Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon - Race Reviews

If you want to run a 26.9 mile marathon or a 13.5 mile half with no mile markers or lane control, this race is fit you!

Everything was great from the organization, to the volunteers, plenty of aid stations, cool medals, and nice shirts. It was very hot and humid and it was not an easy day to run a marathon.

I happened to be in Florida on vacation so I decided to run this half marathon. I had someone pick up my packet so I didn't attend the expo and I used an uber to the start so i didn't use any race transportation. The race itself was nice. I lucked out as it was actually pretty cool for Florida's standards and not much humidity. The race started at 6am which is pretty early but it made it so that we beat what normally would be tough heat/humidity. The course itself was mostly flat. My only issue on the course is that it went through a state park which was completely pitch black for two miles. I mean, you could barely see anything which is tough when you are trying to run fast. The best part of the course honestly came after emerging from the dark park to a beautiful sunrise on the beach. The course itself was well marked and I had it at exactly 13.1 on my watch at the finish. The finish was pretty cool as it was on the beach. The post race party was fantastic, one of my favorites at any race I have been to. They had great food for the race size-hamburgers, enchiladas, fruit, chocolate milk, muffins, cookies, everything you could want to eat and plenty of it. The race medal was great too, a really cool turtle. I also won a nice plaque for my age group and won a giant bottle of olive oil (race sponsor). The only thing I would complain about was a lack of spectators but it is so early, I would imagine no one was going to be on the course cheering us on. Also, the race shirt was kind of boring. I was hoping for some south Florida colors and it was just a boring army green shirt with a turtle on it. A great race, lots of fun, I highly recommend it. Plus I got a half marathon PR in Florida!

This is a fun race for the Runners from the North. The day temps in the 70s. The morning of the race, it was in the 50s-perfect running weather. The expo had size to it, and several booths with food sampling. The buses were all on time to take us to the start. On time start at 6 am. Great police support at every major corner. Bring your cell phone as the sunrise was gorgeous! The finish was next to the beach so a great place to sit after you were finished. Again, lots of free food at the finish, including hamburgers, beer, fruit, muffins, cookies, etc. The medals are awesome-love the turtle, so sweet. Yes, the course is flat as it is a Boston qualifier! Yes, I definitely would recommend this race! Bring your swim suit & swim or tan on the beach:)

I ran it this year. It was really hot (of course not their fault). There were plenty of water stops with water and sport drink. There was only one spot I found with gel though and for a marathon that was a bit lacking. Every other marathon I've done has had multiple stations with gel. There are so few marathon runners, it is really geared to the half marathon runner. The course is good although with the sun and heat, you are roasting the last few miles.

The hot wasn't the race's fault. I don't understand how people like the course so much, though. Yes, the ocean sunrise and the finish along iconic A1A are nice, though by that point this year I was walking and hating life because of the heat. But everything from Hugh Birch to the turnaround is tedious, with no spectators. Race organization was mostly fine, but I give them a major ding for the finish line shuttle. Even though the web page said '13 shuttles running continuously from 4 to 1 pm,' we had to wait almost an hour for our shuttle back to the start line, and it wasn't even close to 1:00 when we got in line for the shuttle. I don't see how that's possible with 13 shuttles running. I thought the shirt was fine (short-sleeve tech), and the jellyfish medal was interesting, and the race was overall okay, but I hold a grudge over any complications with finish line shuttles.

I've run the half-marathon a couple times and really enjoyed it. The course is very scenic, starting in downtown Fort Lauderdale before heading toward the beach. It gets a little tight in spots, heading through a park before doing an out-and-back on A1A, but the closing miles on a straightaway down beachfront allow you to finish strong. Could use more portable toilets near starting line. If you're visiting from out of town, it's easier to cab or uber/lyft to expo and starting line, or you can grab the shuttle buses running from beachfront and convention center hotels before start.

I had always wanted to do this race. the medal was beautiful and the booths at race expos in Canada were always staffed by rather attractive ladies. I promised I would do this and since this is the final countdown to my 100th I thought I would add this race. The package pick up is good but I thought paying $25 for a parking pass a bit excessive. The food at the finish line was finished by the time I got there but the medical tent was nice. The course is flat and the view of the ocean was very nice. A good race with beautiful scenery a great medal that I will show my nieces and nephew at Easter!

I have run this half marathon every year and enjoy showcasing beautiful areas of my home city. The start in downtown with festive lights along the boulevard, the gorgeous view of the sunrise from the bridge approaching the ocean and the remaining miles with ocean, intercoastal and park views provide a perfect venue for resident runners and visitors. The volunteers are terrific as are the police who monitor the course. This is the biggest turnout I have experienced in all the years I have participated. Every year I have complained about the T shirt. Finally, and I thank the race committee the T shirt was great! Thank you for a fun event!

RD needs to update this space, as blurb is from several years ago. Agreed that EXPO is HORRIBLY located. Have a smaller one and hold it in a hotel. Cannot stress this enough. End of course needs work. There are lots of police, a plus, but there's a left turn sometime after mile 18 or 19 that can seem unclearI saw runners ahead paused, trying to ensure they were to turn while the cop sat in his car. The last 2-3 miles are full of slower half marathoners walking 3 and 4 abreast. Sounds trivial until you are using extra steps every 10 feet or so to have to run around them. Band usually is too loud. This last time, awards were a half hour late, and they were up on line on time, so that was a pain.

The course was very nice and easy to navigate save for the fact it's 26.21875 miles. Timing company needs to be spoken to. Clocks were off by a minute or more for around 15 of the mile markers thank goodness I relied on my runner's watch. Mile markers in at least 4 occasions were more than 10 seconds from the painted mile markers including one was at least 45 seconds from the actual mile mark painted on the streetI can also tell because my mile splits were up to 50 seconds different on those occasions. If you can time yourself, navigate through 26.21875 miles and can either gamble on the weather or enter at last minute, this is the race for you! I was very happy overall except the timing and mile markers.

Negatives (echoing previous comments): the convention center parking for the expo is a mess. There are many events there plus the cruise people all need to get through security - everyone in vehicle must show identification. Plus you pay to park. Race day parking - if someone is with you and not running, have them drop you off at the start and go find a parking spot in one of the lots near the end. Oh yes, the beer truck - weil if you are a mid-pack finisher in the marathon, you'll find that the cups are out AND by the time you get something else to put beer into, the truck driver will shut down the flow of beer by pulling the taps. Of course, it's Michelob Ultra anyway, so wait to have a real beer later. The timing organization really screwed up some of the mile markers in the latter stages of the race. Sorry for listing all negatives. It's a flat fast course. Being from the North, I was dressed lightly as I knew it would warm up and it did before the end of the marathon. I was shocked at how many people were overdressed. I guess Floridians aren't used to 'the cold'.

I wanted a race in a warm climate for President's Week, and picked this one because of proximity to the beach. I didn't have particularly high expectations, but had a most wonderful time and excellent experience. The Expo vendors were enthusiastic, the volunteers were fabulous, the post race area was fun, and the course was beautiful with a spectualr sunrise just as we turned to run along the beach. The 6:00 AM start was well organized with convenient shuttles from the finish back to the start (we stayed near the finish). Once the half-marathoners split off the course, it got a little sparse, but that is to be expected in an event of this size. One downside is segments of the course between miles 12-18 are on busy A1A, but there were LOTS of police to control trafic and keep everyone safe. The finish area was right at the beach, and it was wonderful to plop my butt in the sand right after collecting my medal and all the goodies at the finish (including a well-stocked and welcomed beer truck).

I loved the course, a great combo of natural and architectural beauty as well as being mostly flat. It should be even nicer next year when the construction on A1A from Mile 23 or so to the end is completed. It was well organized at expo and at the start. The finish was on the beach with live music and a wide variety of real food (coffee, burritos, burgers, etc.) The medal was a bit over the top, but truly the biggest and heaviest I have in my collection. The only negative for me, was the point to point aspect of the course. I did not enjoy waiting over 45 minutes for a 20 minute ride to return to the start area. I would definitely do the race again and I recommend going very early parking at the end and taking a shuttle to the start.

OK, bad stuff first. Expo was at the Broward County Convention Center, probably the worst place for packet pick up because it's also at the cruise-ship terminal. Traffic was a nightmare with ship passengers on Saturday. Inside, it was cramped. T-shirt can't be worn in public; it's really that ugly. The good stuff: The crab medal was outrageously cool. Kudos for the designers. Race day organization was great. The number of runners small enough for a mass start, no corrals. Really appreciated the super early start at 6 a.m. because it got hot at the end. Course was flat and fast, but it was lonely for the marathoners after the half-marathon folks split off. Zero spectators for the marathoners, which is fine by me but not for those who need crowd support. Police presence at every intersection was greatly appreciated.

The best things about this event are the scenic half marathon course, the volunteers, nice medal,and the gorgeous weather! The negatives are terrible ugly T shirt, expo location and parking access, race day event parking chaos in garage with only few ticket machines,and long wait for shuttle bus at end of race. Bring lots of patience to enjoy this beautiful course, friendly volunteers, and fantastic weather!

I've run the half marathon in Ft. Lauuderdale for the last couple of years. Year one (2012) there were definite issues. Specifically, the bag drop happened about 25 minutes before the start of the race which left me slightly nervous. Year two (2013), the big issue I experienced was the buses transporting us at the end of the race back to the starting line. There were countless people in line for the buses who did not run the race and it took 30 minutes of waiting outside to get the bus. Beyond these two critical statements I believe this to be the top marathon's in South Florida. I've run 5 different marathons and this one easily has the best course (truly picturesque). The fans cheering us on have been incredible and the people working the event are truly excited to be there and assist with everything. Wish I was able to do it again this year. Next year I hope to be rejoining everyone.

I ran the full in 2013 after running the half in 2011. This is a nice race run on a pancake flat course. It can be hot even in Feb (altho in 2013 we had ideally cool temps) so be forwarned. The expo moved to the convention center. It gave much more room for the actual expo but getting into the convention parking garage is a traffic nightmare, and you have to pay to park. The start and finish are 3 miles apart. Runners can park at finish and catch the shuttle to the start (I've always done this and it has worked effortleesly) or park by the start and catch a post race shuttle. There were enough pre-race port-a-potties but they ran out of toilet paper an hour before race time. There is no excuse for this to happen. I saw a good samaritan couple who left and bought a four pack from a nearby 7-11 and folks were passing this around. Other than this major mistake I would've given the race 5 stars for organization. The race begins 6:00am. I think this is done to help avoid the heat but it creates a memorable atmosphere for the early miles. We run down Las Olas Blvd a picturesque street and are then greeted by the sun rising over the Atlantic ocean. Early in the race we run about 2.5 mile through a nice state park then head back out to A1A. From miles 6 or so on the entire race is on A1A. Traffic control is excellent. After about mile 7 you lose views of the ocean however and only get the backs of continuous beach front hotels and condos. So after the halfers split off (around mile 9) its lonely with nothing scenic to see. There are plenty of water stops and I noticed gel being handed out also. I carry my own so I'm not sure how often. All the water stops also had a sports drink (poweraid this year). Unfortunately all the stops were all set up differently. Late in a race I feel it really helps when every stop has been set up the same. The final 3 miles or so we get back to ocean views and that really is great for the final push. This race's medal has long been an award winner and this year's continues that tradition. I read JT's criticism of the shirt and I really liked this years after feeling that the shirt in 2011 was awful. It just goes to show that design elements are a matter of personal preference. I had to catch a flight so I can't comment on the post race set-up.

The organization of the event was good. Support for the participants, including transportation,the water stops and security were timely and well appreciated. I will definately participate in subsequent race events. Medal is impressive.

I have run this half marathon every year and it is so much fun. Great scenery, well organized, and fantastic crowd especially along the beach. A huge measure of gratitude this year especially to the many volunteers who braved the 40 degree temperatures and wind chill. The cold temps were unique and made the event even more memorable. The only negative is the T shirt. It was deplorable. The Tshirt does not do justice to the event. Heard many runners say spend less on the medal and create a shirt runners want to wear. Hope the organizers will create a unique shirt that represents the great quality of the A1A Marathon.

I have run this half marathon twice and ran the full this year. The half marathoners have the better part of the course. Once the halfers split off, it was a very long loney run. There were no spectators, but the volunteers were enthusiastic and supportive. Crossing the finish line in under 4 hours was anticlimatic. There was no one left to cheer for me. I feel bad for the 400+ finishers behind me. The race was well organized and the medals were outrageous. The shirts were too big and terrible quality. I would definitely recommend the half, but not the full.

The race itself is fairly well run, lots of cops and traffic cones keep all but the most aggressive drivers off the street. The course itself has some nice bits and some not-so-nice bits- you go through a very pretty park during the first quarter, but by mile 20 you'll be sick of the Condo Canyon that is A1A. Water stations could have been a bit more organized, and the water itself tasted *horrible*. They should think of a better place to hold the expo- the Fort Lauderdale convention center is essentially part of the cruise ship terminal, which makes it a hassle to get to. If you're pondering a winter marathon, I'd suggest Miami instead of this one.

This was a great marathon in sunny southern Florida. Everything was organized extremely well! The race was fun, the other runners were very friendly. I enjoyed the course. Water, Gu and Poweraid stations were frequent and the volunteers were great! Music and bands were light for the marathoners between 15 and 22 miles. Couldn't predict Mother Nature though, a warm day!

The course is flat and fast. Beautiful ocean views. The water points are plentiful, which helped on a hot and humid day. The start was a gaggle, and not really monitored which lead to crowding in the beginning by slower runners and walkers. Took a little while to break through zigging and zagging by the slower runners. The half marathon is run at the same time and uses the same finish line. So by the end of the marathon, I had to fight the same issue with slower walkers and runners that still had not finished the half marathon. They were clogging the finish line when I was trying to cross it. They should consider using real actual corrals next year, or separate starting times for both races. Also request those that are walking to stay single file and to the right side of the course. Some of the water stations were poorly managed. I actually got hit by a rake at one station, where they were trying to clean up. Other water stations, were slow, and I had to call out for water. The medal was great! The shirt disappointing with advertising on the back and ugly brown, yellow and orange print on the front that states 'Half Marathon & Marathon.' The organizers should consider having separate shirts: one for the marathon and one for the half marathon. The expo was great!

Flying in from Chicago, I knew this was going to be a tough race due to the weather. Sure enough, it was hot and humid! Despite the conditions, I had a great race. Stayed one mile away from the finish line. It was an easy walk to the park and we had no problems catching the shuttle. We even overslept and still made it on time. Had difficulty finding the bag drop, but this was due to us getting their late. I loved the course, especially the the part through the park. Race got lonely once the half'ers split off. Aid stations were staffed lightly. Wasn't a problem for me, but I heard it was a problem for others behind me in the pack. Loved the finish along A1A by the beach. My only complaint was I hit the half marathoners around mile 23. It was hard to navigating around them. The finish area was great! Plenty of food and beer for everyone! I will do this race again.

Most of my previous events have been large (Disney, MCM, ING Miami), so I was interested to see how a smaller event would be. I think they did a great job. The weather was unseasonably hot and humid and the headwind for the last half of the race made for a brutal day. With that said, every water station was well-stocked and well-serviced. There were wet sponges available at some of the later stops. At the finish, they called out the finishers with their name and city which was a nice ending. The large flip-flop medals were a nice touch. Being sponsored by Publix, there were ample refreshments and food available at the end. If you like a fast course, in better conditions, this would be a good one. I gave the course 4 stars for those out of area. I'm from Florida and the view of ocean condos for miles and miles wasn't the most exciting. There isn't a lot of crowd support, but a lot of the half runners stuck around and cheered for those who did the full which was nice. Overall, it was a nicely done event. If I had one recommendation, it would be for some sort of first-aid station along the way that offered vaseline, biofreeze, etc. With all of the humidity, clothes were soaked early (I could hear feet sloshing in sweaty shoes less than 10 miles in), so some people may have benefited from that.

This was a great race. Water stands were plentiful. The course is pretty much flat the whole way and the volunteers were great. Down side is it can be warm (yesterday was a toasty 73 at the start) and I did not see medical stations along the way. The finish line was congested and a little wild but with lots of goodies. The medal was great!

I unfortunately signed up to run the full marathon and was directed at mile 9 to the right, sending me with the 1/2 marathoners - I finshed the 1/2 and didn't have a chance to run the full - would like a chance to run again and if possible, if put on by the same sponsors - would run on March 4th in Miami to make up for my entry fee - johncoyler@yahoo.com - thanks.

I was a spectator and tried to take the shuttle from the start line to finish. I missed the finish of my friend in the 1/2 marathon. Waited on a shuttle bus for over an hour, even the cops yelled at the bus driver. When we arrived at the finish the time clock was already at 1:45:00. Terrible experience for watchers, leave the family at home.

This is the second year in a row that I have run the half-marathon. It is a nice break from the dreary winters in the North Pole. Pros: Early start time, fun course, beautiful sunrise as you finish, enthusiastic volunteers, plentiful water stops, good post-race food, free (and cold) post-race beer. Cons: Paying to park at the start, paying to park at the start and paying to park at the start. It is a real turnoff. After shelling out $80 for the half, can't the race folks convince the city to address the parking issue? Is this downtown Manhattan? It just seems like a scam, and free parking at the start would add to the friendliness of this race.

I was a little worried doing a race in South Florida because I was coming in from the Northeast and was not acclimated for the warm weather, but the temps weren't a factor for the half-marathon. Well, not for anyone finishing under two hours, in my opinion. All in all, I really loved this race. It was everything I hoped (flat, fast, scenic, and well-organized). I ran with the 3:30 pacer, who was on the money, until the half split off. My only gripe was with the bag pick-up area. It was not particularly secure and took four people a half-hour to find my bag, which had been misplaced (yikes). Other than that, everything went smoothly. I was pleased with my time because it was one of my faster halfs, even though I haven't been training that hard. Did I mention the course is fast? :-)

I ran the Ft Lauderdale AIA marathon for the first time this year (have run four before) and generally can say I had a good experience. There were plenty of water stations, friendly volunteers, and the nice addition of cold towels in the last few miles. It was great EXCEPT for the totally illogical decision by the race directors to host a children's race at the last mile of the marathon at approximately 10 a.m.!!! How RIDICULOUS. Runners finishing at around my pace (4-hour finish time) had to bob and weave around hundreds of kids as they dashed toward the same finish line... with NO separate lane for the absolutely fatigued marathoners. I understand there were only 800 marathoners compared to the 3,700 half-marathoners, but the decision by the directors as well as the fact that there were virtually no port-o-lets in the last 18 miles certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. My sisters, who are also runners but did not participate in this particular race, had to run in front of me and clear the way to make sure I didn't get tripped up by any of the children. I don't, of course, blame the children, but rather the directors on such a poor decision on the timing and location of the kid's run.

I've always liked this marathon because it's small and well organized, especially if you compare it with the ING Miami. It's flat (with the exception of one drawbridge) and it's a certified course too. The only problem this year was the weather. I am slow and by the time I finished, the temps were at around 80F. A shadeless course that was aggravated by the weather. The water stations were well stocked and had water, the Title drink, and ice. My only recommendation is to change the drink brands because the Title drink is not good. This is the second race where I've tried it and it tastes so bad that it made me nauseated.

The course was really well organized - plenty of water at every mile and lots of mile markers along the way. The course is quite nice (pretty and flat), but there is no shade, and the last half was really hot and sunny. The people were super nice - after the race people were shouting their congratulations to me from their car windows! Due to the heat, I had a lousy finishing time, but despite that it was a great race.

OK, just to be clear I'm comparing this mainly to Miami as a yardstick, which may not be fair for a smaller race. From what I understand from these comments, 2011 was a big improvement over 2010, but I saw some issues that make me think I will not run A1A next year. Parking - There should have been some police presence/coordination to help with traffic ingress in the morning. There was huge traffic on Broward after 5:00 a.m. I waited for about 45 minutes, stoplight to stoplight. Running out of time, it looked like I wouldn't be able to park downtown by 6:00 so I pulled into the first lot I saw and parked; unfortunately this was a private lot with a tow-away sign. From what I understand, there were dozens of other runners who made the same mistake who were lined up at the tow yard. Granted, parking is up to the individual and I could have left even earlier, but due to the traffic many runners had either to choose to park or not run in the race. Avoiding this should be a prerogative for the organizers and the host city. Sponsors - I do not care for Title sports drink. Mix1 is a good recovery drink. The bananas were way over-ripe. I think I heard there was some jambalaya or something but I don't care for spicy food after a race. Overall I was a little unsatisfied with post-race support. Traffic control - Not great; I saw and heard that there were some near collisions with pedestrians. The volunteers on the course (some of whom look like bike gang members) weren't that attentive. Kids' race - I realize that the kids' race was free and sponsor-supported, but frankly I think we're lucky this wasn't a disaster. No safe place for the kids to rally up before the race so there were 50+ kids standing on the sidewalk with hotel traffic and A1A traffic going by. We had marathon runners and even hand-crank wheelchairs and their bike escorts going by as the kids ran. Next time it should be on a controlled course that goes out-and-back, rather than sharing the race course. Bag check - No security at the bag check. Course - I understand that this was better than last year. Running by the ocean was good, and Birch State park was OK, but of course the "condo alley" stretch was a bit lame and seemed to go on forever. Also would be better as a loop or otherwise provide more shuttle support, I thought I saw the shuttle once but ended up catching a private ride back to the start.

I was impressed with the race organization. With packet picket, you get a race program that includes maps of the start and finish areas. The aid stations were plentiful and well run. The course is well marked. There were digital clocks at every mile. In the last mile, there were banners every quarter-mile. Finish area had a wide variety of foods and beverages. The course is flat (except for one bridge in the early miles). Most of the course follows A1A, and there are views of the ocean. It's a hot-weather race, so you have to be prepared for that.

Apparently the race organizers listened. The course is improved with water/Gatorade stops every mile. Water stops were well stocked and well manned. There was ice on several of the stops in the full marathon and, as the temperature was well into the 70s, it was greatly appreciated. Volunteers were fantastic! Traffic control was good. The course is flat and fast with only 1 bridge to contend with early in the race. Porta-potties at every water stop. The race remains small and I hope it stays that way. I will definitely run this race again. Thank you, race organizers, for listening and responding!