Published: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 · 7:00 AM
👋 A Note from Jason
Happy almost-Fourth.
‘Merica turns 250 this weekend. A quarter-millennium of life, liberty, and the pursuit of medals. The Founders would be proud.
This week: everything you need for the Shark 5K on Saturday, plus a new thing from Running Wild worth getting on your radar before spots fill up.
Let's get into it. 👇
🤯 Wait — Did You See This?!?!
America doesn't just celebrate the Fourth of July. America races it.
The Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta has been held every July 4th since 1970. It started with 110 runners. It now draws around 60,000 — making it the largest 10K in the world.
And Atlanta's not alone. July 4th is consistently the busiest single day for road races in the entire United States. Thousands of them, coast to coast, all going off before most people's coffee is ready.
The Shark 5K has been part of that tradition on the Gulf Coast for 12 years. If you're lining up Saturday morning at The Wharf, you're in good company.
🔥 This Week's Top Picks
Shark 5K at The Wharf — Sat. July 4 · 7:00 AM · Orange Beach · It's THIS WEEKEND — last call
Chappy James Bridge 5K Training — Kickoff July 27 · Race October 17 (new from Running Wild!)
🏓 PICKLEBALL
🏓 What better way to kick off the Fourth than to hit the courts early and earn the rest of the day — family, friends, good food, fireworks. Get your dinks in first. Everything else tastes better after.
Mike Ford Tennis Center — Stimpson Park, Fairhope Lighted courts · Lessons, clinics & socials. Call for open play schedule: 251-990-9526
W.O. Lott Park — Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun 8:00–11:00 AM · Wed/Fri 6:00 PM · Daphne 12 outdoor courts · Free · All levels welcome.
Pickleball at OWA — Sun–Fri 10 AM–7 PM · Sat 8 AM–8 PM · 200 S OWA Blvd, Foley (worth the drive) 4 indoor climate-controlled courts · $10/hr guest pass · $55/mo membership · Walk-ins welcome. In Alabama. In June. You know what that means outside. Come inside.
Know of open play anywhere else on the Shore? Hit reply — we'll add it.
🏃 RUNNING
🏃 Saturday is the Shark 5K. Whatever your training looked like these past few weeks — it's done, it counts, and you're ready. Nothing like a 5k to set the tone for the rest of the day on the 4th!
🔥 This Weekend — July 4
12th Annual Shark 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run — Sat. July 4 · 7:00 AM CDT · The Wharf Convention Center, 4671 Wharf Pkwy, Orange Beach (worth the drive)
The race is here. Start your Fourth at The Wharf — finisher medals for everyone, DJ, post-race awards, and the rest of Independence Day waiting for you on the other side. Registration is still open: the 5K is $43, the 1-Mile Fun Run is $20. Price already went up after June 19, but there's still time to get in.
Series reminder: the Shark Run is race two of the Run the Coast Summer Series. Run this one and the Bloody Mary 5K at Tacky Jacks in Gulf Shores on September 5th, and you earn a special series finisher medal at the championship race.
📅 Coming Up — Final Two Weeks
10 Week Speed "Summer Sizzle" — Every Tuesday · 5:30–6:30 PM · Running Wild, Fairhope Last class is July 14. Two sessions left — show up for both. If you haven't enrolled this cycle, Running Wild's Fall Frenzy 5-week speed program kicks off October 19.
🗓️ Save the Date — July 27
Chappy James Bridge 5K — Training Kickoff — Mon. July 27 · Running Wild, Fairhope Meets every Monday and Wednesday, 5:30–6:30 PM. Race day: October 17, 2026. Brand new on the Running Wild calendar — check their site for registration details. ⚠️ No RunSignup link confirmed yet — verify before publishing.
📌 Weekly Runs
Three ways to run — pick your night.
Fairhope Beer Runners — Every Monday · 6:00 PM · Fairhope Brewing Company, Fairhope Just wrapped their first full year. The format is refreshingly simple: 5K and 1-mile routes are mapped, but go as far and as fast as you want. No tracked miles. No recorded times. Social matters as much as the miles — stick around after for a raffle around 7 PM, then stay as long as you like. Fleet Feet supports with small giveaways each week. Show up, run, be social.
Manci's Antique Club Run/Walk Social — Every Wednesday · 6:00 PM · Manci's Antique Club, Daphne Heading into their fourth year this October — which tells you everything you need to know about how good this group is. Same idea: 5K and 1-mile routes, but run your own race. No times, no pressure. The social after is the point. Fleet Feet keeps the giveaways coming, and the raffle at 7 PM is a legitimate reason to stick around.
Thursday Night Group Run — Every Thursday · 6:00 PM · McSharry's Irish Pub, 101 N Bancroft St, Fairhope Run at your own pace, stay for food and good company. The best post-run tradition on the Eastern Shore.
Know of a group run we missed? Hit reply — we'll add it.
🗓️ On the Radar — This Fall
Miles for Heroes 5K & 1-Mile Run/Walk — Sat. Sept. 26 · Olde Towne Daphne A certified 5K course through beautiful Olde Towne Daphne, benefiting IGY6: Gulf Coast — a nonprofit raising community awareness for suicide prevention and mental health for veterans and first responders, and funding additional crisis intervention training for local first responders. This one matters. Put it on the calendar.
10th Annual Bloody Mary 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run — Sat. Sept. 5 · 7:30 AM · Tacky Jacks, Gulf Shores (worth the drive) Race three of the Run the Coast Summer Series — and the championship race where series finisher medals are handed out. If you're doing the Shark Run on July 4th, this is the natural next step.
🚴 CYCLING
📌 Weekly Rides
Pro Cycle Saturday Morning Ride — Every Saturday · 7:30 AM · Pro Cycle & Tri, Fairhope ~28 miles · All paces welcome. Best shop ride on the Gulf Coast. Show up, clip in, and hang on.
Pro Cycle Tuesday Night Hammerfest — Every Tuesday · 6:00 PM · Pro Cycle & Tri (Spring/Summer) 25 miles · Rear light required · ~20+ mph. Come find out.
Pro Cycle Thursday Night Social Ride — Every Thursday · 6:00 PM · Pro Cycle & Tri (Spring/Summer) 20 miles · No-drop · ~17–18 mph. Katie "momma-ducks" this one — nobody gets left behind.
Three rides a week. Saturday if you want miles, Tuesday if you want a challenge, Thursday if you want both and also to feel like part of a group.
No formal cycling races on the Baldwin County calendar for the next two weeks. Know of a club ride or group event? Hit reply.
🏊 TRIATHLON & MULTI-SPORT
🗓️ On the Radar — This Fall
Brett Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon — Sat. Sept. 12 · Gulf Shores West Beach (worth the drive) Sprint and Olympic distances. Swim the Gulf, bike the coast, run the beach — with staging at The Hangout (101 Gulf Shores Pkwy). Olympic swim starts 7:00 AM; Sprint "Tri-It-On" swim starts 7:45 AM. Friday packet pickup 4–6 PM at The Hangout. Year 19 of this race. Registration open now.
That's Issue #10. 🎉
If you know of a group ride, open swim, yoga in the park, or any local fitness event we've missed — hit reply. And if someone in your life needs this in their inbox — a neighbor, a training partner, your Monday night running buddy who just found out there's also a Wednesday run — send them to localmotionactive.com to subscribe.
See you on the courts and the roads. 🌅
— Jason (and Tina 🏓)
Local Motion — From the Bay to the Beach. localmotionactive.com