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Apr 27, 2024

Miami Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.5

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 312 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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W. S. from Punta Gorda, Florida (2/1/2013) "Flat Easy (Crowded) Course" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Just ran the Miami Marathon last week. The Expo picking up the bag is a nightmare to find parking. The metro is the easiest way to get to the race in the morning. The race was huge (35,000 people) so it was very crowded. I forgot my breakfast, and they did not have any food on hand ( they did have water though). You are assigned corrals by estimated time, but no one was following the assignment. 3 hour marathoners and 5 hours people were side by side. It is a simultaneous start, so it took about 2 miles to get some breathing room. After that, the race is great. South Beach is pretty, and there are still drunks out from the night prior. Almost everyone in the race is doing the 1/2 marathon, so after the half way mark, you get some space. The crowd support was OK, but nothing special. The medal is awesome, and the hospitality tent afterword is great. If you are looking to do the 'Big Marathon experience' this is an easy marathon to do it with. The course is very flat.
T. B. from Fort Myers, FL (1/29/2013) "Good times in Miami" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great course and great organization. It was depressing once the half marathon runners split. I wish there was better crowd support in last half. Well-stocked aid stations and enthusiastic volunteers. Best of any race I have run. Great work, Miami!
J. W. from FL (1/29/2013) "Awesome race! Please do wave start next year!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Miami Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This was my third time running the full and I've done several halves at Miami. The only bad part of the race in my opinion is the start. With 30k people you need a wave start. Maybe 3 waves - first 2 require qualifying times and the last for beginners. I registered late and could only get in the C corral. I looked around and there were Gs next to me. People were walking in mile one. That needs to be more organized. Other than that the race is great. Beautiful course and awesome volunteers! Easy and flat except for a couple small bridges.
J. M. from Florida (1/28/2013) "Good course, good, at times great, support" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This race was personally disappointing as I was shooting for a BQ but wasn't very close. This was my second marathon. So much more of an experience at this than the prior smaller race. Crowd support was super through miami beach, again before the half broke off back in downtown, out at biscayne and through the last two miles to the finish. I had never experienced anything like that and I found it great and a huge help. But I had trained hard for a possible BQ and the heat and humidity really did me in even though I have lived in fl for a year. Warning, when it is 70 degrees at the start, you need to adjust your goal accordingly. I didn't and suffered for it. Even my buddies who did adjust missed still their BQ times. But the scene at the start was pretty cool. I took off with the 3:25 pace group in the c coral but spent two miles dodging slower runners and traffic cones in the road. wtf on the cones? Notwithstanding my poor result, I would do this race again. One other thing I should mention, after hitting the potty at 11 mile mark, I was a bit behind my pace group. As I was pushing to catch up I saw my pacer going back the other way. Not really sure what that meant. Did she quit? Did all her runners drop out or off pace? Kinda weird. I'm sort of hoping someone else chimes in with the answer here.
J. T. from Miami Florida (1/28/2013) "Hot but overall a good race" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Nice view, but way too many slow people who work there way to the front and then walk 3 across; blocking the way for people who actually put in the correct information for the corral.
T. B. from Florida (1/28/2013) "Great experience in Miami" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Miami marathon is a great race. The course is scenic and well-stocked with aid stations. Volunteers were enthusiastic and supportive. The only negative was the way in which the half marathoners were integrated with the full. At mile 13 (after miles of enthusiastic support including a raucous 'fan zone' at mile 10) the half runners left, and then it was a sad and lonely journey for the last half. Miles 17-21 are tough in any race, and to endure it after fans leave is worse. That said, it was still a good race. I will return!
J. P. from Caribbean (3/20/2012) "Nice course but organization could be better" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 First off, I really liked the course for the Miami marathon. There were only a few miles that were not scenic but few cities can be continuously scenic for 26.2 miles. I thought there were enough port-o-potties at the start, bag check was really efficient (once you found it) and the aid stations were good (everyone crowded at the first table so I ran past to the 2nd or 3rd tables and had lots of room). The tshirts were great and gender specific and the medal was unique. But I think the organization could improve. The expo was in south beach (not convenient for us staying near the start line) and finding parking anywhere near the venue was a nightmare. The expo was jam packed with people (I didn't even want to shop, just got my stuff and left). They need a bigger venue for the expo. On the morning of the race, I had trouble finding the bag check. Then, I was assigned to a corral that didn't exist. I tried to find it by asking volunteers (no one knew where my corral 'AA' was) and I walked around for 15 minutes before the race but I couldn't find it. So as the gun went off I tucked behind Corral F and went with the flow. For the next 3 miles I was stuck behind a wall of people doing 11-12 minute miles, when my goal pace was 9 m.m. I can't tell you how happy I was when the half marathoners peeled off just before mile 13, I finally had room to run! The finisher's area was disorganized. I wanted to walk around to stretch and I didn't realize that I couldn't get back into the food tent as I had left the area. I begged the security guard to let me back in but when I finally got to the food, I was disappointed because there was almost nothing to eat. I don't think I will do this marathon again. It was not well organized and way too crowded. There are many early year marathons in Florida. I'd rather forego some of the hype and run a better organized, quieter race.
J. T. from Melbourne, Australia (2/22/2012) "Nice race if you can take the humidity" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Miami Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was surprised how much the humidity affected me. It reduced me to a run/walk routine from very early in the race. Apart from that I thought the course was great: interesting and varied. Like other slower runners I was disappointed the good food was gone by the time I finished, and I was even more disappointed when I heard the MC saying about all the different nationalities 'But I'm not sure if there are any Australians here'. After all that hard work my efforts went unnoticed!
B. C. from Boston, MA (2/9/2012) "I love this Race!!!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Miami Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Perfect prescription for the northern winter blahs. Great pre-race time hangin' at the Marina the day before the race. Not a single person in a bad mood. 23 degrees back home put me in a great mood. This was my 5th Miami and I, too, have seen the race grow from 4,000 runners to 20,000. I had no difficulties navigating my way thru the race crowd, then again, I was there for the long run marathon workout training for Boston and not a PR. The humidity at 6:00 am slowed me down more than the crowd. I found the slower pace for miles 1-3 actually helped me kick butt later in the race. This is a perfect negative split marathon. (The 1/2 marathoners can actually pace your first half faster if you so want it.) I flew down with some friends who finished together with me. We knew we couldn't break 4:00 with the humidity so we let the slower pace of the 1/2 get us in a 2:08. All bets off for the second half as we nearly broke 2:00. Great fun. No difficulties with the water stations if, like many big races, you just pick up a cup further down the table. Remember your salt tablets. Loved the course. Very scenic. Hey, there's no snow. Great idea for a power weekend. You can arrive Friday night and fly back a few hours after the race on Sunday. Late checkouts were easliy available. Lots of flight options. This race on my calendar every year for the ease of run, sunny weather, great fellow runners, awesome finish line and friendly traffic police.
S. A. from St. Paul, Minnesota (2/9/2012) "Great choice for my first marathon" (about: 2012) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I got the marathon bug this fall after watching my hometown Twin Cities marathon, and HAD to run one this winter to get it out of my system. I chose Miami or Phoenix, and I'm glad I did. The hordes of half-marathoners (19,000 strong) slowed things down for the 6,000 marathoners, but for a first-timer like me that was good, I needed that. Plus, being with 25,000 runners at 6 on a humid morning is something I'll never forget. Yes, it was warm and humid, but it's Miami, what do you expect? I didn't have to check any gear! The scenery on the course is great cruise ships, South Beach, neighborhoods, Coconut Grove cafes, even a little industrial strip. Loved it! The finish was nice, except for the food, which was terrible. The half-marathons I've run put Miami to shame food-wise. Aid stations were chaotic for the first half. I poured my own water twice. Yikes! And I drank more than a gallon because of the humidity. I was surprised there were not more spectators, but I'm used to being a spectator at Twin Cities, where we (soon to be 'they') stand a few people deep in some places. Sharing the Miami route with cars was something I wasn't expecting either, but it wasn't too bad. I finished my first marathon at 4:00:08. Haha! Of course, my goal was to break 4:00:00. So, off to Green Bay, then Twin Cities! But thanks Miami; I might be back.

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