Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon is a flat, USATF-certified point-to-point marathon that runs along the beachside roads of U.S. Highway 90, starting in Pass Christian and finishing at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. Founded in 2016 as part of the Coastal Running Fest, the race has built a reputation as one of the fastest marathon courses in the Southeast and a reliable venue for Boston Marathon qualifying times. Runners are shuttled to the start by bus in the early morning and follow the Gulf of Mexico shoreline past Pass Christian, Long Beach, and Gulfport before reaching the finish festival in Biloxi. Aid stations with water and sports drink are spaced roughly every 1.25 miles, with energy gels available on course. The race weekend also includes a half marathon on the same morning, plus a 5K, a 1-mile kids run, and a beer mile held the day before. Keesler Federal Credit Union, a long-standing race partner, became title sponsor for the marathon's 10th anniversary in 2025. The event typically draws several hundred marathon finishers each December, with mild coastal winter weather that favors distance running.