Local Motion | Issue #2

Published: May 6, 2026

👋 A Note from Jason

Issue #2.

Last week's response was genuinely humbling — turns out a lot of you have been feeling the same frustration: good stuff happening all around us, but you have to be a full-time event detective to find it. We got you!

This week we've got a packed calendar — a charity pickleball tournament happening THIS Saturday, a summer speed program kicking off in Fairhope next week, the PhinMan Youth Triathlon on Memorial Day for the young athletes in your life, and — big news — the Grandman is coming back to Fairhope in June. 🙌

Let's get into it. 👇

🤯 Wait — Did You See This?!?!

Remember last week when we said two humans just ran a sub-2-hour marathon and it was the greatest thing we'd ever witnessed?

We were right. But here's what's even better: Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha did it on the same day, at the same race, running basically side by side. Kejelcha — a 10,000m track specialist — decided his first ever marathon was a good time to go 1:59:41. No warmup race. No buildup. Just straight to "let's go under two hours, why not."

Meanwhile, the American College of Sports Medicine just released its worldwide fitness trends for 2026, and buried at #11 on their list? Pickleball and adult recreation leagues — officially recognized as a top global fitness trend. They specifically called out pickleball as one of the activities "bringing people back to exercise in fun, social ways."

🔥 This Week's Top Picks

🏓 PICKLEBALL

🏓 Still no pickleball emoji. The emoji committee continues to let us down. Tina has drafted a strongly worded letter. We'll keep you posted.

🔥 This Weekend

PickleRage Ragers Spring Classic — Thu–Sat. May 8–10 · Mobile, AL Round Robin Format. Senior brackets, men's and women's doubles & mixed doubles.

Paddles for Purpose Tournament — Sat. May 9 · W.O. Lott Park (Daphne Tennis & Pickleball Complex), Daphne Charity tournament in support of justice, public safety, and victim services in our community. All skill levels. The courts at W.O. Lott are some of the best on the Eastern Shore — 12 outdoor courts, well-lit, and the vibe at these events is always top notch. Great cause, great courts. If you're on the fence, just go.

Pickleball & Pilates at Portside Pickle — Sat. May 9 · 9:00–11:00 AM · 740 Commendencia St, Pensacola $35 gets you a 30-minute mat Pilates session AND 90 minutes of pickleball play. Bring your own mat and paddle — extras available. Sign up through the Portside Pickle app. (Worth the drive for a unique morning combo.)

Orange Beach Pickleball Complex Grand Opening — Thu. May 7 · 10:00–11:30 AM · 4869 Wilson Blvd, Orange Beach (worth the drive) 14 brand-new outdoor courts with shade cabanas, restrooms, and a covered pavilion right on the coast. Free demos, light refreshments & giveaways. No registration needed — just show up and dink.

🗓️ Coming Next Month

Port City Pickleball Summer Break Showdown — Sat–Sun. June 13–14 · W.O. Lott Park, Daphne One of the bigger Eastern Shore pickleball weekends of the summer. Registration is open — don't sleep on it.

📌 Open Play — Every Week

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.

Know of open play anywhere else on the Shore? Hit reply — we'll add it.

🏃 RUNNING

🔥 This Weekend

Creek Crawl Obstacle Run (Trail) — Sat. May 9 · 8:10 AM · Graham Creek Nature Preserve, Foley (worth the drive) 4 miles, 20 obstacles, mud, mayhem, and a post-race beer (21+). Heats run every 10 minutes — arrive 30 minutes before your wave. All proceeds benefit educational programs at Graham Creek Nature Preserve. Parking is free. Outside showers available post-race — trust us, you'll need them.

📅 Next Week

Summer Sizzle 10-Week Speed Program — Kicks off Tue. May 12 · 5:30–6:30 PM · Running Wild, Fairhope Meets every Tuesday through July 14. Speed work, hill work, and distance intervals — alternating weekly. If you've got a fall race on the calendar — or you want one — this is how you build the engine. Running Wild is one of the best running communities on the Eastern Shore.

🗓️ Coming Next Month

Medal Madness 5K, 10K & 13.1 — Sat. June 6 · Medal of Honor Park, Mobile, AL A well-organized multi-distance race. Good tune-up event if you're chasing a summer or fall PR.

📌 Weekly Runs

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.

🚴 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.

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

📅 Coming Up — 3 Weeks

PhinMan Youth Triathlon — Mon. May 25 (Memorial Day) · Johnnie Sims Park / Bodenhamer Rec Center, Gulf Shores (worth the drive) This one's for the young athletes in your life — ages 6 to 14. Two formats:

Check-in begins at 7:00 AM. Limited to 150 kids total — lock in a spot now. Nothing better than watching a 7-year-old crush a triathlon on Memorial Day morning. 🙌

🗓️ Coming Next Month

GrandMan: Return of the Grand — Sat. June 20 · 7:00 AM · Fairhope Municipal Park This one is a big deal.

The Grandman — one of the most beloved races on the Gulf Coast — went dark in 2024 when Mobile Baykeeper had to cancel. It's back. And they're calling it "Return of the Grand" for good reason.

This year's format is an Aquathlon: jump off the Fairhope Pier into Mobile Bay, swim to shore, then run a 5K through downtown Fairhope. Individual, relay, and para divisions. All proceeds benefit Mobile Baykeeper. Registration is open now.

If you've raced the Grandman before, you already know. If you haven't — June 20 is your day.

🗓️ On the Radar — This Fall

Brett Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon — Sat. September 12 · Gulf Shores West Beach (worth the drive) Olympic and Sprint distances. Swim the Gulf, bike the coast, run the beach. Early registration is open — worth locking in now if a fall tri is on your list.

👋 A Little About Us — In Case You Missed It

We realized we never properly introduced ourselves to our earliest subscribers, and we wanted to fix that.

I'm Jason — a husband, dad, and mediocre adult-onset athlete here in Fairhope. I didn't start running until I was 44, motivated by a dad-bod I was ready to leave behind. What started as a few runs a week turned into a passion — and then an obsession. I've run several 5Ks, 10Ks, trail races, and half marathons, eight full marathons including Boston in 2025, completed several Sprint Triathlons and two IronMan Triathlons, and in 2020 I discovered pickleball — which I play 3–4 times a week with great enthusiasm and questionable skill.

My wife Tina is the better athlete of the two of us (no comments from my pickleball buddies) — pickleball, strength training, and Pilates keeping her schedule full, and a clean diet we both try to stick to. Her one weakness? Ice cream. We don't judge.

What we both discovered along the way is that these fitness communities — running, triathlon, pickleball — are some of the most welcoming people you'll ever meet. Some of our closest friends came from these very communities, which is a big part of why this newsletter matters to us.

We built it because we wished it already existed. Glad you're along for the ride.

— Jason & Tina

That's Issue #2 in the books! 🎉

Two issues down. We're just getting started.

Every week this gets better — and that's because of you. If you know of a group ride, open tennis, yoga in the park, or a local fitness event we haven't found yet, hit reply. This newsletter is only as good as the community that feeds it.

And if you know someone who'd love this — a neighbor, a training partner, your pickleball doubles partner who's always asking "what's happening this weekend?" — 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