to the event. Put the worries of training aside, and focus instead on the fun part of reaching your finish line!