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!

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!

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!

I sail out of here with Team Paradise. It does get crowded during the winter months. There is…read moreno docking space per se, except a floating dock and it is a difficult maze to follow the meandering channel to get out. The bathrooms are fantastic, recently remodeled, good fixtures and ample changing area. They have one of the newer water fountains that dispense water into water bottles which is very nice when sailing in Miami's heat. Parking is cramped, especially during events, even more so when there are boats and trailers in the parking and not in the yard. Being a US Sailing Center, you would think they would be a registered club in order to provide certifications and conduct certification classes, but unfortunately they are not. The main US Sailing function appears to be supporting the national team. It is located next to two yacht clubs, Monty's and Shake-a-Leg.

I loved sailing out of this place for 2012 Snipe Nationals. They have one of the best facilities I…read morehave seen anywhere, and it is wheelchair accessible! This is one busy place during the summer, and space is at a premium. The restrooms are large enough to accommodate a lot of people, and they have plenty of showers and a large changing room. There is also plenty of room to launch a fleet of boats, though there is not much room to sail out between land and the Coral Reef Yacht Club docks. Personally, I hope to get to sail out of here again.

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!

I have developed a love hate relationship with this event. On the one hand, it pushes my boundaries…read moreand in the end makes me better. All three legs are pretty cool on their own - The swim is perfect, very little current in the water, plenty of space to accommodate a large field of swimmers, clear, quiet waters. The 2010 winter in Miami has been awesome, nice and cool. So in a March Sunday morning of the waters of Miami, the water was a balmy 69 degrees, the temperature was in the high 50s, which made it for a very cold swim. One can argue that it was my fault because despite the fact that it was wetsuit legal because of the water temperature, I decided against the hassle of trying to peel off the wetsuit during the swim to bike transition. So I froze my ass in the swim. In hindsight it may not have been the best strategy since I had to burn so many calories just to avoid hypothermia, I guess I paid for it in the bike and the run. The bike leg, as usual is probably the best part of this event, to see the Miami Skyline while going over the Rickenbacker causeway is pretty energizing, never mind that your legs are screaming in pain while climbing the bridge, and because you have to do two loops, you have to climb those bridges twice. The wind was either awesome or a killer, depending on which direction you were going, it was nice to have the tailwind to push you but when you turned into it, it stopped you in your tracks. Finally the run. It stands alone as a very unique running course, nestled under the shade of pine trees, it certainly is easier to log in the last 6 miles of the event without having to bake in the sun. Mind you by this time, I was all salty from the electrolyte depletion on the bike so the shade is certainly welcome. Great event from a participant's standpoint, it really forces you to push yourself which in the end leads to a wonderful achievement. But an event is not just for the accomplishments, there are also logistics, organization, and other considerations. First and foremost, safety for the participants is paramount. In the Miami International Tri you always feel safe, your equipment is secure and all efforts are made to ensure the athletes are well taken care of. However, it is imperative to consider the spectators as well, who wake up with us and support us throughout the race. From this standpoint, MIT gets a failing grade and here's why : The music sucks !!! it is everything that is wrong with Miami. This DJ makes no effort to be original, it's the same crap that you hear in the crappy events. The food, after dishing out a pretty penny to participate in this race I must wait in line for 20 minutes to grab a plate an be served like an inmate, white rice, black beans, some sinewy chicken and fried plantains, served in very controlled portions, screw that ! I may be a bit spoiled coming out of events such as the Miami Marathon or the Miami Beach 13.1 where the food was plentiful and varied and nobody to control my portions. Mind you, we pay a good amount of money to participate in these events and granted as long as I am safe throughout the course, everything is secondary. But come on ! Make it a bit more spectator friendly and make sure the after events are up to par. After all this is considered one of the 100 best races as rated by triathlete magazine. Last but not least, a huge shout out to all the volunteers who are out there making sure we are well taken care of during the race, you guys all rock !!! Thank you !! So MIT, step it up !! Greatness comes with responsibility and it is a shame to miss out on the details. This is a premiere race now, it is hard to stay on top !! Don't let it slide.

As for many of the race reviews I write are from the spectator, cheerleader and equipment manager…read morepoint of view, this one is as well. I have been to a myriad of races as such and for us who are seeing the race from the backstage perspective. Commentary as always top notch! Great job. I watched the life guards accompany the very last swimmers in, encouraging them patiently as they struggled to finish. Kudos you rock! The Expo had some great vendors but like I said.. some.. all in all it would be nice to have some more vendors there were too few. Most vendors are selling triathlon related gear (excellent! I got a great bike stand for a great price) or handing out samples of some really neat new products (loved the coconut milk samples, and the acai frozen treat and will be looking for both at Whole Foods), and a huge BOO to 100% Natural who were selling water and beverages by way of young volunteers wandering around asking attendees "Would you like some water?" and then proceeding to tell them they have to pay for it and therefore guilting them into it. They also were selling food items you get at the grocery store. What were they even doing there? No added value to the event. The parking was atrocious. JUST atrocious. We arrived at the event more than an hour early and it took us 40 minutes in line to get into the parking lot at MAST, then trek to the race site. The port o potties were disgusting since the day of package pickup, on the day of the race they weren't even an option. I consumed NOTHING besides my coffee in the morning so I wouldn't have to go to them, I left the house at 5:20AM and left the race site after 11:30AM. Put that into perspective - I didn't consume water so I wouldn't have to go to the port o potties (which also ran out of paper on Saturday as well). The 'sinks' to wash hands had no water either so you would see many people walking away with soapy hands. . The whole site is not friendly for any spectator to move around, and although I must say my encounters with all of the volunteers for the most part was great, there was one specific one who shut me in the race path by moving a barrier and then proceeded to scream at me because I needed to get out. It was like 'hon, i was TELLING you I was trying NOT to get trapped on the beach when you did that and you shut me right into the runners path". She was obnoxious. I know you are a volunteer, I have done it before, its not the most fun thing to be there at 4AM, I get it, but you and I know you are doing it to get SOMETHING in return and it was obvious in her attitude she did NOT want to be there. Sigh... the DJ. Seriously? Reggaeton? Pitbull? So loud that you cant talk without screaming? Why is it that DJ's think that if people can actually talk in the vicinity they aren't loud enough. Plus, its a race with families, and really that type of music save it for the Tools that party on SoBe, keep the events more generic. You have at least 30 years of music that everyone can listen to without the intense desire to poke their eardrums out with a blunt object. K? The food line for the racers was difficult and confusing. It just seemed that this year the whole event was highly disorganized, last year it ran so much more smoothly. For every racer you have 1 - 3 spectators please don't forget that we have to hang out for hours, please don't forget us. Let me give my thanks however, because even with those cons the event itself is a great opportunity for local and out of town racers to participate in an event that is challenging and fulfilling.

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 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!