The Friends of Weedon Island are excited to announce the 12th Annual Gopher Weedon 8K Trail Run. It will be held on October 26, 2024. Tired of pounding the pavement on the same ole 5K race course? Go-pher something different and enjoy 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) of natural trails through one of Tampa Bay's hidden gems! The Gopher Weedon trail run will take runners and walkers along a journey through native Florida habitats, including gorgeous views of Tampa Bay. This unique, professionally-timed race will take place on Saturday, October 28th at the Weedon Island Preserve - a 3,700-acre preserve nestled along Tampa Bay in northeast St. Petersburg. The race course winds through mangroves, salt marsh and Florida scrub habitat along well-maintained dirt and boardwalk trails. Runners may catch a glimpse of wildlife, including the slow-moving gopher tortoise (a threatened species for which the race was named), as well as relic Indian mounds and dune ridges left by the preserve's earliest inhabitants. After the race, enjoy refreshments before strolling through the Cultural and Natural History Center, where you can learn more about the prehistoric people and the natural environment.