get ready for one of the most gorgeous road courses you'll ever run...
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The DAYTONA 100 course is North Florida's first point-to-point ultramarathon, spanning over a dozen cities, four counties, and stretching south for 100 miles from Jacksonville Beach south to Ponce Inlet, a secluded beach town located on the southern tip of the peninsula, just 10 miles south of Daytona.
From the eclectic feel of Jacksonville, Neptune and Atlantic Beaches, through the upscale communities of Ponte Vedra / Palm Valley, and into America's First City, St. Augustine, the first 36 miles of the DAYTONA 100 offer unparalleled views of the ocean, multi-million dollar estates and a large dose of history. The "middle section" of the course--from St. Augustine to Beverly Beach--features some true laid-back "Florida" beach towns, including St. Augustine Beach and the beaches of the Palm Coast. It also features the luxe community of Hammock Beach. Finally, the last 31 miles of the course pass you through Flagler Beach and Ormond Beach on your way to the finish. You will run through Daytona Beach and Daytona Beach Shores, then reach Ponce Inlet and the finish line at world-famous Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. You will enter Davies Park at the foot of the lighthouse--also the location of the Ponce Inlet Veterans Memorial--and begin celebrating your success at the finish line arch near the park pavilion. |
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Following is a brief recap of each of the sections of the 100-mile Daytona 100 course.
1. start to mile 16
(JAX beach to ponte vedra/Mickler's Beach)
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The race start is in eclectic Jacksonville Beach, at Beach Blvd. and 1st Street in front of the JAX Beach Lifeguard Station. You will cross the starting line and turn north for 3.5 miles. You'll run through Neptune Beach to Atlantic Beach and a pretty, quiet residential neighborhood before turning at 13th Street and returning south. (Monitors and signs will keep you on track at the turns, and a water stop will be available there that you will pass twice.) At Beach Blvd. in JAX Beach where the race began is the first full Aid Station and Timing Station #1. Your crew or team will be waiting for you there; no moving race vehicles are allowed for the first 7 miles. For these first seven miles and more, the road is a runner-friendly street, popular with local runners/cyclists on the weekend, that sees very little vehicular traffic.
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Upon returning to Jacksonville Beach, the city--and the sun--will be just waking up, and you will likely be treated to a gorgeous North Florida sunrise over the ocean and the Jacksonville Beach Pier!
Once you run through Jacksonville Beach, you will have one more opportunity to meet your crew (or for teams to change runners) at 16th Avenue South (Mile 8.2) before the 8-mile stretch begins to Mickler's Beach. You will briefly make your way down Duval Road before merging into Ponte Vedra Boulevard, where you will continue to Mile 16.1 at Mickler's. (This will be your next opportunity to meet your crew or exchange runners.) Ponte Vedra Blvd. is quite upscale, with minimal traffic and some of Florida's most expensive homes (which are more accurately described as "compounds" or "estates") in the protected area known as Ponte Vedra Beach.
Once you run through Jacksonville Beach, you will have one more opportunity to meet your crew (or for teams to change runners) at 16th Avenue South (Mile 8.2) before the 8-mile stretch begins to Mickler's Beach. You will briefly make your way down Duval Road before merging into Ponte Vedra Boulevard, where you will continue to Mile 16.1 at Mickler's. (This will be your next opportunity to meet your crew or exchange runners.) Ponte Vedra Blvd. is quite upscale, with minimal traffic and some of Florida's most expensive homes (which are more accurately described as "compounds" or "estates") in the protected area known as Ponte Vedra Beach.
2. ponte vedra / MICKLER'S beach to st. augustine
(miles 16-36)
Just beyond Mile 16, Ponte Vedra Blvd. bends inward and intersects with A1A. Before that, however, you will reach Time Station #2 at Mickler's Landing Beach Park, where you will meet your crew or team, and where an Aid Station will be ready for you. Leaving Mickler's, you will turn left (south) at the traffic light and start running on State Route A1A, the ocean road, through beautiful Palm Valley / Guana Preserve. You will be on the road shoulder facing traffic until Vilano Beach; this is the longest stretch of the course without sidewalks. Another Aid Station will be located on the ocean side just beyond Mile 26, across from the GTM Preserve Exxon station. As shown in the Race Guide "Course Details", there will be numerous opportunities to meet your crew or team along this section of A1A.
At Mile 33.6, you will turn right and pass over the Francis & Mary Usina (Vilano) Bridge, which brings you into historic St. Augustine. At Mile 35.4, you will reach the Aid Station and Timing Station #3 at Church of the Nazarene. Leaving there, you will run to the corner at the traffic circle and turn left to continue south on A1A. Note that A1A is called San Marco Avenue through downtown St. Augustine. You MUST continue on the left side sidewalk along St. Marco Avenue and stay on the left side when you cross Bridge of Lions.
At Mile 33.6, you will turn right and pass over the Francis & Mary Usina (Vilano) Bridge, which brings you into historic St. Augustine. At Mile 35.4, you will reach the Aid Station and Timing Station #3 at Church of the Nazarene. Leaving there, you will run to the corner at the traffic circle and turn left to continue south on A1A. Note that A1A is called San Marco Avenue through downtown St. Augustine. You MUST continue on the left side sidewalk along St. Marco Avenue and stay on the left side when you cross Bridge of Lions.
Note: St. Augustine, founded in 1565, is recognized as America's Oldest City. The DAYTONA 100 course travels right past the historic fort, Castillo de San Marcos, and through part of the town center. This is a relatively short stretch, but a very busy one, loaded with tourists and is the most congested part of the course. No stopping to meet your crew here!
3. st. augustine to MATANZAS INLET AREA
(miles 36-51)
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After your brief "tour" of St. Augustine, you will run over the "Bridge of Lions" out of downtown, and head back towards the beach communities. You will remain on the left side sidewalk, and at Mile 39.6 turn left onto A1A Beach Blvd. You'll pass by all the shops and restaurants and motels through St. Augustine Beach, and arrive at the Aid Station and Timing Station #4 at Mile 43-- Publix/Anastasia Plaza.
Your next Aid Station is at Mile 50.8, at Southeast Intracoastal Waterway Park. You will continue past Ft. Matanzas National Monument and begin crossing the picturesque Matanzas Inlet area. If we have a sunny day for the race (which is quite likely), most of you will run this section when the sun is at its most powerful. And while the temperature should be moderate, if there is going to be a "hot" section of the course, this stretch will likely be it. |
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4. matanzas AREA to GAMBLE ROGERS
(miles 51-72)
As you continue to make your way south, you will run through Marineland and Florida's famed Palm Coast, including Hammock Dunes. In this section, you will run on the Flagler Beach to Marineland Trail, a paved pedestrian/cycling trail that mirrors A1A all the way past Flagler Beach. At Mile 60, near the Publix at Hammock Dunes, is your next Aid Station and Timing Station #5.
Varn Park is located at Mile 64, right on the ocean. Bathroom facilities there will be open for us all night. You will cross the road here and stay on the right side sidewalk through the traffic light at Route 100 in Flagler Beach. (Just across the Intracoastal Waterway on Route 100 is Wadsworth Park, where the 50-mile and 50-kilometer races will begin.) Flagler Beach is a quintessentially "Florida" laid-back beach town which offers unobstructed ocean views. Continue past the light at S.R. 100 for two miles to Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, location of Time Station #6 and an Aid Station with really good hot food. You will have to cross the road, but it is a highly recommended stop!
Varn Park is located at Mile 64, right on the ocean. Bathroom facilities there will be open for us all night. You will cross the road here and stay on the right side sidewalk through the traffic light at Route 100 in Flagler Beach. (Just across the Intracoastal Waterway on Route 100 is Wadsworth Park, where the 50-mile and 50-kilometer races will begin.) Flagler Beach is a quintessentially "Florida" laid-back beach town which offers unobstructed ocean views. Continue past the light at S.R. 100 for two miles to Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, location of Time Station #6 and an Aid Station with really good hot food. You will have to cross the road, but it is a highly recommended stop!
5. GAMBLE ROGERS to ormond beach
(miles 72-83)
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Return to the right-side sidewalk. After leaving Gamble Rogers and Flagler County, you enter Volusia County, continuing on A1A through many beach communities with frequent beach access and eventual commercial areas (gas stations, restaurants, etc.) along the way. After entering Ormond Beach, watch for the traffic light at E. Granada Blvd. Your Mile 83 Aid Station and Timing Station is located in the shopping center lot just before the light on the right side.
6. ormond beach to ponce inlet--THE FINISH!
(miles 83-100)
Shortly after Ormond Beach, you will arrive in the race's namesake, Daytona Beach, a very active urban area, passing the Convention Center, Bandshell, amusements parks and scores of beachside condos, hotels and other properties. The route continues through Daytona Beach Shores. There, at Mile 91.8, is Frank Rendon Park, where your final Aid Station and Timing Station #8 are located. From there, you'll run through very laid-back Wilbur-by-the-Sea into Ponce Inlet, a pretty and quiet town, and home to the tallest lighthouse in Florida at 175 feet--the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse! You will remain on the ocean road (S. Atlantic Avenue) until turning right on Lighthouse Drive and right again on S. Peninsula Drive. Then, just 1/4 mile away, at the base of the Lighthouse, is the "Kay and Ayres Davies Lighthouse Park"--your finish line. Let the celebration begin.
