Published: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 · 7:00 AM
👋 A Note from Jason
The Run the Coast Summer Series wrapped up Saturday with the Bloody Mary 5K down in Gulf Shores — series finisher medals handed out to anyone who ran all three.
September 12 is shaping up to be another split-decision Saturday: Walk This Way's 80s block party takes over Heritage Park in Foley that evening (5–10 PM), or the Brett Robinson Triathlon down in Gulf Shores if you'd rather your morning include a swim, a bike, and a run before most people have had coffee. Choose your own adventure.
Boston Marathon registration opens Monday, Sept 14. New this cycle: on top of the usual time-ranked cutoff, they're adding a random drawing for roughly 1,000 more spots for anyone who missed the cutoff by a little. That's genuinely good news for anyone sitting just outside the number.
And last thing: Miles for Heroes is three-and-a-half weeks out — Sept 26, Olde Towne Daphne, benefiting IGY6: Gulf Coast. Worth getting on the calendar now if it isn't already.
Let's get into it. 👇
🤯 Wait — Did You See This?!?!
A new study out of Harvard's School of Public Health tracked over 111,000 adults for more than 30 years and found something that should make anyone who can't commit to one sport feel pretty good about themselves: people who mixed up their activities — some running, some lifting, some yoga, some just yardwork — had a 19% lower risk of dying prematurely than people who stuck to one thing. And it held up no matter how much total time they spent exercising. Variety mattered as much as volume.
🔥 This Week's Top Picks
Walk This Way: 80s 5K & Block Party — Sat. Sept 12 · 5:00 PM · Heritage Park, Foley
Brett Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon — Sat. Sept 12 · Gulf Shores West Beach (worth the drive)
Boston Marathon 2027 Registration — Opens Mon. Sept 14, closes Fri. Sept 18
Miles for Heroes 5K & 1-Mile — Sat. Sept 26 · 8:00 AM · Olde Towne Daphne
PINKleball Tournament: Paddle for a Purpose — Sat. Oct 3 · Veterans Park, Alabaster (worth the drive) — ⚠️ registration closes Sept 26
🏓 PICKLEBALL
🏓 My warm-up game is elite. Dinks landing soft, serves finding the corners, footwork looking downright competent. Then the match begins and Tina spends the rest of the game wondering if I've ever actually played pickleball before.
🔥 This Weekend
Nothing on the local tournament calendar this weekend. Open play courts are running all week if you need your fix.
📌 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.
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.
Gulf Shores Sportsplex — Every day, sunrise–10:00 PM · 19025 Oak Road West, Gulf Shores (worth the drive) 12 outdoor lighted courts · Free · Can't be reserved, just show up. Restrooms and water on site.
🗓️ Save the Date — October 3
PINKleball Tournament: Paddle for a Purpose — Sat. Oct 3 · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM · Veterans Park, Alabaster (worth the drive — full disclosure, this one's about 4.5–5 hours from Fairhope, well outside our usual radius, but it's for a great cause and we've got Birmingham ties) A doubles tournament across 10 skill-level divisions (2.5 beginner through 4.0+, men's, women's, and mixed), benefiting FORGE — a Birmingham-based breast cancer survivor center. USA Pickleball rules, round-robin group play into knockout brackets, medals for 1st–3rd. $25 tournament entry + $15 event fee per person. ⚠️ Registration closes Sept 26.
Know of open play anywhere else on the Shore? Hit reply — we'll add it.
🏃 RUNNING
🏃 Every race, I buy the photo package fully convinced this is the year I get one heroic, magazine-cover action shot. Then the proofs come back: one looks like I just smelled something terrible, one's pure agony, and the one where I actually look good has half my body cut off by some guy's elbow.
🔥 This Weekend — September 12
Walk This Way: 80s 5K & Block Party — Sat. Sept 12 · 5:00–10:00 PM · Heritage Park, 125 E. Laurel Ave, Foley A scenic 5K through Historic Downtown Foley and the Rose Trail, finishing at Heritage Park, then a full-on 80s block party — live cover band Disco Kiss, food trucks, costumes highly encouraged. Not a runner? "After Party Only" tickets ($15) are available. Hosted by the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation, benefiting local education. BYOB friendly. $35 for the 5K, includes event t-shirt and block party entry. ⚠️ Race-day registration closes 6:00 PM.
📌 Weekly Runs
Five 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.
Foley Run Club — Every Tuesday · 6:00 PM · Moe's BBQ, Foley (new this issue) Gather at the Pavilion out front for group photos, then head out on 1-mile, 2-mile, or 5K routes through OWA — run, walk, jog, or just move at your own pace. No pressure, no judgment. Afterward, everyone heads back to Moe's for drinks, food specials, and good company. Open to anyone training for a race, starting a fitness journey, or just looking for their people.
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.
Fly Creek Nature Preserve Trail Run — Every Saturday · 7:00 AM · Fly Creek Nature Preserve, 22430 Main St, Fairhope Running Wild's newest weekly listing — a trail run/walk through Fly Creek Nature Preserve. All paces welcome, whether you're pushing it or just enjoying the woods.
Know of a group run we missed? Hit reply — we'll add it.
📅 Coming Up — September 12
Walk This Way: 80’s 5K & Block Party — Sat. Sept 12 · 5:00–10:00 PM · Heritage Park, Downtown Foley (new this issue) Lace up, dress up, and party like it's 1985. A scenic 5K through Historic Downtown Foley and the Rose Trail, finishing at Heritage Park, then a full-on 80s block party — live cover band, food trucks, costumes highly encouraged. Not a runner? Block Party Only tickets are available. Hosted by the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation, benefiting local education. BYOB friendly.
📅 Coming Up — September 26
Miles for Heroes 5K & 1-Mile Run/Walk — Sat. Sept 26 · 8:00 AM · 1705 Main St, Daphne Certified 5K course through Olde Towne Daphne, benefiting IGY6: Gulf Coast — supporting suicide prevention and mental health for veterans and first responders. Finishers Festival with food trucks and music after. Registration is $35 ($28 for ages 15 and under). ⚠️ The reader discount code (Localmotion15off) has expired — standard pricing applies now.
🗓️ Save the Date — This Fall
Bras Across the CAUSEway 5K & Festival — Sat. Oct 10 · USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (worth the drive)The 10th annual — a full decade of "Turning Miles Into Miracles." Timed 5K, a family-friendly 1-mile fun run, or a virtual option. All proceeds fund the Patient Assistance Program, helping local breast cancer patients with gas, groceries, copays, rent, and other essentials.
Keesler Federal Battleship 12K (new this issue) — Sun. Nov 15 · 8:00 AM · USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Spanish Fort The race the training-program flyer kept pointing to — now with its own confirmed date and registration. A 12K (7.45 miles) around Battleship Memorial Park, 2.5-hour time limit. ⚠️ $65 through Oct 5, price increases after.
Coastal Half Marathon, 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run (new this issue) — Sat. Nov 28 · Orange Beach Sportsplex (worth the drive) 19th annual. Half marathon, 5K, 1-mile fun run, or a virtual option. ⚠️ Early pricing ends Sept 18 — after that, prices go up for the half and the 5K.
🚴 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.
🗓️ Save the Date — Thanksgiving Morning (new this issue)
16th Annual Turkey Fondo — Thu. Nov 26 · 8:00 AM · Pro Cycle & Tri, 510 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope An out-and-back group ride, self-paced — family-friendly or competitive, your call — to burn off some of the morning before the food starts. Suggested donation benefits the Fairhope Cycling Project. ⚠️ Distance and full route details not yet posted — check back closer to the date.
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
🔥 This Weekend — September 12
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.
🏅 MARATHON WATCH (new section — first run, feedback welcome)
A recurring look at the Abbott World Marathon Majors and any regional marathons worth a training plan — appears when there's something worth flagging, not necessarily every issue.
The Majors:
Boston Marathon 2027 — Registration opens Mon. Sept 14, closes Fri. Sept 18. New this cycle: a random-draw "Boston Qualifier Selection" adds ~1,000 spots for near-miss qualifiers, and the 2028 window opens right behind it, Sept 19.
Chicago Marathon — Sun. Oct 11. One of the deepest men's fields in race history — Jacob Kiplimo headlines off a 2:00:28 in London this spring, the third-fastest marathon ever run.
Berlin Marathon — Sun. Sept 27, three weeks out.
NYC Marathon — Sun. Nov 1, the largest major by finishers.
Worth the drive if you're training for a winter marathon:
Mobile Marathon (formerly First Light Marathon) — Sun. Jan 10, 2027 · Mardi Gras Park, Mobile (worth the drive). Full marathon, half marathon, and relay options, benefiting First Light Community Foundation. ⚠️ Training-plan math: a standard 16-week marathon block means training should start around September 20 if this is your race.
Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon — Sat–Sun. Dec 12–13, 2026 · Biloxi, MS (worth the drive). Full and half marathon distances. ⚠️ The 16-week training window for this one opened in late August — still time to jump in if you commit now.
⚠️ Boston qualifying-eligibility for the Mobile and Mississippi Gulf Coast courses wasn't confirmed in this round of research — check directly with each race before counting on a BQ time from either.
That's Issue #20. 🎉
Bloody Mary 5K closed out the Run the Coast Summer Series over the weekend, and September 12 is shaping up to be another two-event Saturday — Walk This Way's 80s block party in Foley or the Brett Robinson Triathlon in Gulf Shores. Boston Marathon registration opens September 14, Miles for Heroes is three-and-a-half weeks out, and if a January marathon's on your radar, training season starts about now.
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 Tuesday night Foley Run Club regular — 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