You will see me again - GREATLY IMPROVED from 2007.

I signed up again in 2008 as I did not enjoy 2007 BUT it was due to the heavy rain for one hour before the start. I am glad I did it; it was a lot of fun. I had to step down to the half due to an injury but I am looking forward to the full in 2009.

Pros
Love the 6:15 start - get in some strong miles before the sun comes up.
GREAT MEDAL - keep up the good work; Miami has the best.
Finish line - IMPROVED!!!!!! Easy to clear the corral - get your gear, and go see your friends who are behind you to finish the race.
Course is great and scenic.


Cons
Fan support a little light - but the Cheer Zones are GREAT; the road narrowed but the fans were high-fiving you, screaming your name, making you feel like you were the king of the course.

Keep improving the race; it will be a destination race for the middle of the winter for all of the runners in the north.

I ran my first half marathon in Miami in 2003, so what better place to run my first full. Everything was great - even to your managing of the weather, which was cool and cloudy, with a sprinkling of rain (and then the sun came out just as I crossed the finish line)!

Will definitely run it again sometime - in 2009 I am doing the Mumbai Marathon, which is a week earlier.

Thanks Miami!

A great winter getaway from New York. Beautiful sunrise along the course, great entertainment, plenty of support from water, Gatorade, residents, police, cheering section, medals, EVERYTHING. The young kids were very inspiring finishing their 26th mile!! I felt honored to finish alongside them!

This was my first ING Miami Marathon. The entire experience was great. I highly recommend this race! I can't believe people are complaining about homeless folks, and being unsafe. At no point in the race did I feel the least bit threatened. Plus, what do you expect running through the downtown portion of a big city? The course is great. They should cover the bridges with mats that have grates because those hurt my feet. There were plenty of spectators scattered throughout the course. You can't expect smaller races that have only been around for roughly 7 years to be lined with people like Chicago. As I said before, what a great race!

Excellent organization! Lots of Gatorade and water stops, and we were aided by very friendly volunteers! Drawbridges were slippery to run over and there are a number of them. Beautiful scenery. Would definitely recommend this race to others!

I found this marathon on the internet a week before arriving in Miami for a cruise with a group of friends. I saw it was a Top 10 by Runner's World so I wanted to try it out and registered upon arriving. Very good information provided at the expo and was easy to walk in and register. Very well organized. If I could do anything over, I would have rented a car upon arrival at the airport. If you're using taxis or Miami transportation shuttles, bring extra money.

Spectators were great, showing support all through the course, and thanks to all the volunteers with the food and drinks.

It was a really nice start heading out past the cruise ships and watching the sun rise as you headed to the beach. The course was flat and forgiving since I didn't get much prep time since the Marine Corps Marathon in late October, 2007.

I'm no pro, but I really think ING puts together a first-class event!!

Like everyone else not competing for the prize money, the medal is an awesome reward for your efforts!!

I'd recommend participating in future ING Miami Marathons!

Miami in the winter couldn't be better. The course is scenic; the start time great. I'll be back for number 7, and look forward to it already.

I am with Run N' Fun Vacations and we picked this event for our first trip! AWESOME! The course was great, and this was a first-class event! And then... 37 of us jumped on the Carnival Liberty for a great 6-day recovery cruise! A great combination of running and funning! We'll back again in 2009 with more people!

My wife and I ran the full and enjoyed most of what we found. The course was nice (except for the footing on the bridges) and the event had a friendly feel. The shirt is just plain ugly. My wife thinks that it is manly and will use hers for a Goodwill contribution. I wonder if the IRS will let us value it as the cost of the marathon entry fee? I won't get into the hat with the wrong year. This was 2008 right? We were at the expo early and still were not able to get one of the few attractive items of clothes in a small for my wife. Can you tell the clothes are important to her? In our defense, the stuff at the Milwaukee Marathon were more attractive. I thought that Miami was one of the country's top fashion centers.

Nice marathon but in the future remember: most marathoners do not wear XL sizes. Buy a few smalls and mediums, for heaven's sake.

First I want to say that I am a speed walker. This was my third half marathon and my first Miami. I previously did 2 WDW Half Marathons (which I just completed 2 weeks before this one - I think I was crazy). I live nearby in Broward and decided a week before to give it a try. I forgot how hard it is to park near the convention center!! It is very expensive there and if you don't know the area it can be very frustrating to find parking. I would suggest validating parking at the expo to give a discount to park right at the convention center. Loved the VIEW along the course!! It was beautiful. Course was flat with 3 small bridges, but that's what I am used to living in South Florida. As a walker, I found it walker-friendly, with plenty of water and Gatorade and people cheering on the course - and I also did my personal best of 3:11:31. I love the medal.

The area after the finish line was organized, but I think the photography area could've been a bit better. There was only 4 backgrounds available and a bit of a wait in lines. Who wants to stand still in a line after completing the race? For parking on race day I used the Metromover and parked out as west as possible, and it worked pretty well. I agree with the start of the race being crowded. I think wheelchairs first, then marathon runners up front, then start half marathon runners with walkers in the back. If you don't have a previous running time registered, then you go to the back and have an area on the registration to mark if you are walking. I think I might do it again; just wish I didn't have to fight traffic and parking at the expo in Downtown Miami Beach. Compared to the WDW Half, it was ok - it's just that Disney is VERY organized and does tend to spoil you for other marathons.