The Raymond James Team Challenge closes on Friday, 15 January 2027. Team registration forms and a high-resolution team logo must reach the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association by that date. The association gives the reason on its page: proper processing and customization, so each team receives the amenities it promises.
A team that files in February still races. It races without the package.
The 50th running of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend runs Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February 2027 in downtown Tampa.
Three to five runners, four prices
A team is three to five runners entered in one race. Team entry fees are $450 for the 15K, $350 for the 5K, $650 for the half marathon and $400 for the 8K.
The team sheet is half the filing. Every member also signs an individual registration form, so the budget carries two lines: the team fee and each runner's own entry. Mail goes to GDCA, P.O. Box 1881, Tampa, FL 33601-1881.
Corporate eligibility decides the roster first. A corporate team member must have worked continuously for the company on or before 30 November 2026. The form counts an employee as someone working 30 hours or more a week on the company payroll, or a contractor working at least 20 hours a week under a contract of at least 12 preceding months.
Open teams take running clubs, social groups, families and friends.
Four divisions run in each challenge: Men, Women, Mixed, and Mixed Masters at 40 and over. Mixed and Mixed Masters must include at least one member of the opposite sex. The top three finishers on each team score. A runner may appear on one team in each distance.
The start time decides the room nights
Saturday morning belongs to the shorter races. The 15K starts at Brorein Street and Franklin Street in two waves: wave one at 6:45 a.m. for projected finishes of 90 minutes and under, wave two at 6:55 a.m. for 91 minutes and over. The 5K stages at Brorein Street and Ashley Street in five waves from 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.
Sunday carries the half marathon at 6:00 a.m. from Platt Street and Bayshore Boulevard. Access to the staging area closes at 5:50 a.m., and a runner who arrives after the closure cannot start. The 8K goes at 9:15 a.m. from Bayshore Boulevard and Verne Street.
The 6:00 a.m. start sets the sleeping plan. A half marathon team needs Friday and Saturday nights, and the Saturday night cannot move.
The Friday expo pickup covers the whole group
Packet pickup runs at the Tampa Bay 28 Health and Fitness Expo in the East Hall of the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602. Hours are Friday 19 February, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 20 February, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, and packet collection needs no identification.
Take the Friday window. A team collecting on Saturday morning competes with a 6:45 a.m. 15K start, and one delayed runner holds up the other four.
Runners who cannot reach the expo have a Sunday option: packet pickup at the Convention Center Ballroom D, Franklin Street entrance, 4:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Gear check sits in Meeting Room 125 on the lower level, open Saturday 5:30 a.m. to noon and Sunday 4:30 a.m. to noon.
Rooms, parking and the Florida notice
The 2027 official host hotel is the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center, connected to the center by sky bridge. Additional race weekend hotels read "coming soon". The organiser publishes no rate, cut-off date or block term, so the rate belongs with the property's group sales office, in writing, with the minimum stay stated alongside it.
The association tells runners to expect $15 for all-day parking with no in-and-out privileges. Each garage's fee is set by the City of Tampa and pre-collected before entry. Four garages are recommended, among them Fort Brooke at 107 N. Franklin Street and the Tampa Convention Center Garage at 333 S. Franklin Street. No in-and-out means the vehicle stays put until the team finishes.
bookMyTeam cannot take a booking request for this trip. Its seller-of-travel page, last updated 22 October 2026, states that it is unable to process hotel booking requests from residents of, or for travel to, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Washington, and cites Chapter 559, Florida Statutes. Rate questions go to compliance@hotelhuddle.com or to the property.
What the team gets, and what closes first
Team members receive a custom running shirt carrying the challenge artwork and the company logo, pirate-themed performance socks, and access to the private catered Raymond James tent at the Q105 Post-Race Celebration, with its own massage area, portable toilets and Michelob Ultra service.
The celebration runs both days at Cotanchobee Park. Music and beer taps start at 9 a.m. The overall awards presentation begins at 11 a.m. Winning team names are announced there, and personalized team awards reach team captains by 15 April 2027.
Entry caps bound the plan: 4,500 in the 15K, 8,000 in the 5K Run, 6,000 in the half marathon and 3,500 in the 8K. Fees are non-refundable, and race numbers cannot be sold or transferred. A move between races costs $15. Deferral to 2028 closes at 3 p.m. on Friday 12 February 2027, at $37 for the half marathon or $47 for a challenge.
Team questions go to Lisa Taylor at Lisa@RunGasparilla.com on the entry form, or to Kitty@RunGasparilla.com and (813) 254-7866 on the challenge page.
The filing checklist before 15 January: the team sheet, the division, a high-resolution logo, a signed individual registration form for every member, both payments, and a written answer on the 30 November employment test for anyone whose payroll record is not obvious.
