Gasparilla is ON! In person! With people! (UPDATE 3/2021: It's Gone Virtual)

I took a chance this summer, assuming that by February 2021, things would be at least somewhat back to normal, and signed up for Gasparilla again. I went big and signed up for the Stella Solstice Challenge (15k and 8k challenge), as well as the extra 5k... it seemed like a good idea back then.

Well, as we all know, things haven't gotten better. People are still stupid. Things are still locked down. 

 

But on October 21st, it was announced that Gasparilla was still a go!! I finally have a race to plan for!!!

 

Yes, there are limits that I'll have to deal with, such as smaller fields for each race, masking up, crowd controls and other restrictions.

 

"For now, the 44th Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic is on.

Barring another grim turn in the battle against the novel coronavirus, the downtown Tampa event that annually attracts thousands of runners will be held Feb. 20-21, executive director Susan Harmeling confirmed Wednesday morning.

The catch: a limited field for each race, and a series of stern precautions and protocols.

“If we didn’t think we could do this in a safe manner for the runners, we wouldn’t be suggesting that it could be done," Harmeling said. "And that’s why we’ve had it vetted at so many different levels. We’ve tried to cover every potential outcome with this thing.”

Each of the four races (15-kilometer, 5K, 8K and half-marathon) will be limited to 5,000 participants, though 1,000 more will be allowed for the 5K (500 for Stroller Walk, 500 walkers).

Each event will feature designated, socially distanced staging areas (with four lines of 125 runners each) and staggered starts, with only 32 runners crossing the starting line per minute. As a result, starting times for most runners will be later than normal.

“We have the support of the city and the community," Harmeling said. "They’re going to allow us to keep the roads closed a couple more hours on the back end, to be able to accommodate everybody. Without that support, we wouldn’t be having this race.”

Participants must wear masks in the staging areas before the race, and will be required to put them back on upon crossing the finish line. All runners will have their temperatures taken, and will be subject to a three-question health screening on race morning.

“They’ll be asked to wear their mask for no more than 45 minutes (inside the staging area),” Harmeling said. “No more than a weekly shopping trip to Publix.”

Water stations will be arranged along the course, but instead of handing runners cups of water, volunteers will set the cups on a table several feet from the course. Attendants even will be stationed in front of portable toilets (which will be positioned 8 feet apart), occupying tables with automated hand sanitizer.

No spectators will be allowed at the start or finish areas, and no post-race celebrations will be staged. Even if the race is forced to convert to a virtual experience, the annual race-weekend expo still will be held at the Tampa Convention Center.

Prize money still will be offered to the top local male and female finishers, with a caveat: The top 10 local finishers (each gender) from the previous year will be invited to join the first staging area at the front of the pack, and essentially will be racing one another for the purses.

“Just understand that this is a fluid situation,” Harmeling said. “To get the race on the roads for the runners, they’re going to have to do their part to comply with what we’re asking them to do.” "

But then....

Unfortunately, there's been a change; as of December 10, the race has been pushed back to May. I don't know yet how I'm feeling about the change... Florida is hot. It's hit or miss every year what the weather will be like for Gasparilla. But there's a 99% chance that May will be hot and humid. It's definitely not 15k weather, and certainly not 20k weather. 

Many people agreed that it would be too difficult to run this late in Spring, or otherwise chose not to participate because of it being Mother's Day weekend, or they're already signed up for other races that weekend.  Even Meb sounded like he was gonna sit this one out...

At this point, I don't know if I'll run in person or not... I haven't run for almost a year, so doing three races over two days in 80º+ weather is asking for problems. Do I want to put up with all the stupid Covid restrictions? Can Hubby get the weekend off? I just don't know. I have a little bit of time to make a decision...

But then...

Well, it looks like my decision has been made for me. As of February 22nd, the runs have gone virtual. Kind of.

The City of Tampa is still going to shut down Bayshore, and allow anyone who wants to run, to run on the road (instead of just the sidewalks). There won't be water, on-course support, mile markers, etc, but it's "still a small portion of the traditional Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend." 

They will also be hosting the Expo, where we can come in person to pick up all of our pre- and post-race swag. 

Unfortunately, like any race (and especially like any BIG race), there are no refunds and no deferrals.

 

The only thing that is annoying me is that I have to pay extra to have my swag shipped to me, if I choose not to drive down to Tampa. And because I'm doing a challenge and a singular race, it looks like I'm shelling out $35 for all my goodies.  Again, I knew going into this that there was a chance it would be made virtual; however, the extra cost of shipping seems petty and should be covered by PGDC. Many people on social media feel the same way. 

I've received my emails telling me how to selecting my PGDC swag options, but I let them sit there because I had other, more important things to worry about.

When I opened it today, I noticed this little caveat:

 

Oops. The deadline was four days ago (yes, I'm updating this in March 2021). After talking it over with Hubby, we're going to take the time off of work and head down that way for a weekend getaway. No idea yet what our weekend plans will be, but I'm looking forward to it!