Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you go to the bathroom? Why are they so are off course? There are permanent restrooms or porta poties at every aid station and several points between aid stations. Due to laws, we are not allowed to have porta-poties on the beach, so it is going to be a short jog off the beach to all the restrooms. In some places it is a good distance to get off the beach. We will have volunteers to direct people to all restrooms at the aid stations and attempt to mark the ones without aid stations. No mountains on this course, but it's a little more difficult to use the bathroom.
How do I train for a 50 mile race or improve my time? After all these years, there are several people who have done this event with no sand running during training. If you really want to take it to the next level, there are several coaches who are familiar with our event.
What happens if I do not finish the race? We do NOT have any race provided transportation between aid stations. If you drop at an aid station and do not have a crew, you will have to catch a ride back to the start with another crew or wait until the aid station closes and our volunteers can drive you.
Why did you change your name from the Destin 50? With the addition of our 24hr run and 100 mile event, we decided to take the chance to update our name to include races of various distances. The name and logo are the only thing that have changed from the Destin 50 that you know and love!
How does the Special Operations Warrior Foundation compare to other charities? The SOWF is rated in the top few percent of all charities in the United States. According to Charity Navigator the SOWF scores 96.5 out of 100 points in financial management, transparency, and accountability. Compare this with other popular military charities. See full details at Charity Navigator.
How do I change from 50 miles to 50K You can only change from the 50 mile to the 50K at packet pickup on Sat of race weekend. There will be no race day changes!
How much camber does the shoreline impose? Are you running at a sharp angle most of the 50m? If you run in the hard sand by the water there will be some slope, going from very minor to uncomfortable. During low tide the slope is not too bad at all most of the time. As the tide goes up, you will have a few places with an annoying slope, but it not awful overall. We have lots of folks who didn't train at all on the beach run the whole 50m and didn't have any issues.
What is the weather going to be like? Average temps in Feb are lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's...perfect running temps. For the 2011 race the high was 73 degrees (record high for that day) and a low of 53 degrees. In 2012 it was cooler 45-64 with strong winds.
What is this post-race party all about? Pending public health requirements, we will be hosting the post-party upstairs at The Back Porch. They will be serving adult beverages and you can order your post-race meal off of a special Destin Ultra menu with about 5 items to choose from to suit several dietary restrictions (or no restrictions at all). Your friends and family are also welcome to order off the normal menu, but will need to pay for food and drink.
What makes your aid stations so special? I love to answer this question because it lets me brag about our amazing aid stations sponsors. Nearly all our aid stations is catered by a local restaurant or chef. This means each station will have the basic ultra fare AND an exciting choice or two unique to that restaurant. Our runners can look forward to having entire restaurants worth of food and drink at their fingertips as our last few aid stations are located AT the restaurants! Your crews will love them too!
Are barefoot runners welcome? Absolutely! The soft, clean sand on this course is perfect for barefoot runners. Vibram Five Fingers are also great (that's what I wore when I ran on the course). We had great feedback from our barefoot runners! Even had a few overall and division winners wear Fivefingers!
Where is the best place to stay for the race? For 2021 we have partnered with the newly renovated The Island Resort and they are offering very competitive for Destin Ultra runners. This will be the location of packet pickup and the mandatory briefing. They also have a heated pool to help you work things out after the event. *It is NOT walking distance to the race start/finish but there is Uber/Lyft available)
Is the race really going be run in the sand? Yes, the entire race will be in the sand. Some of the sand is like a hard dirt road and some of it is soft/deep. The sand closer to the water is consistently firm, but you might get your feet wet.
Can I wear shoes? Yes, you can wear whatever you want or nothing at all (on your feet)!
I don't have a crew, will there be bag drops? Yes, we will transport a bag for you to the far east turnaround and back at the race conclusion. You can leave a drop bag for yourself at the start/finish area. *Race will not be held responsible for lost items.
How do I train for a 50 mile race or improve my time? After all these years, there are several people who have done this event with no sand running during training. If you really want to take it to the next level, there are several coaches who are familiar with our event.
What happens if I do not finish the race? We do NOT have any race provided transportation between aid stations. If you drop at an aid station and do not have a crew, you will have to catch a ride back to the start with another crew or wait until the aid station closes and our volunteers can drive you.
Why did you change your name from the Destin 50? With the addition of our 24hr run and 100 mile event, we decided to take the chance to update our name to include races of various distances. The name and logo are the only thing that have changed from the Destin 50 that you know and love!
How does the Special Operations Warrior Foundation compare to other charities? The SOWF is rated in the top few percent of all charities in the United States. According to Charity Navigator the SOWF scores 96.5 out of 100 points in financial management, transparency, and accountability. Compare this with other popular military charities. See full details at Charity Navigator.
How do I change from 50 miles to 50K You can only change from the 50 mile to the 50K at packet pickup on Sat of race weekend. There will be no race day changes!
How much camber does the shoreline impose? Are you running at a sharp angle most of the 50m? If you run in the hard sand by the water there will be some slope, going from very minor to uncomfortable. During low tide the slope is not too bad at all most of the time. As the tide goes up, you will have a few places with an annoying slope, but it not awful overall. We have lots of folks who didn't train at all on the beach run the whole 50m and didn't have any issues.
What is the weather going to be like? Average temps in Feb are lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's...perfect running temps. For the 2011 race the high was 73 degrees (record high for that day) and a low of 53 degrees. In 2012 it was cooler 45-64 with strong winds.
What is this post-race party all about? Pending public health requirements, we will be hosting the post-party upstairs at The Back Porch. They will be serving adult beverages and you can order your post-race meal off of a special Destin Ultra menu with about 5 items to choose from to suit several dietary restrictions (or no restrictions at all). Your friends and family are also welcome to order off the normal menu, but will need to pay for food and drink.
What makes your aid stations so special? I love to answer this question because it lets me brag about our amazing aid stations sponsors. Nearly all our aid stations is catered by a local restaurant or chef. This means each station will have the basic ultra fare AND an exciting choice or two unique to that restaurant. Our runners can look forward to having entire restaurants worth of food and drink at their fingertips as our last few aid stations are located AT the restaurants! Your crews will love them too!
Are barefoot runners welcome? Absolutely! The soft, clean sand on this course is perfect for barefoot runners. Vibram Five Fingers are also great (that's what I wore when I ran on the course). We had great feedback from our barefoot runners! Even had a few overall and division winners wear Fivefingers!
Where is the best place to stay for the race? For 2021 we have partnered with the newly renovated The Island Resort and they are offering very competitive for Destin Ultra runners. This will be the location of packet pickup and the mandatory briefing. They also have a heated pool to help you work things out after the event. *It is NOT walking distance to the race start/finish but there is Uber/Lyft available)
Is the race really going be run in the sand? Yes, the entire race will be in the sand. Some of the sand is like a hard dirt road and some of it is soft/deep. The sand closer to the water is consistently firm, but you might get your feet wet.
Can I wear shoes? Yes, you can wear whatever you want or nothing at all (on your feet)!
I don't have a crew, will there be bag drops? Yes, we will transport a bag for you to the far east turnaround and back at the race conclusion. You can leave a drop bag for yourself at the start/finish area. *Race will not be held responsible for lost items.
