26.2 with DONNA: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A flat, fast Boston-qualifying coastal course, and the only U.S. marathon devoted entirely to finishing breast cancer.
- Where:
- Jacksonville Beach, Florida
- When:
- Sunday, February 7, 2027
- Course:
- Flat · coastal · beach section
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
The Donna is flat and coastal, run along A1A through Jacksonville’s beach communities with only a gentle Intracoastal Waterway bridge for elevation. A signature stretch of roughly two miles is run on the hard-packed sand of the beach itself, which can feel softer underfoot than pavement. It finishes near the Mayo Clinic campus.
- Start → Finish
- 12 → 12 ft
- Net
- +0 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 40 ft
Key moments
- Mile 1–10Flat A1A miles through the beach communities. Settle into goal pace early.
- Mile 11–13The beach section on hard-packed sand. Shorten your stride and run by effort.
- Mile 16Intracoastal Waterway bridge, the one gentle rise on an otherwise flat course.
- Mile 25–26.2Toward the Mayo Clinic finish, carried by famous crowd support.
Pacing strategy
A genuine PR and Boston-qualifying course, so pace evenly and trust the flat profile. Ease your effort and stride on the sand section so it doesn’t cost you rhythm, then resume goal pace once you’re back on pavement.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at 26.2 with DONNA. These are effort-even rather than pace-even: the paces shift with the course profile, so climbs are slower and descents faster by the amount the grade actually costs. For any other goal time, use the planner below.
| Checkpoint | Sub-3:00 | Sub-3:30 | Sub-4:00 | Sub-4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 3.1 | 20:366:51/mi | 24:027:59/mi | 27:289:08/mi | 30:5410:16/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:126:53/mi | 48:048:02/mi | 54:569:10/mi | 1:01:4810:19/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:01:486:53/mi | 1:12:068:02/mi | 1:22:259:11/mi | 1:32:4310:20/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:22:246:51/mi | 1:36:087:60/mi | 1:49:529:08/mi | 2:03:3610:17/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:43:046:56/mi | 2:00:158:05/mi | 2:17:269:14/mi | 2:34:3610:24/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:03:386:48/mi | 2:24:147:56/mi | 2:44:509:04/mi | 3:05:2610:12/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:24:116:52/mi | 2:48:128:01/mi | 3:12:149:09/mi | 3:36:1610:18/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:44:456:51/mi | 3:12:137:60/mi | 3:39:419:08/mi | 4:07:0810:17/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:306:52/mi | 3:28:158:01/mi | 3:58:009:10/mi | 4:27:4510:19/mi |
Grade adjustment is a model, not a promise. It assumes even effort and ignores wind, heat, and how well your legs handle sustained descent — which on a steep course is often the deciding factor.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for 26.2 with DONNA. The even pace option is pre-selected to suit this course.
| Mile | Pace | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:09/mi | 9:09 |
| 2 | 9:09/mi | 18:18 |
| 3 | 9:09/mi | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:09/mi | 36:37 |
| 5 | 9:09/mi | 45:46 |
| 6 | 9:09/mi | 54:55 |
| 7 | 9:09/mi | 1:04:05 |
| 8 | 9:09/mi | 1:13:14 |
| 9 | 9:09/mi | 1:22:23 |
| 10 | 9:09/mi | 1:31:32 |
| 11 | 9:09/mi | 1:40:41 |
| 12 | 9:09/mi | 1:49:51 |
| 13 | 9:09/mi | 1:59:00 |
| 14 | 9:09/mi | 2:08:09 |
| 15 | 9:09/mi | 2:17:18 |
| 16 | 9:09/mi | 2:26:28 |
| 17 | 9:09/mi | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:09/mi | 2:44:46 |
| 19 | 9:09/mi | 2:53:55 |
| 20 | 9:09/mi | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09/mi | 3:12:14 |
| 22 | 9:09/mi | 3:21:23 |
| 23 | 9:09/mi | 3:30:32 |
| 24 | 9:09/mi | 3:39:41 |
| 25 | 9:09/mi | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:09/mi | 3:58:00 |
| 26.22 | 9:09/mi | 4:00:00 |
Fueling & hydration
Aid stations roughly every 1.5–2 miles with water and sports drink. The coastal warmth and the energy cost of the sand mile raise fluid needs, so drink steadily and keep gels on schedule.
Weather
Early-February northeast Florida is usually cool and pleasant for racing (40s–50s), though a warmer, humid morning or a sea breeze on the beach can both factor in.
Is 26.2 with DONNA a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. Start and finish sit at the same elevation, so no downhill adjustment applies and a time here is submitted as run.
This drop is our estimate rather than a figure from the course's certificate. If it sits near a threshold, confirm with the organizer.
Dial in your pacing & fueling
New to how training builds toward a race like this? Start with Anatomy of a Running Plan, find your zones with the pace calculator, and plan race-day nutrition with the fueling calculator.
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