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.
Last updated
- 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
The certified route
A complex of loops from Atlantic Blvd in Neptune Beach, south through Jacksonville Beach along the coast to a turnaround on Pablo Rd in Ponte Vedra, returning north on 1st St to the finish in Neptune Beach.
- Start
- On Atlantic Blvd, 10 ft west of the brick paver crosswalk just west of 2nd St, and 75 ft east of the easternmost point of the landscaping median.
- Finish
- On 1st St in Neptune Beach, 8 ft south of the manhole cover in the middle of the Lemon St intersection, 20 ft north of the north edge of 201 1st St and 40 ft south of the south edge of 139 1st St (Pete's Bar).
Underfoot
Fully paved.
Through, in order
Neptune Beach · Jacksonville Beach · Ponte Vedra
What you pass
- Miles 9 to 18: the coastal stretch on Beach Ave, Ocean Blvd and 1st St through Jacksonville Beach
- The Pablo Rd turnaround in Ponte Vedra (mile 19)
- The finish by Pete's Bar at Lemon St and 1st St in Neptune Beach
Transcribed from the USATF certificate for 26.2 with DONNA (FL18073TY), measured 26 September and 23 October 2018. Where the certificate is silent, so are we.
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 |
Splits assume even effort and are adjusted for this course's climbs and descents, which cost more than they give back. A model, not a promise: wind and heat move real splits around. See how the pacing model works.
Plan your mile splits
Turn your goal time into a mile-by-mile plan for 26.2 with DONNA, built from this course's elevation. The even pace approach comes pre-selected, and grade-adjusted pacing evens out your effort across the climbs and descents.
Plan 26.2 with DONNA splitsFueling & 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.
What race morning has actually been like
The last 5 editions of 26.2 with DONNA, measured at the start line rather than averaged across the month. Starts have run 52–62°F, averaging 56°F.
| Year | Date | Start | Dew pt | Wind | By late morning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Feb 9 | 52°F | 53°F | 8 mph | 61°F |
| 2022 | Feb 6 | 55°F | 52°F | 16 mph | 55°F |
| 2023 | Feb 5 | 56°F | 58°F | 4 mph | 64°F |
| 2024 | Feb 4 | 62°F | 59°F | 13 mph | 66°F |
| 2025 | Feb 2 | 54°F | 58°F | 6 mph | 63°F |
Dates derived from the race's published pattern (2nd Sunday in February (2021 virtual)), observations at Jacksonville Beach, FL. Source: Open-Meteo historical reanalysis (ERA5), 7-11am local at the start line. Reanalysis is modelled from station observations, so treat it as a close record rather than an official one. See how race-morning weather is built.
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.
Compare every course, how the downhill bands work, or work out your own target.
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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