Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon
Biloxi, United States · December · Independent
Why people love it
- Flat Gulf coast road with about 50 m (163 ft) of gain, running beside the beach.
- Finish inside the Biloxi ballpark with gumbo, pulled pork and beer.
- Bus shuttles from host hotels and well-reviewed aid.
- Mild December air, with a mean of 11 °C (53 °F).
Watch out for
- Headwinds of 48 to 64 km (39.8 mi)/h (30 to 40 mph) have hit in several years.
- A short steep on-ramp and overpass near 39 km (24 mi).
- Few spectators, and too few toilets at the start.
- Expo and bib pickup are in Gulfport, far from Biloxi hotels.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.0
RaceRaves rates it 4.1 of 5 from 139 ratings, Find My Marathon 4.4 from 5. Common negatives: wind, few spectators, too few toilets. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.8
Bus transport and aid earn praise. Negatives are too few toilets at the start, a small Gulfport expo and in-person award pickup. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.6
Flat, with a long time limit and good aid, but wind, almost no spectators and the final ramp make it a lonely first marathon. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.1
Very flat, with BQ rates of 3.7% to 16%. Headwinds of 48 to 64 km (39.8 mi)/h (30 to 40 mph) slow it in bad years. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.9
Gulf views along the beachfront road and a ballpark finish. Sand on the road and an interstate ramp near the end detract. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.4
Wide beachfront road, but half and full runners share parts and the last 3 km (2 mi) turn on an out-and-back and a ramp. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.0
Smooth highway asphalt for most of the course. One runner mentioned sand and a steep ramp near the end. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.1
Highway 90 closes from about 06:15 per local coverage. Near 39 km (24 mi) the route uses an interstate ramp. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat4.8
Gain of 50 m (163 ft). Even one runner's 68 m (223 ft) measurement is well under 150 m (500 ft). · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Net about 4 m (12 ft) up. A flat point-to-point, not a downhill course. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.6
Buses from host hotels ran smoothly to the 07:00 start and gear check. Toilet lines were long. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.8
Pace groups, chip timing and bag drop exist, with no detail on the range of pace groups. · Medium confidence
- Crowd supportSparse2.2
Several reviews report practically no crowd support along the route. The finish stadium and festival are lively. · High confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.8
Water, sports drink and gels about every 2.4 km (1.5 mi) and plenty of volunteers, but too few toilets at aid stops. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindWindy1.9
Headwinds of 48 km (29.8 mi)/h (30 mph) lasted until 40 km (25 mi) in 2023, with gusts to 64 km (39.8 mi)/h (40 mph) in 2025. · High confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Mean 11 °C (53 °F), start about 15 °C (59 °F) with 87% humidity. A few years were warmer or rainy. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Wind varies: 48 km (29.8 mi)/h (30 mph) in 2023 and gusts to 64 km (39.8 mi)/h (40 mph) in 2025, but 2017 and 2026 were calmer. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints2.8
Point-to-point with few roadside spectators, but friends can watch the finish in the ballpark. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.9
Elevation is 1 to 16 m (6 to 54 ft) on the Gulf coast. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.2
Casino and resort hotels in Biloxi run host-hotel shuttles. No shortage reported. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
Casino hotel prices vary. No direct price data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Bus pickup is across from the Beau Rivage and the finish is in the Biloxi ballpark. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.4
The Gulfport-Biloxi airport is small. New Orleans is a longer drive. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.3
Expo and bib pickup are in Gulfport, far from Biloxi hotels. Buses are one-way and age awards need in-person pickup. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Reviewers found Biloxi charming, with post-race gumbo, pulled pork and craft beer. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early3.3
Open registration, but several distances sold out in 2024 and 2025 had a record field. Register early. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.8
Swag and the medal are praised, plus gumbo and beer at the finish. A VIP package was called not worth it. No fee found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Biloxi, Mississippi Gulf Coast, United States
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 13 December 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 766 athletes
- First held
- 2016
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 50 m (165 ft)
- Descent
- 46 m (150 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Surface
- Asphalt (Highway 90 beachfront road, then an interstate on-ramp and I-110 near the end)
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Air temperature
- 7–16 °C (45–61 °F)
- Humidity
- High at the start, 87% in a typical year
- Altitude
- 8 m (26 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)
- Where to stay
- Biloxi casino strip, Beau Rivage, Margaritaville Resort
- Booking
- Host hotels (Beau Rivage, Margaritaville Resort) run shuttles to the start; bus pickup right across from the Beau Rivage.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (139 ratings, 4.1)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Runners like the flat beachfront course, finish festival and swag, with gumbo and beer. Complaints: strong coastal wind, a steep-feeling ramp near mile 24 (39 km), too few porta-potties, few spectators and a small expo. One said the weather was perfect (low 60s °F) in 2026.
“you can't get much flatter of a course”
- MarathonGuide reviews (2 reviews, 4.2)Raced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
A Milwaukee runner on marathon 21 ranked it top five: pancake flat for 24 miles (39 km), minimal crowds, 30 mph (48 km/h) headwinds, gumbo and beer at the stadium. A 2022 runner liked the host-hotel shuttle, pretty medal and the final hill past mile 24, and notes age awards must be collected in person.
“I would rank this marathon in the top 5”
- Mobile Bay Runner (Sam Yeager-Allen)Raced 2017 · blog · Mixed
A pacer's account: flat point-to-point, aid every 1.5 mi (2.4 km), smooth bag drop, a 7:00 a.m. start at 2 °C (mid 30s °F) in good conditions, an interstate on-ramp near mile 24 (39 km) and a course marked about 0.7 mi (1.1 km) short, which stopped BAA accepting results.
“it kind of just is what it is”
- BibRave reviews (11 reviews)Raced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
Reviewers describe pancake-flat coastal views, a headwind of around 20 mph (32 km/h) for about 10 miles (16 km) after Gulfport, flawless bus transport, a small but well-regarded expo and a thrilling stadium finish.
“absolutely pancake flat”
- Find My Marathon (5 reviews, 4.4)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Shows 163 ft (50 m) gain, 151 ft (46 m) loss, 766 finishers in 2025 and BQ rates of 3.7% to 16%. Reviewers praise aid stations, the flat course and finish festival and cite constant headwinds, humidity, thin crowds and a climb to the interstate ramp near mile 24 to 25 (39 to 40 km).
“Very flat profile, 163 ft gain”
Show 1 more
- WLOX (10th anniversary coverage)Raced 2025 · article · Positive
Local coverage of the record 2025 race at Keesler Federal Park: visitors from Canada and across the US praised the region and weather; a runner called it one of the best races in the nation; Brad Ryland won in about 2:47.
“one of the best races to do”
Raced Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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