Athlete Guide
presented by Champion Brands
DONNA Marathon Weekend returns February 2 – 4, 2024. This year’s theme, Destination: Hope, reinforces DONNA Marathon Weekend as a destination race that appeals to both local and international runners, while envisioning a future defined by something brighter than any one place or race –– a future where love always wins out over fear. It celebrates the progress and resilience required to reach the finish line we all believe is possible: a world without breast cancer.
Registration for 2024 DONNA Marathon Weekend events and the second annual DONNA 110 Mile-A-Day Challenge opens Thursday, July 13 at 1 p.m. EST at BreastCancerMarathon.com. On opening day, registrants can take advantage of 10% off all registration fees.
Welcome to the 17th Annual DONNA Marathon Weekend Athlete Guide presented by Champion Brands. Details are subject to change. Please check back often for updates. #DestinationHope
- Schedule of Events – Coming Soon
- Transportation And Parking – Coming Soon
- The Course
- Galloway Pace Groups
- Timing And Awards
- Runner Safety
- Gear Check
- Runner Tracking
The Course
The DONNA Marathon Course is a Boston Qualifier, and selected by the Abbott World Marathon Majors as a qualifying race for the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking program for 2024. Preview the course »
Double Loop For The DONNA Marathon: The DONNA Marathon and Half Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer Course will begin and end at Seawalk Pavilion in the heart of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Runners will enjoy a flat, fast Boston-qualifying marathon course through three beautiful beach communities of Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach with scenic views and an outpouring of crowd support, and pink flamingos. The Marathon will complete the first half of the course again for a double loop design.
Pace Groups
Galloway Pace Groups
DONNA is proud to offer Official Galloway Pacers for the Marathon and Half Marathon events. Program Directors and Pace Group Leaders from around the country are coming here to pace our runners to Boston Qualifying times, personal bests, or just an official finish. How do you join a pace group? Just look for our Galloway Pacers before the race, stick with them throughout the run, and remember to move to the right of the road during walk breaks. All pacers will be easily identifiable before and during the race and will be using Jeff Galloway’s run/walk/run method for the entire 26.2 or 13.1 miles. The Jeff Galloway Training Program is the official training program for DONNA events. Train with us »
Pace Groups (Subject to Change)
The following marathon pace groups will be available:
- 4:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (2 min run/30 sec walk)
- 4:15 GOAL FINISH TIME (1:45 min run/30 sec walk)
- 4:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (1:30 min run/30 sec walk)
- 4:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (1 min run/30 sec walk)
- 5:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (1 min run/30 sec walk)
- 5:15 GOAL FINISH TIME (1 min run/30 sec walk)
- 5:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (30 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 5:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (30 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 6:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (30 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 6:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (15 sec run/30 sec walk)
6:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (15 sec run/30sec walk) - 7:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (15 sec run/30 sec walk)
The following half-marathon pace groups will be available:
- 1:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (4 min run/30 sec walk)
- 2:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (2 min run/30 sec walk)
- 2:15 GOAL FINISH TIME (1:30 min run/30 sec walk)
- 2:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (1 min run/30 sec walk)
- 2:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (30 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 3:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (30 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 3:15 GOAL FINISH TIME (15 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 3:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (15 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 3:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (10 sec run/ 30 sec walk)
- 4:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (10 sec run/30 sec walk)
- 4:30 GOAL FINISHER TIME (walking)
“Meet the Pacers” meet and greets will be held at the DONNA Expo on Friday, February 2 and Saturday February 3 throughout the day. Also look for pacers at the Jeff Galloway Training Programs booth to answer any of your pacing questions.
If you are interested in becoming a pace leader for the marathon, please contact us.
Race Results
All races are chip timed and managed by 1st Place Sports. Live Results »
Overall Awards
The top breast cancer survivor in the full and half marathon events will be honored with an engraved Prism award from Tiffany & Co. The top overall male and female in both the ultra, full and the half marathon events will also receive an award from Tiffany & Co.
Overall awards will also be presented to the top three overall breast cancer survivors, adaptive, masters, male and female finishers for all events.
Racing the DONNA Booby Trap Challenge? Overall awards will be presented to the top three men and women in the challenge determined by overall time for all three events based on chip times.
Top age group Finisher Awards
Top Finisher Age Group Awards will be presented to the top three finishers of the full and half marathon and 5K events in each of the following male and female age groups: 19 & under, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 & 80 and over.
Runner Safety
EVENT ALERT SYSTEM
EAS Status for Marathon Sunday is GREEN
A color-coded Event Alert System (EAS) will be used to communicate the status of course conditions to participants leading up to and on race day. The levels range from Low (green) to Moderate (yellow) to High (red) to Extreme (black) based primarily on the weather, as well as other conditions.
The DONNA Medical Director and Meteorologist Tim Deegan along with the rest of the Race Communications team, will determine and execute the specific alert level on race day.
- E-mail, Facebook, Twitter and website communication during race week will inform participants of the current Event Alert System status and provide preparation tips based on advance weather forecasts.
- Updates will be made at the DONNA Expo via public address announcements.
- On race day, the current Event Alert System status will be communicated via public address announcements and color-coded signs/flags at the start and finish areas, and along the course at aid station locations.
- All participants should familiarize themselves with the Event Alert System prior to the race, remain alert for directions from race officials and announcers and take precautions to prepare properly for varying weather conditions on race day.
Gear / Bag Check
Runner Tracking