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May 19, 2024

Miami Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Miami Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 312 [displaying comments 91 to 101]

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M. K. from NYC (2/2/2009) "Fun & Sun" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first trip to the Miami Marathon and I was greatly pleased. Being from NYC and its cold January weather, I was so happy to be in sunny south Florida. As for the marathon experience: I went to the expo on Saturday. There was a shuttle bus from the Bayside Marketplace to the Convention Center in South Beach area. I happen to be staying at the Holiday Inn directly across the street from the Bayside Marketplace; this hotel is also located within 3 blocks of the start and finish. I took the shuttle bus in the morning to the expo, picked up my race material, went to the beach, and then caught a later shuttle back to the hotel. The expo was good - well organized, with many of the usual vendors. The goody bag was fine; it included a runners cap with the 2009 logo. The runner's shirt was superb. As for the race it self: Most of the runners, as previously stated by others are there for the half-marathon. The course is mainly flat, except for 3 bridges. The bridges are short, and the hardest one is in the run over to South Beach. Spectators were great, as well as the volunteers. It was funny to see people just going home in South Beach while you are running. There is a really nice cheering zone around mile 10. At mile 13, when the halfers turn for home, the course gets really lonely. Auto traffic gets somewhat annoying in some spots, especially during the last 3 miles along Brickell Ave.; you really don't want to ingest car fumes while running, but it is a necessary evil. The police do a GREAT job of controlling traffic when you get to an intersection and encouragement to the runners. The finishing area was well stocked with bananas, bagels, cookies, and more. The best part was the finisher's medal; it was big and spectacular. I wore it for the next few days around Miami. If you love to travel to marathons, you must go to Miami and stay a while. It was great.
M. R. from Brooklyn, NY (2/2/2009) "Nice course, but could have more support" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I thought the course was beautiful, and I ran a personal best. However, I also felt that the crowd was sparse (I'm used to New York City's marathon crowds, so I'm probably spoiled). I like the idea of staggering the marathon and half-marathon start times, and I would definitely second those who complained about the uncovered grates on the bridges. The loop at the causeway at miles 21/22 was a killer. Hopefully, they'll find a way to avoid the loop and have us cover another part of Miami. Otherwise, a great course. The expo didn't have the pace setters' booth, as I'd hoped. But they showed up at the start, and I found them very useful and professional.
C. W. from US (1/31/2009) "Great volunteers; lousy hosts" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The volunteers really have it together. They did a super job! As a "destination marathon," I was very disappointed to find after the race that the parking garage I used - while they had told me it would be $5 when I entered - charged me $14 because I arrived before 5 a.m. The hotel I booked through the marathon website assured me there would be a bus to and from the start when I booked my room, but when I checked in they said, "No." I was also disappointed to pass so many "Southern Florida Team in Training" coaches and mentors walking with their teammates in the first mile. They should know better and line up in the appropriate corral to avoid causing so much congestion. But the course was pretty - especially the second half. The police did an excellent job of keeping the course closed, which must have been no small feat considering how upset many motorists appeared to be at having the road closed. The volunteers had ample cups filled and ready. And I have never run a marathon that had so many opportunities to get GU. Two thumbs up for the race organizers and volunteers. Two thumbs down for Miami as a host city.
K. S. from Orlando, Florida (1/31/2009) "Great Course, Nice Medal, Questionable Organizatio" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The half-marathon was a beautiful course! As much as I loved the course, it is not be enough to make me want to return for this race. It was some of the seemingly small details that left a bad taste in my mouth. I arrived with two friends at the the expo Saturday afternoon to find that they were out of all half-marathon shirts except size small. My friends, who also registered for the half-marathon, were given full marathon shirts and told not to wear them during the race. One of them was running a half-marathon for the first time and did not want a shirt for a race he did not complete. Our packets did not include pins for the numbers. When we asked about it, we were told they had run out. We ended up having to go to Walgreens and buy safety pins. The instructions for the gear check bag said to use the zip tie to fasten the bag, which was also not included. After finishing strong and feeling great about the amazing course, the 45-minute wait in line to get my bag that I had checked really made me want to think twice about driving down from Orlando for this race again.
Peggy Kindinger from New Boston Ohio (1/31/2009) "Awesome marathon" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just completed this marathon this past weekend. This was my third full marathon and I have completed seven half-marathons. The scenery along the course was spectacular! The fans and the volunteers were awesome! It was one of the best marathons that I have run. The race was well organized and the weather was perfect. The t-shirts were nice, made of tech fabric. The only problem that I ran into was the grates on some of the bridges, which was a minor problem. I would recommend this race to everyone. It was an amazing experience.
C. R. from Savannah, GA (1/29/2009) "A great first marathon experience!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first full marathon, and I chose it hoping I could use it to qualify for Boston (which I did). Along the way, I had a blast! I loved the early start time (being able to start and get nearly halfway through the run before the sun came out was a big perk!), and the abundance of well-manned aid stations was a plus. The course was 95% flat, and extremely fast, and though I was going at a decent clip, I still found I had time to take in some of the distinctly-Miami scenery. I did have a few qualms, most of which have been mentioned in regards to past years' Miami Marathons, but I'll list them here as well: 1.) Though the website advertised gel being offered at various aid stations throughout the run, I saw only one person at a late-mile aid station actually handing it out (the last person in a long line of people handing out Gatorade and water). Were they hiding the gels to better ration them? If you don't want to hand them out, then simply stop advertising them so that people can make arrangements to bring their own. 2.) The grates on the drawbridges remained uncovered. One of these years, you're going to end up with a serious injury because of this. Please invest in some mats. Overall, I would recommend this race to anyone looking to run a marathon, period - whether looking to qualify for Boston or simply to get one under their belt. The fan support in the downtown area was fantastic (it was sparse throughout the neighborhoods in the later portions of the race, but this is what most marathoners expect and this was in no way problematic), and there were a large number of police officers to insure that the course remained closed and the runners safe. Thanks for a great experience, Miami!
J. K. from New York, NY (1/28/2009) "Great Marathon Potential" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Miami Marathon is a race with great potential. Right now, though, it's really more about the half-marathon, which is on a stunningly beautiful course. I ran the full, and at mile 13, I realized that not too many of us were there for the full: 3,800 out of the 18,000 continued on. The next 13 miles were not nearly as breathtaking but still very nice; it wasn't until mile 22 that things got a little rough. The runners are exposed to the sun as we start across a bridge toward the turnaround at mile 23. The problem is that you have two lanes of traffic bumper-to-bumper next to you from here on in! I had a school bus full of kids and fumes next to me for a mile and a half. I have a feeling, though, that this marathon's organizers will solve this problem too, and I predict that this will grow into a premier event. The half is already as good as any out there. I also want to suggest a staggered start, as I started in my correct corral and couldn't break ten-minute miles due to the walkers who started up front. The tech t-shirt is awesome, and the medal may be the best in the biz. Do this one to enjoy a great getaway in a very friendly city!
P. C. from Columbus, Ohio (1/28/2009) "Paradise" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The course is hard to beat, especially when traveling from a cold Ohio. Every part of the course offers something interesting to see. The people in the city were very helpful and encouraging along the course. Wave starts would be helpful to some as the marathon and half have a big number of participants. The expo needs more space and less expensive parking. Overall, this is a "destination" race for out-of-towners and will only grow and improve.
G. P. from St Joseph, MI (1/28/2009) "Great race; course and support were excellent" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was anxious about this race - coming from the North, but the weather cooperated for us and it was not too hot until the end. Everything was done well for the race - the medals are awesome, by the way. We took the shuttles over from the convention center and back, and that also worked out great for us. The cheering sections and all of the high school bands and others on the course were very enthusiastic throughout the course. I do have to agree with the others' comments: with the half-marathons making up 11,000 of the runners and only 3,000 in the marathon, it would have made sense to let the full marathons start 10-15 minutes earlier to get out of the mass of people. I would recommend this race to everyone.
Running Freak from The state shaped like a Mitten (1/28/2009) "Great Experience." (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was easily the best marathon that I have run yet. The race shirt is great; it's made from high quality tech material. The course was awesome - very scenic and almost entirely shaded from the sun. The water stops were well manned and were very friendly. The cheering zone for the fans was strategically located and was a great thing to pass through at 10.5 miles. The finisher's medal is easily the best I have ever seen. I don't think that there is a marathon in the world who can compete with Miami's finisher's medal. The after-race awards ceremony was simple and to the point, exactly how it should be. My only two negatives are very small complaints. 1) The grates on the bridges are quite difficult to run across. I was able to use the sidewalks on all but one bridge, so it wasn't a huge deal; however, I can see where the grates could be an injury waiting to happen. 2) Why do slower runners insist on lining up towards the front? I was in corral "C" and was lined up behind people who were aiming for a 3:45 marathon. I don't blame this on race management as much as I blame it on people being dishonest. I really have ZERO respect for the people who cut into a corral that they do not belong in. All in all, Miami was a great experience and one I will never forget. I hope to be back next year, if the economy is willing.

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