Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon returned this weekend

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon returned this weekend as competitors ran along twenty-six miles of beautiful beach.

The half and full marathons took place Sunday morning and into the afternoon with the Chevron kids marathon taking place Saturday.

Full marathon runners started in Pass Christian Sunday morning and crossed the finish line at MGM Park. That’s where they got to treat themselves to beer and food afterward.

The route is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying route. The overall marathon winner this year was Josh Whitehead, who completed the run in two hours and 35 minutes.

Whitehead, a 43-year-old from Alabama, decided to attend the event last-minute after Huntsville’s Rocket City Marathon was canceled.

News 25 spoke to Gulf Coast Marathon Co-Founder Craig Sweeney about the impact the event has here in South Mississippi. “So, we have runners from 45 states, plus Canada, and I think well-over 2,500 room nights, which is certainly impacting economic impact and tourism. We like to do this because it helps give folks a focus on health, which is really important as we keep coming through COVID. So, we want to have a world-class event, and having MGM Park as a finish is fantastic.”

The Mississippi Gulf Coast marathon started six years ago.