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Women's Half-Marathon Coming To St. Pete This Fall

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - The local publishers of a national running magazine have won the right to host the city's first women-only half marathon.

Women's Running magazine and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society announced today they are title sponsors of the St. Pete Women's Half Marathon the weekend of Nov. 21-22.

The 13.1 mile flat course will wind along the city's waterfront, past area museums and through the historic Northeast neighborhood.

The race is open to any female runner wanting to walk or run the course, though sponsors are heavily promoting the Society's popular "Team in Training" program, which offers months of organized training for individuals wanting to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research.

Women's Running, a St. Petersburg-based magazine targeting women runners, competed against several other local groups for the right to host the women's-only half-marathon.

The competition included Iron Girl, an affiliate of the Tampa's Ironman brand and sponsor of a national women's only race series. Clearwater has been the site of an Iron Girl 10k and 5K since 2003.

Downtown St. Petersburg has for years been host to a slew of shorter 5K and 10K races, but it's been a decade since there's been a long-distance running event. That event, the SouthTrust Running Festival, attracted 3,000 runners in the largest of its three-year stint.

Also, the city has hosted the St. Anthony's Triathlon the past 26 years. Thousands of multi-sport athletes from around the world swim, cycle and run downtown as part of that annual springtime event.

Reporter Mary Shedden can be reached at (813) 259-7365

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