Complete guide to beach running on Amelia Island — 13 miles of car-free beach, tide charts, five access points, sand conditions, jellyfish season, and tips from a local runner with 16,000+ miles on the island.
There’s something about the beach in May that catches people off guard. They see a decent morning, drive to one of the beach access points on the north end, step onto the sand — and immediately start slogging. Loose, soft sand grabbing at every step, calves burning after half a mile, pace two minutes slower than expected. By mile two they’re questioning whether beach running is worth the trouble. It usually isn’t, if you get the timing wrong. ...