Independence Double

Dates:                          Saturday, June 27, 2026 and Sunday, June 28, 2026
Place:                          Cady Way Park (Trailhead), 2529 Cady Way, Winter Park, FL 32792
What:                          Independence Double-- 50K, Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, and 5K each day
Start Times:                 Marathon and 50K -- 5:00 am; Half Marathon -- 5:10; 5K and 10K -- 6:00 
Time limit:                   9.5 hours (or so...)
Parking:                       Cady Way Park. GPS coordinates:  N 28.59458, W -081.31670.  Also, there is  an overflow parking lot nearby and a school across the street. All locations  are convenient.
 
WARNING: Before you register, Read everything below. Here are the main points:

     NOT chip timed. Our races are hand-timed.
     Start times—see above.
     Courses not certified. Not a Boston qualifier. 
     No age group awards, no t-shirts, no bling.
     Cupless—bring your own bottle

STOP!  Before you register, keep reading!  These events are no frills, low-key, casual, and fun events. Great for first timers, maybe not so great for a PR. This is NOT a certified or sanctioned course—meaning, among other thing, NOT a Boston qualifier. Don’t expect much. Maybe you won’t be very disappointed.

YOU DON’T GET a t-shirt, hat, socks, or any other apparel, great bling (actually, any bling), cute reusable race bag, age group awards, spectators lining the course, crowds cheering you in, hot food at the finish, exciting music, and a party afterward, all on a certified course. There are plenty of events that have those things.

YOU DO GET  low entry fees (which is why you don't get that other stuff), courses that are guaranteed not short, a simple finisher’s medal, a generous time limit, and a published finish time. But isn’t that all you really need?  You know you want to sign up. Really, where else can you run a marathon for $65? Or a 5K for $30?  You also get easy, convenient parking, great locations for supporters, and a lot of friendly support from other runners. 

COURSES:  The courses are lap courses, meaning that you’ll do a short loop multiple times. Which also means you’ll see other runners going and coming. Not as boring as it might sound. The paved, urban run/bike trail is flat and largely shaded. This is an open course, and includes two street crossings each lap. You are responsible for crossing safely. More course details can be found under Detailed Course Descriptions above.
 
-- The marathon/half marathon/50K lap is approximately 2.2 miles. The full marathon is twelve laps, the half is six laps, and the 50K is fourteen laps plus two short laps at the end. 

-- The 5K/10K lap is approximately 1.55 miles—two laps for the 5K and four laps for the 10K. 

Turn arounds for each distance will be clearly marked. Rubber bands will be available to help you keep track of your laps.  

START/FINISH/AID STATION: The only aid station is at the start/finish location, which you will pass this twice each lap. Even though we are a no-frills event, we will provide chilled water, Gatorade, soda, and sweet and salty snacks. In hot weather, we will also have pickles, olives, and pickle juice. This is a CUPLESS race. Bring your own hydration device—water bottle, hydration belt/pack. We'll have a table for your bottles.  

HEAT:  Florida is typically hot and humid. We will provide ice for your water/Gatorade, hat, water bottle, etc. We will have a bucket of ice water for you to dip your hat, cooling towel, etc.    

BATHROOMS: The bathrooms are a little walk from the start/finish, but you’ll pass them during each lap.

LIGHT: It will be just starting to break daylight at the start. (Sunrise is at 6:30.)  We recommend you have a light for the first half hour.

DROP BAG: The start/finish is in a small pavilion, where you may leave a drop bag. There is space for you to set up your own chair, or for friends and family to see you each lap. Great venue for a cheering section.

FINISH LINE: When you finish, ring the bell, or be sure to let the timer know you’re finished. Without this, you won’t get a finish time—or at least not an accurate time. Remember we are hand-timed—no timing chips! We don't know to record your time if you don't tell us you're done.

If you are still undecided (congratulations for reading this far), and you want to know what to expect, we won’t likely have world class athletes based on speed, but we will likely have world class athletes based on numbers of marathon completed. Think four-digit numbers. Just imagine the stories!

VOLUNTEERS: We always need volunteers. Each full volunteer day earns a free long run (half marathon or full marathon) or two short runs (5K or 10K).  

BMW Running Company