Awesome event! I loved participating this year and will definitely attend on future years. Team…read moreBHSF for the win! YEA! It is always packed but the organization in 2013 was the best so far. A job well done to everyone involved. Good times!

My first ever event, though I want to disclose that I did not run nor walk, as I was not even…read moreplanning to attend due to other obligations. I was told this year's run was huge, and there were a lot more people than there were in 2013. I stood at the entrance of my office building and observed what looked like 5-10 minutes of nonstop throngs of compactly packed people running and walking on Biscayne Boulevard and beginning the 3.1 mile trajectory. After observing the different teams, some of which wore brightly colored tees, and cheering on our co-workers, another one of my co-workers (who also did not participate), my kid and I all headed for our corporate tent to patiently wait for our co-workers to finish and return. Slowly, they came back and we all sat at our tent, chatted, and ate some of the food we had brought on over. One of my co-workers brought his dog to the run, and his dog was a big hit with strangers of all kinds. Kids played with each other by the fountain and ran around all over the place so even my daughter was entertained. Some of the tents had professional caterers, chefs and the crepemakers making an appearance. If you work in this area, it's probably best to leave work very early (street closures begin at 2 p.m.) or just staying behind and enjoying the event, which is what I decided to do. One of my co-workers drove about 5 or 6 blocks, and it took her 45 minutes to do so and this was around 5:00-5:30. The crowds dispersed between 8 and 9, making driving a decent experience, although northbound Biscayne still remained closed. We left around 9, and there were still plenty of people behind, partying it up (some tents even had booze!). Weather was perfect, with a breeze. I may decide to walk the 3.1 miles next year as I enjoy walking, we'll see though, it's a year away, I have time to think about it.

Being the inaugural race, it was intimate and small, which is always a premium when you are…read moreseriously looking to post a Personal Record or a good time. The course is nice and scenic around the Granada Golf Course and through a few residential streets, it is a fast and flat run. Parking around the start line is easy and free, this is the perfect 5K for a beginner or an experienced runner alike.

Easy (in terms of it being hassle-free) race. The parking is easy, and registration/packet pickup…read morewas simple. I liked the fact that it started relatively early, at 7AM - because I think it sucks to run in intense morning sun in September. The course, like the Tour of the Gables, starts at Gables City Hall, catches Granada Golf Course at hole #3, running along the perimeter save for a brief detour in the adjoining neighborhood. For me, it was an excellent re-introduction into the world of road races. While I didn't set a personal record, I managed to outperform my expectations by about a minute, even as I finished last in my 5-man age group running a 7:47 pace. That's harsh.

I recently participated in the first ever Coach Spo's 5k benefiting Nicklaus Children's Hospital…read more and I loved it! First of all, the cause is wonderful - who doesn't want to support children in need? The race course starts at the hospital and then takes you through the Schenley park and Coral Gables. It's a beautiful course that has you passing by lovely homes and the weather in December is perfect for a 5k. This race was really nice because it felt like a great sense of Community. You had coach Spo there and many heat players with lots of activities for the folks to enjoy. Aramoa was doing free coffee and there were plenty of food trucks and things to do. Overall, this is a race I'd look forward to doing again. Great cause, great course, and a great way to celebrate the holidays.

Wow! My first Half Marathon! What a way to kick off my birthday month. My regular followers have…read moreseen my gym check ins, plus those at parks and other running events. Some friends from my running group, including a couple of fellow yelpers, started mentioning the half marathon - a substantial increase from the 5K, 10k and treadmill that I do the fact that this one occurred exactly on my birthday was a sign of sort. The course itself starts on South Beach, in front of the Versace mansion. Getting there at five in the morning today made me reflect on how many times I have been leaving the beach at five in the morning, but anywho. The course continued up Alton Road to the Julia Tuttle Causeway, to downtown Miami and back along the MacArthur and into the beach. Seeing some of the clubs from younger years, running with friends (definitely recommend this!!) and seeing the beautiful Miami skyline is definitely an experience you should do at least once. There were plenty of water & Gatorade stations along the route plus they had a few DJs at different spots to help keep the energy. The cops from various jurisdictions, including City of Hialeah, did a really good job of maintaining the separate running lanes. He had to keep traffic going and also provided a cheering section. At the end of the race there was a little festival area right on the sand, including selling race merchandise, snacks, as well as a medical area. There was also a separate loop for the 5K. I would certainly recommend this race!

I never thought I'd want to run a half marathon, but after 6 months of dedicated excercise, eating…read moreand a substantial amount of weight loss, I was looking for the proverbial cherry on top of my fitness journey and I figured a half marathon would be just that. I figured it would be a challenging test of endurance, with weeks of training and conditioning. And that's exactly what it was! I ran the Half Marathon on March 1, 2020. Arriving early to South Beach, on a chillier than usual morning, I waited around for about an hour before the race. I warmed up, used the restroom and crammed into the starting section. I was impressed by how many people there were. The race is a challenge to say the least. You'll be running through south beach, up the 41st bridge, through Wynwood, back up and down the MacArthur Causeway, through South of Fifth, before ending where you started on Ocean Drice - 13.1 miles later. The views on the bridge are amazing. They have plenty of hydration stations throughout the race. As well as portable toilets, should you need them. At the end it's the most miami party ever. There's a section to bang on pots and pans. Various Miami snacks (pastelitos and croquetas) as well as cafecito and the usual post race snacks like bagels and fruit cups. Overall this was an incredible experience and I look forward to doing it again some day!

Once upon a time I stumbled upon Xtreme Rock Climbing and LOVED the vibe and the idea of climbing…read morebut didn't know anyone that could teach me the ropes. 4 years later I ran into Christian, the founder of The Belay Knot. He showed me how to embrace each hold, the importance of safety protocols, and different techniques on the wall so I can use all of my body to the fullest compared to just tiring out my arms. In just 2 months time I can belay, climb 5.9's easily, do some V2's, have made great friendships, and have had loads of fun! Can't wait to see where I am after a year with his guidance!

You had me at "Miami in November."…read more The Miami Man is not just a triathlon, it's a whole two day Multisport event with the Aquathon ( between 2/3 and a mile swim depending how you look at it) and a 5k run) on Saturday, and all the many other events (aquabike, duathlon, triathlons) on Sunday. Many of these events, including the Aquathon will qualify you to be in Team USA at the world championships if you place well enough. While I only participated in the Saturday aquathon (which as I understand it is a little more laid back than the other Sunday events,) I really enjoyed the event. I thought it was well organized and staff and other participants were all quite friendly. There's lots of fun things to look at and pose by - the giant #Miamiman sign in front of the lake, a sign with all the participants name on it, lots of miami man merch to buy, various local food trucks. My only gripe would be the venue...it was fine overall...but its Miami and I was dieing for some ocean views or swims! The event is held at a park and lake connected to the miami zoo. The aquathon does not go through the actual zoo but the triathlon does. Its Miami proper but very southwest of the main city area and Miami Beach by maybe 30-45 min depending on traffic. I realize it would be pretty hard to do this near the ocean but nonetheless that's what I was hoping for. They did incorporate the zoo theme into our swag (see the adorable monkey bag - they also had giraffes and elephants), super cute finisher medal and a really nice tech shirt. If you are looking for an event to do with a little vacation on the side, I'd highly reccomend you look into this festival for next year!

This is the only 70.3 miles multi sport event in Miami - It now has the option of racing this…read morecourse for both Olympic or International distance or doing the full 70.3 or half ironman event. Kudos to Multirace.com for putting together such a monumental event. The location is totally representative of South Florida, although the swim leg is not in the ocean, we have plenty of open water events in Miami that take care in the ocean. This one is unique because you do 2 laps of half a mile each in the lake at Larry and Penny Thompson Park - Because this race is held in October, it is touch and go whether it is wetsuit legal or not - the rules allow for wetsuits when the water temp is 72 degrees or less. Normally I race sans wetsuit because even if it is allowed it is never cold enough to make it necessary, and I don't like to deal with the hassle of trying to peel it off in the swim to bike transition. The bike leg is 56 miles of rural unincorporated Miami Dade county, it is beautiful and peaceful, a great opportunity to ride your bike next to strawberry fields and other farm products, it is as close to nature as you can get around here. With limited vehicular traffic and police officers in all major intersections, this ride is a very enjoyable part of the race. However, the openness of the field makes it for a windy ride which will pack a pretty good punch when you are battling the headwinds. Keep in mind that this is not a draft legal race so cannot benefit from drafting behind other cyclists - it is all you - but then again, this is why we do these kind of efforts. And for the run - half a marathon run that takes you right through the Miami Zoo -yes that's right !! The Miami Metro Zoo - For the Zoo goers we are actually a bigger attraction than the animals because we must be out of our minds to want to swim, cycle and run for almost 6 hours for no reason at all ... The run is beautiful and unique and it makes for a fantastic experience. Check the multirace website and sign up for any of their events - including the Miami Man - triathlon - you will come out a better you.

This annual Amerant Bank 5k Benefiting United Way is one of my favorite races in Miami. I am not an…read moreavid runner by any means, but have run this race a few times with my most recent time being this weekend. What do I love about it? First of all, it's super well organized. You pick up your packet the day of, there's plenty of snacks and drinks for you to enjoy, and the pre-run warm up by Sweat 440 is fabulous. I love the course, running through Coral Gables, you are reminded why it has the nick name of "The City Beautiful." It's easy to forget you're running 3 miles when you're surrounded by beautiful homes and historic sites like the Biltmore. And last but not least, it feels like a real community event since it benefits the United Way of Miami. The United Way does so much to support the community, and it feels good to get a good sweat sesh to benefit their work. I will most definitely be running again next year. For having 1000 runners, it felt seamless and fun from a participant perspective. It's also the perfect excuse to walk into the Gables for post-race brunch, since the race starts and ends at City Hall and you're done before 9 am!

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.