Nineteen years after Donna Deegan first laced up runners for a cause, the DONNA Marathon Weekend is set to return to Jacksonville Beach February 5–7, 2027, with a full slate of races kicking off from Seawalk Pavilion. Registration opened this past July, and organizers are already building toward what they're calling a milestone celebration under the theme “Love in Motion.”
The 20th running will include a 5K, the DONNA Dash, a half marathon, a full marathon, an ultramarathon, assorted event challenges and the DONNA Health & Wellness Expo, according to The DONNA Foundation. Every event on the schedule begins at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach, the foundation says in a release announcing the 20th running. Meanwhile, Breast Cancer Marathon lists the 20th Anniversary DONNA The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer for February 7, 2027, and notes it's open to all.
A Community Milestone Two Decades in the Making
Donna Deegan launched the race series back in 2008 to help families facing breast cancer overcome financial barriers to care, per the same foundation account. Since then, more than 300,000 athletes have crossed DONNA finish lines, the organization says. The foundation also reports it has served more than 22,000 families and secured more than $7 million in financial services and debt relief — though a separate tourism listing from Visit Jacksonville puts those figures at more than 14,000 families and over $5 million in relief and research, a discrepancy the two sources have not reconciled.
The race weekend isn't just about finish lines. According to Action News Jax, DONNA Marathon Weekend generates more than $4 million in annual economic impact for Northeast Florida. The outlet also notes the DONNA Marathon and Half Marathon have picked up recognition from USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards and were voted Best in Jax by Jacksonville Magazine, and that the marathon qualifies as an Abbott World Marathon Majors Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Ranking race.
What Changed Last Year — and What's Ahead
This year's countdown follows a 19th running that looked a little different than in years past. The 19th annual DONNA Marathon kicked off in Jacksonville Beach on January 30, 2026, drawing runners, breast cancer survivors, families and supporters from around the world, as News4JAX reported at the time. That event had to shift its Friday and Saturday activities away from EverBank Stadium because of ongoing Stadium of the Future renovations, the station reported, and fundraising for the 2026 race topped $226,000, surpassing a $200,000 goal.
Ahead of the 20th running, the foundation is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month with events supporting breast cancer patients, survivors and their families. The DONNA 5K is set for TPC Sawgrass as what the foundation calls the centerpiece of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a separate DONNA event presented by Mayo Clinic is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 7 at 1st Place Sports on Baymeadows Road in Jacksonville.
How to Register for the 20th Running
Participants can sign up now for the 5K, half marathon, full marathon, ultramarathon, family-friendly runs and the weekend's other events. The DONNA Foundation is directing hopeful participants to register through its events page at thedonnafoundation.org/events. With the 20th running still months away, the official countdown to Jacksonville's biggest cause-driven race weekend of the year is already underway.
