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p. n. from ny ny
(2/3/2007)
"Great race in a great city" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a great race from beginning to end. The pre-race was hectic, but only because of the downpour which was obviously unavoidable. The course was super flat (I PR'd by 6 minutes). The only negative were the steel grate bridges. They need to cover them with mats like they do on the bridge around mile 19 in the NYC Marathon. This was a serious hazard, especially the last metal bridge about a 1/2 mile before the finish. I thought the crowd was small but great - everyone out there was extremely enthusiastic and I personally prefer smaller crowds. The course was very interesting, going through varying neigborhoods. I had a chance to see many parts of a city that I was unfamiliar with, which is always a big plus. I would definitely run this one again. | |
S. O. from Florida
(2/3/2007)
"A snoozer but at least at a good price!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I got into this marathon during their marathon "registration blitz" and paid only $37.50 (which is unheard of for a large marathon). With that fee, I received some extremely nice stuff, which included a great looking tech shirt, a running hat and one of the best marathon medals I've ever received. Packet pick-up was a NIGHTMARE. We got a hotel near the start/finish line, which is a block or two from the Miami Convention Center. Logic would place the packet pickup here. However, for whatever reason, packet pickup was at the Miami BEACH Convention Center, miles away. We had to wait 30 minutes for a shuttle and then another 30 minutes to get there because of the traffic. Once there, picking up our packets was no problem. I found the course extremely boring. I thought the best parts (running by the water) were in the beginning; however it was 6:30 a.m. and dark, and therefore you couldn't see much of the water, or anything else. I appreciated all the volunteers. They were out in droves despite the rain. I also appreciated the girls handing out the orange slices later on in the race... that was awesome! Post-race refreshments were LAME (water only??? I just spent 26.2 miles drinking water/Gatorade) and only located right after the finish line. I wanted to get away from the crowd of people in that corral; however, once you left, you couldn't get back in. Thank god for Publix and their samples of lemonade. That was a lifesaver. This was my 14th marathon and I will not be doing Miami again. There are just many other ones with better courses. | |
P. P. from Chicago
(2/2/2007)
"Great destination run" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Beautiful scenery, nice weather (despite the rainy start) and Miami is a great place to be in January. Organization could use a little work - Gatorade and water cups were always overflowing, bottleneck after finish line. Special thanks to the working girl, three late-night partiers on their way home and the 7 other people who offered encouragement along the way. | |
S. S. from Virginia
(2/2/2007)
"Miami is an awesome place to run a marathon." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Miami is beautiful, and the weather was great except for the torrential downpour right at the start! The fans were great, especially in the second half. Thanks to everyone who ran, cheered and volunteered. See you next year. | |
L. O. from Chicago
(2/2/2007)
"Nice flat course" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I really liked the course for this race. I did the half marathon, and aside from the rain at the start it was scenic and flat. I did see some room for improvement: First, there were VERY few spectators out. I felt bad for those running the full marathon. I would never make it withou fan support. Second, once I crossed the finish line the set-up was disastrous. We were literally funneled into a smaller area to remove our chips and there was a BIG back-up. They kept telling us to move forward but there was nowhere to go. I ran for 13 miles and literally came to a dead stop once I crossed the finish line. I only noticed one exit from the post-race area and that was backed up too. Also, other marathons do a better job of controlling traffic. As I was watching runners at about mile 24, I was surprised to see they were allowing traffic through. Overall I would recommend the 1/2 marathon as a good mid-winter race. | |
G. B. from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
(2/2/2007)
"Great first long-distance running event!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first long-distance running event (I ran the half), but have already registered for the full for next year! The torrential rain at he beginning couldn't be helped, but the cloud cover kept everyone cool throughout the race.... Thank goodness for the "super socks" I bought at the expo - they kept my feet comfortable throughout the race. The expo was great, with lots of giveaways, and Friday was not too crowded. The expo set up made me feel special with a carpeted walkway lined with flags. As this was my first race, I don't know how to compare the crowd, but I can say I got a huge boost right at the finish from a woman who yelled my name... that was a big thrill for me, and inspired me to get vocal for later finishers. My only disappointment was the lack of music. I thought there would be lots, and there wasn't. My favorite was a small group of "sistahs" just standing on a corner in Miami Beach singing "Running in a Marathon" to the tune of "Living in America." Looking forward to the A1A in 2 weeks, and the Miami Full Marathon in 2008! | |
Mike Porter from Canada
(2/1/2007)
"An average marathon" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my third marathon and my first in Miami. Although I wasn't that impressed with the course or organization, I would probably do it again because of the lack of marathon choices at this time of the year. Water stations were good and well manned. Crowd support was horrible, so if that is what you need to get you through the run, I'd advise against this one. One thing that really upset me was that I specifically sent two emails to the organizers asking whether the course would be marked in KM as well as miles. I was told that kilometers were marked every 5 K, but I did not see one KM marker. I only saw them stacked on the ground a day before the race, but they did not bother to set them up on the course. This race boasts the various countries that are represented and advertises this fact as well. The US is the only country still using the old imperial system, yet they only marked the miles. Disrespectful of other countries' entrants. | |
S. M. from Boston, MA
(2/1/2007)
"Icing on the cake." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had a number of blisters after the race because on many occasions the road was slanted and going over the bridges felt weird because of the metalic surface. I don't suspect that can be remedied but if it can that would be grand. It rained like cats, dogs and alligators from 5:30 till about 6:30 so that did not help. People there were great spectators and runners alike. I officially fell in love with Miami. I spent a week prior to the race there and I would basically run for an hour or two every day and then grab lunch and just hang out in the beach. It was great, especially since Boston was basically frozen the whole time I was there. Great nightlife and beach-going - the marathon was the icing on the cake. | |
A. S. from Oviedo, Florida
(1/31/2007)
"A pleasant, flat course with ocean views" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course is mainly on pavement with the only hazards being the several bridges with metal grates requiring careful stepping. There were adequate water stops and medical support. The finisher's spinning palm medal is great. I would recommend this marathon as a nice mid-winter event. | |
Lynnette Rodriguez from Fort Lauderdale, Fl USA
(1/31/2007)
"My first, and I will do it all over again" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Miami Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first half marathon after about 7-8 local 5K, but it was the greatest feeling because of the support of the spectators in some specific locations. Was well organized, a nice course to run, and a lot of people running with a great smile and a healthy and good heart! |
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