Photos from Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Kids Shrimp Run

Mar 3, 2026 By Nathan Mayberg 1 min read

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Adelynn McMillen and Emma McMillen hold hands as they race down to the finish line at the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Kids Shrimp Run. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Runners stretch before the Kids Shrimp Run on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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JC Koss, 11, captured the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival Kids Shrimp Run racing barefoot across the beach near Margaritaville Beach Resort and Crescent Beach Family Park on Fort Myers Beach Saturday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival princesses assist a young runner in the Kids Shrimp Run on Saturday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Krystal Gauthier attended the Kids Shrimp Run with her children Adelynn, Emma and Elijah. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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The runners from the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival Kids Shrimp Run enjoyed lunch on the terrace at Margaritaville Beach Resort and picked up their trophies while joined by the Shrimp Festival Queens Pageant princesses. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Audrina Westland (left) and Delayna Jones help a young runner finish the final yards of the Kids Shrimp Run on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Kayden Reilly assists Ari-Yah Gibson in finishing the Kids Shrimp Run. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Kayden Reilly helps Ari-Yah Gibson finish the Kids Shrimp Run Saturday on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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The 2026 Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Queens Pageant princesses are Miss La Ola Lakyn Tilley (left to right), Miss The Whale Kayden Reilly, Miss Wahoo Willie's Susan Apiricio, Miss Pelican Bay Charters Delayna Jones, 2025 pageant Queen Gracie Stam, Miss Best Western Elora Bays, Miss Erickson & Jensen Olivia Bays, Miss Sea Gypsy Audrina Westland, and Miss LMCU Ava Dadekow. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Bettina Koss and John Koss with children Carter (left) and JC (right). JC won the Kids Shrimp Run on Saturday over a foggy Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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Cypress Lake High School cheerleaders cheered on the runners in the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Kids Shrimp Run on Saturday. From left to right is Lia Vargas, Olivia Coey, Simone Torres, Olivia Kanady, Jaiden Kram, Chloe Fuwell, Amy Grochowski and Coach Sasha Johnson. Photo by Nathan Mayberg

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The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Kids Shrimp Run brought out a competitive group of youngsters on Saturday to race across the beach sand through the fog near Crescent Beach Family Park and the Margaritaville Beach Resort.

Fort Myers Beach 11-year-old JC Koss took down top honors in the one-mile run on Fort Myers Beach Saturday to get the shrimp festival started.

Facing a field of almost 20 runners, Koss won the contest running barefoot down the beach from behind Margaritaville Beach Resort toward Crescent Beach Family Park and back.

The Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival princesses helped assist in the event, and ran along with some of the younger runners to help them finish the race.

Each participant was awarded a free shirt from the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club. They gathered for lunch and an awards ceremony on the terrace at Margaritaville Beach Resort after the race.

The shrimp festival continues this Saturday with a 5K run starting at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille.

Photos by Nathan Mayberg