I've lived in the area for a couple of years and still enjoy walking/jogging or riding a bike…read morearound this course. Love the scenery with the golf course and trees. I will be measuring distance around the whole loop again because I could have sworn it was right at 5 miles but I'm reading 4.2-4.5 instead so this calls for another bike ride tomorrow! Only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I had an uncomfortable experience one time with a huge group of cyclists. They weren't very nice to a group of my friends and I while we walked with our kiddos and strollers. I haven't been able to forget. But other than that I like coming here, especially later in the afternoons when the son isn't so terribly hot and you can get a nice breeze.

What a great area, I actually don't ride my bike here, instead I choose to ride my longboard or go…read morefor a run. I believe one lap around the loop is about 4.5 miles long. The path is usually pretty clear and people who ride it are pretty nice. Just make sure you are wearing bright or reflective clothing as sometimes cars tend to ride a little close to the edge of their lanes which could really ruin your day.

I joined their marathon training program in September, after a year of fattening Covid-19…read more"stay-at-home" measures as a way to start moving. I didn't want to make a review right away because I wanted to go through the whole experience, but now I'm pretty sure I'm going to continue with them, so let me break it down for you. The short version, if you don't want to read a lot, is: Do it!!! The Experience: while in my youth I didn't have a car and I hated public transportation, so I used to walk a lot when possible, it's been about 20 years of being sort of a couch potato, with some brief stints at gyms and/or riding bicycles by myself... A friend of mine is training with Team Footworks, and she made it look attractive... though I still had some reservations because, generally speaking, I've felt that experienced athletes seem to look down upon couch potatoes, even on beginners' classes. Keep in mind, these are not classes, this is training, so my expectations were fairly low. Right before the season started, they made a zoom meeting where they explained all the program AND answered all questions. And then let us go to the first session without joining yet, just as a test. Overall, first session is: pick a group you think you can keep up with. Same with the following two sessions. I bounced around a little bit on those three sessions and then it was suggested to me that I should probably join the walkers, so I did. The whole season I stayed with that group, a very welcoming and encouraging group of people led by Debby and Renee. Every Saturday, we started stretching and warming up at the route-start point (the Footworks store), and increasing the mileage every session. They recommend, in addition to the Saturday sessions, you walk/run at least twice within the week, and do a different low-impact activity on one other day to round up the training and conditioning. If you want, you can join the "fun-run" every Tuesday and Thursday, where people from different groups just meet up and do about four or five miles at their own pace. That covers the twice a week training, leaving only the low-impact activity for you to figure out. After each season there is a "big event" (what you're supposed to be training for). But since covid has been messing up gatherings, my first season ended up with as "half marathon" event organized by Footworks itself, which was fun and showed us the progress. Now I'm starting my second season. Now I'm training with the runners. What they call the 3-1 group (run three minutes, walk one to recover, the three again and one again and so on and so forth. I feel I'm probably not ready for that group yet, but they have been so supportive and encouraging that pushing myself a bit over my comfort zone actually helps me get in better shape and improve, which is the whole point of the training. Each season is about three months, they're always pointing to a specific event (marathon or half-marathon, but it's just a goal to set your sights on, not a requirement. Also the Footworks store, has products for all your running needs and they are prepared for, willing to, and happy to help you and advise you in any way you need for your training. Plus, sometimes we go to happy-hour after runs, which helps make this something more like a group of friends who train together instead of just strangers who meet up to train, and that in turn helps you have an environment that promotes your coming back and doing the work.

Team Footworks hosts many outstanding local 5k and running events and I've also attended their…read moreTuesday and Thursday evening group runs, though not religiously. I met with Eddie Suarez who introduced me to JP Huseby one weekend afternoon in early 2017 and we hatched an idea to create a 24 Hour Treadmill Challenge. The idea was to raise money for a charity. Being a fan of ultra marathons, and having run a few myself over the years, I also planted another idea to the team: why not try to break a world record. On December 30-31st between 4pm to 4pm the ideas we had been planning became reality: over $10,000 was raised for Make A Wish Foundation; ultra marathon legend Michael Wardian flew down from his home in Arlington, Virginia to try to break the 24 HR treadmill record which stood at 162.29 miles but the record stood firm as he managed just 130 miles; I ran 80 miles; Team Footworks 137 miles and Team M*ergy 126 miles. The entire set up took place outside of South Miami's Footworks store. And we had a great time! The whole event was pretty awesome and the atmosphere was also super positive. I hope we can do something similar in 2018.

Very aptly named, the Miami Nice Triathlon is everything that is good about Miami, not only is it a…read morewonderful event set in arguably the most beautiful multisport courses, but it is also staged for two great causes. It was created to promote healthy lifestyles and physical activity, and also and most importantly, in partnership with the City of Miami and Hands on Miami, to plant 1,000 trees in the next few years, thus making Miami a better place to live, work and play. The Miami Nice Triathlon follows the same course as the now internationally famous Miami International Triathlon which takes place in March and is one of the premiere races to jump start the Triathlon season. Miami Nice gives athletes the opportunity to gage their progress through the season as it stages two races with the same name, one in June 9th and the second installment in August 29th. These are perfect dates to participate in such competitive and challenging races. The early date allows for a review of the training and results and yields invaluable data to make the necessary adjustments to ensure a high performance season. The latter date is ideal to refocus and prepare for the late fall and end of season events. As mentioned before, the course of the Miami Nice Triathlon is world class, first the swim which takes place in a quiet inlet, it is open water but with little to no current and a very safe course. Exiting the water after 1500 meters of a good swim leg, comes one of the most exhilarating bike courses in South Florida multisport. Traveling through the Rickenbacker Causeway, the athletes have the opportunity to take in the beautiful Miami Skyline while testing their legs going over the William Powell bridge not one, but four times as they travel through two laps of the same route. With ocean views through much of the bike leg, the competitive and inspiring. After 24.8 mile bike leg, the participants shake their legs through T2 to begin a very unique 6.2 mile run, here the runners literally run through the woods, a shaded path that feels more like a trail since much of it is on soft packed dirt, covered with pine needles. It brings you close to nature and the runners welcome the much needed shade from the pine trees, emerging from the trail in the second lap to run a few hundred yards towards the finish line. There is no way to describe the feeling of accomplishment that an athlete feels when they drape the medal over your head and you check off one more successful Triathlon off your bucket list. The Miami Nice triathlon also has an option of a Sprint Distance race, a 750 meter swim, 12.4 bike and 3.1 mile run makes this the perfect first time race for anyone looking to try a tri.

I love exploring natural areas and I saw a small sign for the R Hardy Matheson County Preserve off…read moreOld Cutler Road. There isn't a parking lot so I took a chance pulling off to the side of the road despite a number of no parking/ tow away signs. The nearest place I can find to park is approximately a mile away. As I was parking a number of other people with fishing gear also pulled over to park and headed to the preserve. The preserve is named in honor of Robert Hardy Matheson, a conservationist and former commissioner credited with helping create Biscayne National Park and MetroZoo. Matheson won his election to the county commission in 1964 by campaigning against an oil terminal in Biscayne Bay. With his support the site was instead turned into a federal park. His family donated the land for the county's first park, Matheson Hammock, and later for Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. Mr. Matheson passed away in 1993 at the age of 73. R. Hardy Matheson Preserve is 813 acres located east of Old Cutler Road. In 1982, the State of Florida purchased 640 acres that make up the majority of the preserve and entered into an agreement with Miami Dade County to manage it. The preserve is bordered by Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve to the east, Matheson Hammock Park and a housing development to the north, and the Snapper Creek Lakes residential subdivision, Snapper Creek Marina, and Four Fillies Farm to the west. The preserve contains a rustic hiking trail that takes you to Biscayne Bay. In the preserve is the remains of a prehistoric Tequesta Indian village dating to 500 BC. The site contains a midden, a kind of ancient garbage dump that can tell archaeologists a lot about the people who lived there, a village, and possibly a cemetery. Artifacts found in Snapper Creek include tools made from bones, pieces of broken pottery, and ax heads made out of conch shells. Today you might spot manatees swimming in the creek. The preserve is also home to a high diversity of rare ecosystems including pine rockland, mangrove, hardwood hammock and estuaries. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded here. Since 1910 the preserve has been covered with mounds of fill from the dredging of the Snapper Creek for navigation. Miami Fade County has restored large areas of the preserve and removed invasive plants. In 2012 volunteers from Wells Fargo grew red mangrove propagules and transplanted to the coastline of R Hardy Matheson County Preserve to give juvenile fish and crustaceans a habitat in which to grow. Currently, there are no developed recreational facilities at R Hardy Matheson County Preserve. An informal footpath spans the length of the maintenance berm along the canal. The path begins at the park entrance and runs along the north side of the canal to Biscayne Bay. There is also a graffiti covered cold war era bunker on the preserve. R Hardy Matheson County Preserve is not officially open to the public although people sometimes take the trail from Old Cutler Road and from Biscayne Bay to fish and sight see. In 2012 Miami Dade County developed a 10 year prospectus for the preserve which included making a parking lot, canoe launch, and picnic area. Unfortunately nothing was ever done and this area remains underutilized which is a shame because it has beautiful views of Biscayne Bay if you walk the trail all the way out.

Bring your snacks and spend the sunset, very nice place for water soporta also, not good for…read moreswimming. Great place to relax. Great place to relax.

Had a fantastic time with Miami Waterlife. They were great teachers, I felt very safe with my 13…read moreyear old daughter and it was tons of fun. Will book again when we return to Miami. 5 stars!!

The inaugural 2012 Key Biscayne Half Marathon took place under pretty awful running…read moreconditions--high winds and blowing rain--but the organizers managed to keep it together. The aid station volunteers were encouraging and on top of things and the aid stations themselves were well maintained and spaced out nicely along the course. Despite the discouraging weather, there was a good turnout and I was pleased to see so many spectators stoically waiting and cheering under umbrellas and ponchos along the way and at the finish line. The decision to add the Powell bridge to the middle of the course was an interesting one, to me--I found it manageable because I run that bridge almost every day, but I'm sure people who are unused to it might have been a little overwhelmed. Unlike the Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon, I doubt this will ever be a PR-setting course for many runners simply because of the vertical challenge, but the views are great and meandering through Crandon was fun. Four stars because the tech shirt was a little bare (they didn't even print the year on it!) and the medal was cool, but the ribbon was generic and chintzy. It's not a huge deal but I have to withhold that elusive fifth star because it seems like they kind of cheaped out there. Still, I'll definitely be running this race next year if it's on.

I really enjoyed this race, despite the truly atrocious weather! The one positive to all that rain…read moreand wind was that it kept the heat at bay! The positives: It's great to have a half marathon so late in the "season"! Many races in South Florida are all bunched up in November - February, so it's really nice to have one last one before the summer sets in. The course was fantastic! We don't have enough hills in South Florida, so being able to hit the bridge twice was a GREAT workout! It was definitely NOT too crowded. At every other race I've done this year, the crowding at the start was bordering on dangerous, but not at this one. Perfect amount of people Race day packet pickup! I did not avail myself of it, but it's really nice to have that option Friendly organizers. I finished 3rd in my age group and since they skipped the awards ceremony due to the weather, they mailed me my award promptly and followed up with an email to make sure I got it! The negatives: There was conflicting information about packet pickup times and locations. The emails all mentioned purchasing a parking pass ahead of time, but didn't give a lot of information about it. It turns out that Crandon was charging for parking and if you pre-paid, you could skip the line. I waited in that line for close to 30 minutes! Had I known, I would have just purchased the parking pass. SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR - just add the parking onto the race entry as probably 99% of participants are going to drive there. Food area - I finished pretty early and had no problem zipping through and getting something to eat; however, I saw that it was VERY crowded as more people were finishing the race. Leaving the parking lot took almost as long as entering it. I do think that all of the negatives were due to it being an inaugural race and that the organizers will work out the kinks for next year. All things considered, it went off EXTREMELY well given the weather and the big turnout. I will definitely be running it next year!

Located next to the Turnpike, adjacent to FIU and essentially the site of the Youth Fair, I came to…read morethis park yesterday to run the jingle jog 5K. From what I read, the park used to be an old airport back in the 60s. It now has fields for football & baseball, as well as a basketball court. When driving in, I saw that they had some batting cages concessions. The race itself was held on an asphalt track that looped to make the 3.1 miles. The race itself was fun, especially that I ran it with a couple of friends in a group. Besides a DJ who played DJ Laz's "Esa Morena" along with Christmas music, they were also serving lechón and pannetone as complementary bites. There was also a photo op with Santa. Where the race could have been a little better organized was in the track condition. Even though this was a night run, there was no lighting other than the runners glow sticks among the course, and with the speed bumps on the asphalt, myself and at least one or two other runners almost tripped. They also had a couple of cones in the middle of the asphalt track.

This park is in need of some major renovations. Everywhere you look you see rusty fences, poor…read morelandscaping, rough roads and parking lots. It's shocking, because just next door is the beautiful FIU grounds. I can't understand why the city doesn't clean this place up, especially for all the children that come here to play and participate in sports. I strongly suggest checking out other parks if you're looking for a nice walk or relaxing on the grass, such as the beautiful ones in Doral.

A beautiful morning on Miami Beach by the Faena Hotel on Collins Avenue. I am feeling a slight…read moreocean breeze with not a cloud in the sky and it's 68 degrees outside. Hurricane season is gone! It is quite busy here already with joggers, walkers, bicyclists, dog walkers, and strollers. It's a great sight to watch. My daughter and I are here to see the Great Elephant Exhibition which is a part of Art Basel that will begin during the first week of December. A 100 carved elephant exhibit is on the beach next to us and is spectacular! It is right next to this lovely park. In a few days, we probably wouldn't be able to find a parking space like we just did. Thousands of art enthusiasts from around the world will be here.

This is one of the beach parks in Miami Beach. It is located in the mid beach area of the city, a…read moresection between 23rd Street and 63rd Street There is a pay parking lot, expansive open green lawn, clean restroom, outdoor shower, and exercise equipment. The Miami Beach Boardwalk, a wide paved pathway ideal for exercise runs past the park. Just beyond the boardwalk is the beach access point which lets you onto the wide white sand beach where the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean beckons waders and swimmers. Normally this is one of the quieter beaches in Miami Beach but right now it is the site of the Great Migration, an art installation of 100 wooden elephants promoting conservation that is set up for Art Basel. The parking lot was full which is not normally the case on a weekday. It is worth searching out nearby parking because this temporary exhibit is a blockbuster. The elephants are currently on a community preview and the actual exhibit is running from December 2nd through December 8th. Once the elephants depart for their next destination this beach park will return to a more tranquil and seclude state.