Registration still open for July 4 Pier Run

A popular St. Petersburg Independence Day tradition is set to make its return.  

The 5th annual Orlando Health St. Pete Pier Run will take place Friday, July 4. Attendees will be able to participate in a timed 4-mile run starting from Spa Beach Park on the St. Pete Pier. The course will go along the waterfront and end back on The Pier. 

There will be two “waves” of runners. The first group will start at 6:30 a.m. and the second at 7:45 a.m. Each can have a maximum of 1,500 participants. Registration is still open. 

A pre-run festival with 30 vendors is planned for July 3 (on The Pier) from 2 to 6 p.m.

First created in collaboration with the City of St. Petersburg in 2021, the St. Pete Pier Run has grown throughout the years. 

This year’s event is going to add more to the participant experience, said organizer Ryan Jordan.  

“We’re working closely with the City this year to have bigger bands [and] more entertainment on the course,” he explained. There will also be a new, immersive sound system, with connected speakers around the Pier and Bayshore Drive. 

The Good Sweat Foundation, administered by Jordan and his family, began the annual St. Pete Run Fest in 2017.

Local partners will be key to the two-day event’s atmosphere, Jordan added. 

Guests can expect food from local restaurants such as Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille and Colony Grill. Green Bench Brewing Company, Grand Central Brewhouse and 3 Daughters Brewing will be offering adult beverages. Mother Kombucha and Celsius will also provide refreshments. 

Attendees can participate in a pie-eating contest and a patriotic costume contest.  

“It’s going to be a big festival atmosphere. We started this as a way to kick off the 4th of July.  I think with the way the calendar falls this year, it’ll be exciting too because it’s a Friday,” he explained. 

For Jordan, the St. Pete Pier Run is a way to give back to the community, both through charity and sustainability efforts. 

Since launching the Pier Run, Jordan and his team have partnered with the St. Pete Youth Farm, a local nonprofit that helps provide access to nutritious food through teaching farming, urban agriculture and entrepreneurship. 

“We’re raising enough money to build them a new, I’m going to call it a beehive, but it’s a place where they can actually start producing their own honey at the farm,” Jordan added. 

Part of the proceeds of the event will go towards the project. Additionally, there will be a mini golf putt tournament to support the St. Pete Youth Farm. 

The St. Pete Pier Run is also “ocean friendly” and will feature reusable products. A “Green Team” will be present to sort through recyclable materials and compostable waste throughout the event.  

Since its launch, the Pier Run has been embraced by St. Pete’s health-focused community, Jordan said. “Our average age is actually getting younger.” 

Jordan believes that many young adults in the area are emphasizing their health and hopes that this will encourage even more people to participate in runs. 

He also recognizes the impact the City has had on the Pier Run’s success.

“It’s an amazing backdrop to put on these events,” he said, “and the City has been awesome to partner with.”

To learn more about the event and to register, visit st-pete-pier-run.