The Miami ING marathon is a GREAT race. I've run several halfs and 3 fulls, and year after year this is my favorite. Running in 60-degree weather in late January is a must-do - especially for northerners - and the scenic views are amazing, even for a local like me!!! The traffic is a little crazy and the crowds are big, but that's half the fun! Great support, awesome volunteers and fast, flat course! I can't wait to do it again next year!!

I ran the Miami Marathon in 2010 and absolutely loved it. I had heard from others that the course runs through some pretty shaddy areas of Miami but I did not find that to be true at all. It was a beautiful course that started along MacArthur Causeway and led runners down South Beach, downtown Miami and further south to Coconut Grove before turning back to finish in downtown Miami. The only negative aspect is that half-marathoners and full-marathoners start at the same time and run the first half together. This caused me to run a faster pace than I wanted to. Better to have separate start times.

I ran this marathon in 2008 and 2009 - and I had the time of my life. Of the 15 marathons I've run, this ranks up near the top. Miami in January; what else needs to be said? How about this: a CRUISE! That's right, the perfect reward for your marathon effort is a Caribbean cruise immediately after you finish your marathon. The cruise ship terminals are about a half-mile from the finish area. Have yourself a nice lunch at Bubba Gump's and mosey on over to your ship with plenty of time to spare. You will not regret it and you won't be the only runners to do it. Pamper, baby!

What can I say about Miami? It's almost perfect! The course is really nice - almost flat, great for sightseeing and though the crowd is concentrated in some areas, the music bands give us great incentive through the race!

Organization is really good: cold water and gatorade at every single stations (every mile!).

The only thing is that, after the half-marathon, you can feel like running alone (in the first half we run together with half-marathoners), but that never bothered me.

Fortunately, this year the weather was perfect (65 F), and I set my personal record!

This was my 3rd marathon, and I have to say that it was absolutely amazing. I loved it. The scenery of crossing the causeway in the morning with the ships all lit up was beautiful. The organization was great and there were plenty of toilets along the route, which is a big deal for us girls. Boston lacks that in a big, big way. I think I counted about 30 toilets along the entire route and a huge portion were behind the barricades so you couldn't get to them. My only suggestion for Miami would be to have two GU stations at mile 12 and 17/18, instead of the one they have.

This was my first half marathon and it was absolutely AMAZING. Besides the fact that I got away from the NY winter, the course was beautiful and flat. This is a great course for all. It's flat, with great scenic views, and warm weather. They had water stations every mile and cool medals. The fan support was good, being that the race starts at 6, and it got better at the end. For the runners who feel that fan support is limited, just focus on all of the runners around you - you won't be alone. I enjoyed everything about the race... except the grates on the bridges, which were annoying to run over, and the fact that the start was tough. I just wish people wouldn't lie about their expected pace. I ran the whole time and for the first few miles I had to do a lot of passing, which takes time and energy. Overall, a great race - I'm looking forward towards more races and hopefully Miami again.

The race course is great - mostly flat, with a few bridges and varied scenery. The race was well organized, start corralling was great, and aid stations were well-stocked. Weather was on the warm side, but not too crazy. Having Ryan Hall at the start was a huge bonus!

I came from New York to run this marathon. I've never seen so many water stations. The medical coverage and scenery were great. The expo was great too. I'm always amazed by runners who complain about the lack of spectators and music. I run for the challenge and sense of accomplishment - not to hear someone cheering for me. Runners should not need adulation. Most runners should be content with a good course and good medical coverage.

One negative comment: Having both races start at the same time made things very congested. We had to slow down to a trot until the field broke up. It would be good if the full marathon started 15 minutes before the half.

- John Stirling

I really enjoyed this race. Well organized, mostly flat course. Plenty of amenities (toilets, water stations, volunteers). The heat and humidity will get you a little if you've been stuck training in the northeast from October-January, so for that reason it may not be a PR course. But that's a small price to pay to spend a weekend in Miami. My only complaint about the course is that you run over 3-4 drawbridges, and the runners would be best served if the organizers were to cover them with a carpet, like they do in NYC, etc. It is painful and slippery for the 100 yards (total) or so you're running over them.

The expo was OK, though not great. The race merchandise was not very good. Although ING is the primary sponsor, they didn't have an athletic apparel co-sponsor like Nike, Asics, or Adidas, so the quality and quantity of stuff was average.

Overall, if you're looking for a mid-winter race, I would highly recommend this one.

Get me out of the Northeast and get me to the warm streets of Miami. Enough said.