HIDDEN TAMPA MURAL RUN – 7 KM
Boasting over 70 murals in just around a 4 mile route, this is a must-see tour of Tampa!
Runner on the ground - LAURA
10 years of running
I bet when you think about Tampa, murals aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Our city across the bay, St. Pete, usually gets that recognition. But what if I told you that in less than 5 miles you can see more than 70 murals in and around downtown Tampa! And if you’re willing to go the extra mile, literally, you can see even more! Tampa has a lot of amazing murals that unfortunately get missed, but this tour ensures that you don’t miss a single one!
Departing from the heart of downtown Tampa, at beautiful Curtis Hixon Park, we’ll leave the Hillsborough River behind and head into the city. Weaving up and down streets throughout downtown, passing by the historic sights along the way, we’ll begin seeing murals within the first few blocks. The trick to Tampa is really knowing where to look, so don’t panic if your tour route seems a little ‘erratic’ – your guide is just making sure that you don’t miss out on anything! We’ll see murals ranging from a 2020 Stanley Cup Tampa Bay Lightning tribute to brightly colored sea turtles and a pirate ship and even a rendition of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.
Departing the Channelside area we’ll dip into Perry Harvey Sr. Park for both murals and also just an amazing park to run through. There are oversized statues of people doing the twist beside a juke box with a pretty hip looking dog when you first enter the park, so I’m pretty sure that’s enough to sell anyone! And from here we will take you to the highlight of the tour, where the highest concentration of murals can be found – the lovely Heights area! Here your guide will show you murals ranging from a giant alligator (of course), The Wizard of Oz (there are actually two of these in the area now), Lady Gaga and about 40 more in the immediate area!
So come out and let our guides show you the best murals of the Tampa, at your pace! Bonus – if you have time, check with you guide and we can see some ‘bonus’ murals on a quick out and back. Cheers!
Jane –
Highly recommend this tour! I did the 7k Tampa mural run with friends for my 40th birthday. Everyone loved it. Laura is fun and knowledgeable. And it’s so easy to coordinate with her ahead of time—she’s friendly, responsive, and professional. It’s such a unique and memorable experience—we have so many great photos, too. Go do it!
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Morgan Porzsolt-Graves –
I booked Laura to take my friend and I on a 5k tour for her birthday. It was better than I could have even anticipated. Laura was a great guide! She was on time, excited and shared things my friend didn’t know and areas she hadn’t seen even though she’s lived here 10 years. We loved that Laura was happy to stop and take photos and adjusted the tour to our interests. Because of this experience I look forward to trying other running tours in the future!
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Amanda –
I have taken this tour, the downtown tour and the haunted tour and they all were awesome! Laura really knows Tampa and it’s history so you get a great learning experience and a fun run!
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Angie Austin-Leyva –
I wanted to do this tour for many reasons:
I lived in the Tampa Bay area for 20 years.
I wanted to explore.
I like to run.
I liked the idea of mixing the two things I like- traveling/exploring and running!
So…why not??
I got SO much more than I anticipated. It is interesting when you live in a town but there is much you do not know or have seen. I met my guide, Laura, early on a Saturday morning (it’s Florida…so we NEED to start early!!). From the beginning, I felt this was going to be special and more than an average tour. This was going to be more than seeing and running by sights some sights. It was through Laura, I was able to EXPERIENCE what Tampa had to offer, not only to visitors but locals, like myself. I found that Tampa has such a rich history and how much they contributed to our American culture and history.
Let’s take a walk (or run!)….
Laura showed me one of her favorite locations, The Tampa Theatre. I had never heard about of it. I was able to see a beautiful building that still operates today. I learned about is architecture and its history.
I did not know about Tampa’s part in African American history either. She taught me about “The Scrub”. This is an area where the community lived, owned businesses, and contined to thrive. There is a park in this community that is dedicated to their involvement and contribution to the Civil Rights movement. This was truly a special part of the tour, for me.
We were able to run on The Riverwalk, an area with many places to eat and houses many local activities throughout the year. I did not know that many active Tampaians run this path daily! You can see The University of Tampa, and a good part of the downtown buildings, as well. These are staples in our town that Laura helped me to see andappreciate. I learned that Tampa is a town with many sites and places to offer both locals and visitors.
PLEASE do not let the fact that you aren’t a “runner” stop you from this tour! There are a variety of tours with various distances. You won’t even feel like you are running because of all the learning! Laura was absolutely the BEST and she has much to share with you. I look forward to many more tours with Laura, as I still have more to learn about my town!
THANK YOU, Go Running Tours and Laura for a fantastic day!!!
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