Just off the coast of Georgia and connected via causeways are the islands of St. Simons, Jekyll, and Sea Island that make up what’s known as the Golden Isles. Tidal marshlands, preserved wildlands, and long stretches of beach join exclusive resorts, golf courses, and historic communities on these islands. As a runner and triathlete, Jekyll Island provided some of the best opportunities (even though I didn’t swim in the ocean!) to train while still enjoying a family vacation. The following were some of my best memories of running in Jekyll Island. 

Run with the Sunrise

Apart from beating the heat and having more time on the day for the beach time I was looking for, I caught some of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve seen!  

Run on the beach

The beaches at Jekyl Island (yes, there is more than one!) were not the soft white sand I had expected, but hard packed sand that you can easily run on. Low tide will give you miles of beautiful shoreline to run on.

The Wildlife off the coast is just amazing

I saw lots of different types of birds, crabs, crabs, and plenty more that I had no idea what they were. 

Miles of Bike Trails

The marked trails go all round the Island and is almost 15 miles long. You pass through beaches, historic locations, and beautiful Spanish Moss. While moderately busy during daytime, the path is perfect for a long run or an out and back while kids ride next to you. I did see a few cyclists (in aero, so I assumed that they were primarily triathletes in training) on the roads. 

Plenty of Races

Jekyll Island is a growing race destination with plenty of running and triathlon races. 

Turtle Crawl Weekend – Mid May. 5K, Sprint and Olympic Distance Triathlon benefitting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center 

The inaugural Jekyll Island Marathon and 10k – January.

I’d love to be back to do one of the Turtle Crawl Weekend triathlons. I’m terrified of swimming in the sea and that would be a great way to attack that fear. 

And Jekyll Island on its own has made us all love it as a beach vacation destination.