You’re in the home stretch when you choose Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for your beach getaway. The area is packed with races and athletic events that will get your heart pumping when you aren’t relaxing on the beach this fall.

The 2012 Brett-Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon and “Tri-it-on” are slated for Sept. 8. More than 300 weekend warriors participated in the event last year and even more are expected for this year’s event. For newcomers, the “Tri-it-on” is the perfect event to test your strength and will power before you take the plunge and participate in a full triathlon. The “Tri-it-on” begins with a 300-yard swim, a nine-mile bike ride and a two-mile run. The triathlon begins early Saturday morning with a 1.5k swim in the Gulf of Mexico and a 40k bike ride through the Gulf State Park. The last leg of the race is a 10k scenic run. A post-race party will be held at The Hangout with great food and entertainment.

On Nov. 24, you can work off your Thanksgiving feast by running in the Kaiser Coastal Half Marathon. There is a distance for everyone, including a one-mile fun run, a 5k run and the half-marathon run. The race path will take runners through the scenic paved trails of the Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. A post-race party will be held at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

Get your running shows on for the 2012 Annual National Shrimp Festival 10k run on Oct. 13. The race is an officially sanctioned event of the Annual National Shrimp Festival and will include both a 5k and 10k. When you aren’t racing your way to the finish line, make a stop at the festival and enjoy some fresh, local shrimp and live entertainment.