Published: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 · 7:00 AM
👋 A Note from Jason
Miles for Heroes is this Saturday in Olde Towne Daphne — if you've been meaning to register, do it before Saturday morning, because online sign-ups close at 7:25 AM race day.
Also closing soon: PINKleball registration shuts down Saturday too, so if Alabaster's on your radar for Oct. 3, don't let the deadline sneak up on you.
October 10 is still shaping up as a two-race Saturday down south — Bras Across the CAUSEway in Mobile or the Shrimp Festival Run in Orange Beach, your call. And a new one just landed on the radar for later in the month: the Prodisee Pantry Turkey Trot returns to Daphne on Oct. 24.
Big weekend for the marathon world too — Berlin goes off this Sunday, and back home, Boston Marathon 2027 applicants should hear whether they got in by early October.
Let's get into it. 👇
🤯
Wait — Did You See This?!?!
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba tracked older adults in Japan for a decade (2013–2023) and found that the ones who cycled had a lower risk of needing long-term care and a lower risk of death over that period — and the effect held up whether they'd been cycling all along or picked it up partway through the study. People who kept cycling, or started cycling, between 2013 and 2017 were less likely to need long-term care later on than those who didn't. The benefit was especially strong among people who didn't drive — for them, the bike wasn't just exercise, it was how they stayed independent and out in the world. Published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 2025. Something to keep in mind next time the Saturday morning Pro Cycle group is deciding whether to add a few extra miles.
🔥 This Week's Top Picks
Miles for Heroes 5K & 1-Mile — Sat. Sept 26 · 8:00 AM · Olde Towne Daphne — ⚠️ online registration closes 7:25 AM race day
PINKleball Tournament: Paddle for a Purpose — Sat. Oct 3 · Veterans Park, Alabaster (worth the drive) — ⚠️ registration closes Sept 26
Berlin Marathon — Sun. Sept 27 · Gabriel Geay and Tigst Assefa headline the elite fields
Prodisee Pantry Turkey Trot (new) — Sat. Oct 24 · 8:00 AM · Daphne
🏓 PICKLEBALL
🏓 "One more game" has never, in the recorded history of pickleball, meant one more game.
🔥 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.
🗓️ Coming up — 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 runner has a drawer full of race t-shirts, half of them faded, stretched out, or one wash away from disintegrating — and not a single one has ever been thrown away. That one from a 5K in 2019 you don't even remember running? Still in rotation.
🔥 This Weekend
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. $35 ($28 ages 15 and under). ⚠️ Online registration closes 7:25 AM race day.
📌 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.
📅 Coming Up — October 10th
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.
Shrimp Festival Run (new this issue) — Sat. Oct 10 · 7:30 AM · Orange Beach Sportsplex (worth the drive) 5K, 10K, or 5K walk, tied to the National Shrimp Festival. $30 through Sept 19, then price increases — same weekend as Bras Across the CAUSEway, so pick your Saturday.
🗓️ Save the Date — This Fall
Haunted Hustle 5K — Sat. Oct 17 · Gulf Place Town Green, Gulf Shores (worth the drive) An evening Halloween lineup: Wicked Walk Parade (6:00 PM), Monster Mash Dash (6:30 PM), then the Haunted Hustle 5K Run/Walk (7:00 PM). Costumes encouraged. ⚠️ Pricing increases the closer it gets to race day — register early.
Prodisee Pantry Turkey Trot (new) — Sat. Oct 24 · Daphne City Hall, 1705 Main St, Daphne 5K (8:00 AM, $25) and 1-Mile Fun Run (9:00 AM, $15) on a certified course through the heart of Daphne, benefiting Prodisee Pantry's food-assistance work on the Eastern Shore. ⚠️ Registration closes Oct 23 at 6:00 AM.
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.
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.
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
Nothing on the local multi-sport calendar since the Brett Robinson Triathlon wrapped up.
Know of an upcoming swim-bike-run event? Hit reply — we'll add it.
⚡ Something Worth Sharing
Flora-Bama Paddle Dash (new) — Sat. Oct 3 · 7:30 AM · Ole River, at the AL/FL state line near Perdido Key (worth the drive) A 2-mile paddle race — kayak, SUP, canoe, whatever floats — from the beach at Ole River Grill out to the Ono Island Bridge and back. Men's heat 7:30 AM, women's heat 7:40 AM, awards by 9:00 AM. Every finisher gets a t-shirt, breakfast, and two drink cards (21+); top three in each division take home a Flora-Bama gift card. Personal flotation devices required. Same day as PINKleball, so if paddling's more your speed than pickleball, here's your Oct. 3 option.
Details via Flora-Bama's event page
🏅 MARATHON WATCH
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:
Berlin Marathon — Sun. Sept 27, this weekend. Gabriel Geay (2:03:00 PB, 2023 Boston runner-up) now headlines the men's race after Sebastian Sawe's injury withdrawal, alongside Getaneh Molla, Guye Adola, and Shura Kitata. Tigst Assefa — the course world-record holder — leads the women's field again, chasing her own 2:11:53 mark, with 2023 Tokyo champ Rosemary Wanjiru right behind her.
Boston Marathon 2027 — Qualifier registration closed Sept 18. B.A.A. says all applicants (including the new random-draw "Boston Qualifier Selection" pool for near-miss qualifying times) will hear acceptance or non-acceptance by early October. The 2028 qualifying window is now open (opened Sept 19) and runs through next September.
Chicago Marathon — Sun. Oct 11, less than three weeks out. Defending champ Jacob Kiplimo returns off his 2:00:28 in London; six men in the field have broken 2:04. On the women's side, two-time Boston champ Sharon Lokedi makes her Chicago debut, and former world-record holder Brigid Kosgei returns to the race she won twice, for the first time since 2019.
NYC Marathon — Sun. Nov 1.Qualifying for Boston→
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.
That's Issue #22. 🎉
Two deadlines this week: Miles for Heroes registration closes race-day morning, and PINKleball registration shuts Saturday too. October 10 is still a two-race Saturday down south between Bras Across the CAUSEway and the Shrimp Festival Run, and the Prodisee Pantry Turkey Trot just joined the fall lineup on Oct. 24 — right here in Daphne. Berlin Marathon goes off Sunday, and if you applied for Boston 2027, you'll know either way by early October.
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