Absolutely LOVED this run!…read more The parking and getting to the starting line was a bit of a mess, but besides that, all was great! There was entertainment along almost every single nook and cranny of the run- singers, dancers, DJs, bands, etc and a fringe benefit to running up and down 8st was that I got to see/find a lot of the restaurants I'd been reading about on here, but had yet to go to like Le Baguette and a Mexican taco place! The fact that the night was cool and crisp paired with the fact that there was beer at the finish line made me run faster than ever. There was paella at the finish line too, but really....all I cared about was the beer. This has been my favorite race to date. I can't wait to do the hooker run...i mean...calle ocho run...again next year!

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.

In 2023 I ran the Miami marathon for the very first time. I spent months leading up to the race…read moretraining and building my stamina. The race was so much fun (and harder than I expected). But the scenery was beautiful, the crowd cheering was motivational, and the volunteers passing out water were helpful. Twenty- six miles later and I made it to the finish line filled with a feeling of accomplishment. I would absolutely run another marathon! Something to check off the bucket list!

1/29/2017 - First time running this race, 6th half marathon and 1st this year. This is a race you…read morewant to do at least once. It is the fastest growing race, and it brings runners from all over the world. The City of Miami did a great job coordinating the race with the police department. The traffic ran very smoothly throughout. It was a bit chilly but I dressed for the weather so I was fine. I got into my corral, letter H at 5:45am. You are placed in the corral based on your half marathon time. My best was 2:27 in 2016. The race was scheduled to start at 6am. Well, the race started and it was by corral at every 5 minutes. We were standing packed like sardines in the corral for 30 minutes. At least, we kept each other warm. It wasn't until we were called to the front that the rain started to pour and did not stop throughout the entire race. It was a cold, windy and rainy race. The views are absolutely spectacular whether it rains or not. The course takes you through the McArthur Causeway where you can see the cruise ships, the beautiful Miami skyline, inside South Beach and the Venetian bridge. The race finishes at Bayfront Park where they set up a huge party with vendors and a big stage with music. Once you cross the finish line, you go through the complimentary food area. They had bananas, individually wrapped bagels, oatmeal cookies, pretzels, power bars, waters and Gatorade. Then you collect your gorgeous medal and take pictures. This year was their 15th year of the Miami Marathon/Half Marathon and they gave a commemorative medal. Even with the 4 bridges, rain, cold and wind, I ended up beating my best time by 9 minutes. My official time was 2:18:24!!! Very happy with that. THANK YOU MIAMI!

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.

This years Life Time Miami Marathon and Half was my first Half Marathon, and will definitely not be…read moremy last(already signed up for next year through their past participant early registration). Packet/shirt pickup was Friday/Saturday at the Miami Beach Convention Center before the race on Sunday. I thought it was a pretty big inconvenience to make a whole extra trip down to Miami (I live in Broward), but after experiencing the hectic-ness of the morning of the race, I understand and greatly appreciate the early pickup. Packet pickup was super easy, and there were tons of vendors there and walking around was a fun time. Race day: Bayside was PACKED(and this year they capped it at 15,000 runners). We took the metro straight to Bayside after parking at Dadeland. We got there around 5:30 and the first wave was at 6ish. I will say that the only negative about the day was the almost total lack of signs/directions (and staff with identifying shirts) as to where to go. I wandered around looking for the bag drop for a while, but once I found it it was quick. Port-a-pots: NO EVENT EVER HAS ENOUGH. I waited in line for about 25 minutes which isn't too bad really, but next year they need to at least double what they had. Made it to my bay and my run started around 6:35. The course was awesome, with plenty of water/Gatorade stations, and cheering stations to keep the morale up. After finishing there were tons fo free drinks, snacks, and a lunch provided. There were tons of vendor tents set up and the option to hang out and party the whole day, but I was beat and ready to go straight home. It was such a fun event and I can't wait until next year!

Now called the Fitbit Miami Marathon & Half Marathon was just held again this past Sunday January…read more27th. As a pacer for Marathonpacing.com I was officially pacing the 1:45 goal group which averages out to an 8:01 per mile split time. We had rain right upto the start of the race and a changing weather pattern. The cold weather was staved off and turned out to be warmer than expected. Streets were slick mostly which was a minor traction disturbance and a few mid-street puddles had to be avoided. Otherwise we also had strong winds coming from the east. Heading west on the Venetian Causeway we had the wind with us and that made it feel warm. It's my 4th year pacing this race and the first time at the half marathon. The first mile was busy as I was in Corral D which required a lot of weaving around slower runners for the first 2-3 miles. I couldn't rely much on my GPS as the cloud cover was interfering with it and my splits were terribly off for most of the race. Thankfully the miles were marked and I went off the printed pace band. I held the pace of 8 min miles through 20k and only had 1k to go when I slowed down thinking I had more time banked. That made me miss my mark by 41 seconds. Alas you live and learn. The course for the half marathon had not changed and followed the previous year mostly. Marathoners and Half Marathoners split within less than 0.5 miles from the finish. The race is not inexpensive but then it also has a huge international feel. Lots of post race activities. During the race I met several of my run club friends some of whom had spectacular race days. After returning my pacing sign at the VIP tent I headed home so Nicole could go on a run. It's always a very long day when you are a pacer. Up at 3am. Off to the start of the race at 3:30am. 4am found parking at the Intercontinental where there is 5hr max limit with the PayByPhone app for a total cost of $8.75. Pose for the Pre-race pic in front of the American Airlines Arena then stand in the Corral at 5:20 and speak with runners for the next 50 minutes. At 6:11am Corral D was making its way to the starting line. By the time I got home at 9:30am I was beat! Not so much from the physical activity but mostly from the early morning pre-race waiting. The nice thing about a half marathon is you can be mostly recovered only a day later. It's definitely the premier race in Miami and if you get a chance to do it, I recommend it.

This is my first marathon, so I was a chicken and did only half. This thing is just massive! I…read morenever saw so many people gathered on Biscayne Blvd before the crack of dawn! Everyone starts in front of the American Airlines Arena and then we move on to beautiful Ocean Drive on Miami Beach, then after mile 9 you run towards the Venetian Causeway, then back towards downtown to the Finish Line!! The skies were grey, but the cold wind and light drizzle was just what all the runners needed! By mile 10 my feet felt like they were walking on hot coals! Besides the smelly BO and the occasional urine smell along Miami Ave, it was awesome! Everyone should try it! If enough yelpers gather, you can have your own yelp t-shirt! We run for Yelp! yay!