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☰
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 151 to 161]
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D. S. from Miami
(1/29/2008)
"Proud of My Home Town" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Miami Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Congratulations to the organizing committee! This race gets better every year. All of the subtle, and not-so-subtle, changes are not lost on your loyal participants. Thank you for all the hard work and attention to detail. You allow us runners to concentrate solely on the race, and it is greatly appreciated. Looking forward to running Miami for many years to come! | |
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D. G. from Fort Lauderdale, FL
(1/29/2008)
"Highly Recommended!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Miami Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Kudos to the race organizers for staging another well-run event! To the City of Miami, the residents who came out to cheer and share treats (the beer guys and Kisses chocolate lady in the Grove, the priest blessing us with holy water at mile 19, the rockin' Trini Posse cheer zone at 25, etc.), and most of all the awesome volunteers - thank you for making ING Miami '08 a wonderful experience. Nice, scenic course; excellent organization makes this a fun, no-stress race for first-timers and elites alike. | |
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C. M. from Brunswick, GA
(1/29/2008)
"Great course" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Awesome course and spectator support. Weather was perfect. Minor complaints: 1. At the finish, the medical tent was not accessible; it was blocked by metal barricades and about 3,000 kids (really, that was the number in the paper) running a one-mile course. I could not get to it for some ice or a foil blanket and I really needed both. I know it is Miami, but the wrap was needed at the end. I found a garbage bag and used it. Other reviewers may have more to say about the medical tent, but I think all you have to do is move it to the right side where the chute empties out instead of pinning it between a sea of running children behind a barricade and a traffic lane on the other side. 2. The food was plentiful at the end, but there was more food outside the chute for sale, so bring money if you want more than bananas and bagels. The post-race party at Coco Walk was billed as something with free food and beer samples. Neither was available. I heard the word "scam" from a number of people who lined up to eat at one of the restaurants. Just don't go to the party expecting to eat for free and you will be fine. The course had plenty of water, Gatorade, medical support, gels, spectators, traffic control, and support. I have run many half-marathons as well, and this is the best organization I have seen. The previous reviewer is right about the hotels; they are expensive, so book early. If the dates do not work out for you, but you still want to run a winter race in Florida, then Tampa's Gasparilla weekend is also very well done. | |
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W. A. from Weston FL
(1/29/2008)
"Fantastic venue for a first marathon!" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have none other with which to compare it, but this event surpassed my expectations. My wife drove me in from a nearby city on race morning; my suggestion is to go to one of the big hotels near the start and let your spouse park and relax and get coffee and then show up to cheer at a realistic time. It was chaos trying to hit the porta-potties, walk around the start to reach my corral, and stand by the fence because it was full. But all that was forgotten when the race got underway and we started over the bridge toward Miami Beach with the sunrise just starting to burst. Then it was overcast and cool until the finish, which was fantastic. Some water/Gatorade stops were better than others, but all in all, the volunteers and crowds were awesome. My favorites were the high school drum lines; that beat is really motivating! The field got sparse after the half-marathoners peeled off, a three-to-one ratio for this race. My wife was at the finish and overall, it was just a great experience. | |
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c. k. from ft. lauderdale, fl
(1/29/2008)
"Awesome 1st full marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run several 1/2 marathons and chose the MIAMI ING Marathon as my 1st full race. The course is stunning and varied: past mega cruise ships, trendy neon lit South Beach, through tree-covered coconut grove and over a couple of bridges (not steep) - and even under one. I found there to be plenty of well stocked aid stations manned by cheering, helpful and enthusiastic people. There was a helicopter and even a police boat shooting off a huge water cannon into the sky over one of the bridge crossings. It was also very cool to start the race in front of the American Airlines arena. Then there is the famous "spinning palm medal." Words don't do it justice (I can't wait to frame it). I loved this race so much that I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. to sign up for the registration blitz. I live 20 minutes down the road and they are practically giving away a marathon ($27 for the 1/2 marathon). Why didn't I sign up for the full? Well, "Disney's Goofy Challenge" is calling. In closing, I will say that I have been to Miami more times than I can count and have a new fondness for seeing the city on foot while running on this scenic course. | |
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J. S. from Philadelphia, PA
(1/29/2008)
"Well Organized, Great Scenery" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was deeply amused about the 2007 thing on the hat. No biggie, at least it is a wearable/moisture-wicking hat. Great shirt/medal, as well. I did the half marathon (seemed from the bibs that a large majority were halfers). Very well organized race/expo. My only gripe is there was a lot of runner congestion through the half marathon. I had a lot of difficulty passing people. Runners should be aware that this element of the race has an "event marathon" feel. The course was beautiful, and the city is certainly worth a trip in January, particularly if you live somewhere that actually has a winter (though that makes training for the warmth/humidity somewhat difficult). | |
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D. Z. from Philly
(1/29/2008)
"Well organized race in a really fun city" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I highly recommend this marathon. The race administration/organization did a great job. I can only think of three suggestions. I would encourage the organization to think about how it gets folks lined up at the start. It was pretty hard to get from the bag drop to my corral, even a half hour before the race. Because I was in corral "C," I had to work through a bunch of other corrals, and a whole lot of people, in order to get to my starting place. Perhaps there could be an egress into each individual starting corral. Second, I think it would be nice to have the post-race area include some grass. As soon as you finish at Miami, you take your chip off, then grab some food, and then have your picture taken. No sitting; all of this occurs on a roadway. I would have liked to have grabbed a patch of grass and worked on my bagel before exiting the post-race area. I know the Broad Street race here in Philly does something like this, and I always enjoy hanging out, eating, and talking to other runners right after finishing. Finally, it would be good if the organization could get some mats down on the drawbridges. Those suggestions aside, the race really is a lot of fun. The expo was smooth, manageable, and attracts a bunch of vendors; the goodies were better than average; and the course is a lot of fun. The mix of causeway, Miami Beach, city, and residential areas makes for a visually interesting run. Added to this are the colorful, encouraging crowds that line much of the course. For example, I got a big laugh out of the girl holding the sign reading "run like her husband just got home," or something like that. It's a well organized race in a fun place to be. Put it on your to-do list. | |
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R. h. from Nashville, TN
(1/29/2008)
"Not as great as I expected." (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 From reading comments from previous Miami Marathons and having run 5 previous marathons, I had very high expectations for this race. I am a middle-of-the-packer and maybe those in front of me had a different experience, but here are my comments: 1. The course is as flat as a course can be, but the temperature, while nice for being outdoors, is a little warm for a marathon. Most sources I have read say to add about 7% to your best time when the temperature reaches 70 degrees. I hit that 7% right on the nose. 2. Miami knows music, and it showed on the course. The Miami rhythm was very enjoyable and evenly spaced along the course. 3. Other than running over the causeways, the course is pretty urban. Views of the ocean were limited to those causeways at the beginning and the end of the race. The middle section of the course was not very scenic. 4. The hotel and transportation was very good. If one follows the transportation directions on the website, it is very easy to get around in the city. 5. While the overall organization of the race was good, there did not seem to be enough volunteers. Some of the water stations were overwhelmed by the runners. At one point, there was some pushing and shoving and runners were pouring their own water out of gallon jugs. Also, water stations seemed to be much farther apart in the last few miles, which is not good when it's hot and you need fluids. 6. The finish line was one of the worst I have seen. There were no volunteers supervising the post-race refreshments/food, which left food, bottles, etc. all over the finish line area. It was also very cramped and hard to move through because of the large number of people in tight lanes. 7. Running over the grates on some of the bridges was challenging, especially the one at the end. I would highly suggest mats be placed over the grates, as they do in Chicago. 8. For some reason, I did not expect the roads to be open on the course. Because of the car traffic, the first half of the marathon was extremely crowded because of the marathoners and half marathoners running together. During the first half, it was impossible to run any faster than the crowd surrounding me. After the half marathoners broke off, it was much better. Please close the course to traffic - most other major marathons do it and it makes a much more enjoyable experience. Overall, I would give this marathon a "B" rating. I have run in better (Chicago/Air Force) and much worse. Will I do this one again? Probably not, but only because of the temperature. My body performs much better in cooler weather. | |
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Blue Herons from Coast of South Carolina
(1/29/2008)
"Fantastic Race!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race had an excellent course, was expertly organized, was well marked, and was just a perfect race to run. I expected a lot of it is that ING was the title sponsor and they delivered. I expect this race to quickly rise to top tier as it is so flat. I PR'd. | |
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Y. H. from Fort Lauderdale FL
(1/29/2008)
"Need a separate corral for walkers and teams" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Miami Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 All in all, the course, the volunteers, and all the support throughout the course are awesome!! You couldn't ask for a better course; however, I would appreciate if you give the teams and walkers their own corral. I commend them for their cause, but it is frustrating trying to work into a pace only to have to dodge the 6-line widespread team of walker/runners. This is a great course for 1st-timers and elite runners by far. I will be back for a PR. |
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