FKT: Kevin Stark - Fort Morgan to Florida 50k - 2024-01-28

First off, I want to thank Andrew McCain and Jack Osborne for putting in the route and being the trail blazers. I don't know where they dreamed this up but it was a good one. Running on the beach for a 50k is no picnic. I first saw this route a few months ago and had to wait for a good time window to get out there for a day. 

This run was pretty meaningful for me in that it was my father's birthday. He just passed away a few months ago and this was an opportunity for me to connect with him in my own way. He was an army helicopter pilot, so I took his wings with me on the run. 

I wanted to do this run unsupported, so I packed a bit extra on the water and snacks. However, I ended up using a restaurant bathroom to fill my water bottle a few miles from the finish and put myself in the "self-supported" category. I probably could have made it without water the last few miles, but this wasn't a "do or die" event so a cooler head prevailed. 

The Route:

This is run entirely on the beach except for a few spots where you have to get on a bridge to cross over water. 

I started at Ft Morgan public boat launch parking lot at 5AM. From there, you hop over the berm and get on the beach to start heading west before you loop around Ft. Morgan. It's about a mile until you are headed west. Measured from the parking lot, the route is atually 32.5 miles (52k). 

I had a near-full moon so it was nice to run under the moonlight until the sunrise. Even though I had a headlamp, I only used it when I first started to navigate the drift wood. 

Ft. Morgan is pretty remote, so you spend the first few hours on quiet sections of the beach with only a few people out fishing or watching the sunrise. Early starts are key, especially if you decide to do this when it is warmer out. Since I ran in January, it was cool temps (40-60). 

If you are going unsupported or self-supported, access to water is limited to a few spickets on people's piers that extend on the beach. 

Miles 1-10 are quiet with a few beach houses along the way. There are a few vehicle access points where a crew can meet you on the beach. Be sure to check the route to see what spots work best for you.

Miles 10-15 you run through the Bon Secur National Wildlife Refuge, which is pretty uninhabited. 

Miles 15 and to the finish, you are only a few hundred yards (at most) from highway 182 that runs parallel to the beach. Good places for crew access throughout. Also, you start getting to areas with high rise hotels and more houses. Access to public water faucets pick up here if you need to refill. 

Mile 18.5 ish. You will go to the road so you can cross the bridge and then head back to the beach. Its 100-yard reprieve from running on the sand!

Mile 29.5. You will go across a major bridge. Just follow the waterway until you get to a few restaurants and then cross the parking lot and head over the bridge. There's a walkway behind a barrier so its a pretty safe bridge to cross. After you cross the bridge, stay on the roadside until you get to the beach access at "Orange Beach Public Parking". 

I had to take a quick detour off the beach for construction that closed the beach, but I got back on after less than half a mile. 

Miles 30.8 to 32.5 Cruise to the finish line (Florida state line). Conveniently located at the famous "Flora-Bama" restaurant and bar.

Lessons Learned and Advice

If possible, look at the tides and plan your run when the tide is going out, or near low, in the morning. In the earlier parts of the run (roughly first 15 miles) if you are running during high-tide, you'll be in the soft sand. 

Alabama is hot and humid. Do not underestimate your need for hydration. Take extra.

Running technique for the sand. I've done my fair share of beach runs so I learned a little technique to minimize energy lost in the sand. 

• Try to shorten your steps and land mid-foot so your heels don't dig in the sand. When you drive your step, focus on lifting the knee a bit instead of digging your toes in the sand. It's a very quick step with mostly mid-foot landing and push off. 
• Choose your poison. 
  • Down by the water, the sand is more hard packed but you run at an angle. 
  • Higher up on the beach, it is flat but the sand is softer. 
  • I alternated between the two. If you find a set of tire tracks to run in, that helps. 
  • Most importantly, wrap your mind around the fact that it is a beach run, and it will be tough. Only means the beer at the finish will taste better.
• Since I parked at Ft Morgan, I had to Uber it back to my car. It was around $70, FYI.