How was the ING Miami Marathon/Half-marathon (South Beach: taxi, marketplace)

[pinetreelover]

I am trying to pick a good winter race and was thinking about the ING Miami Half-marathon in January, 2010. This past January was the first year that ING had a race in Miami. Did anyone run it and have any feedback? How was the course? Was the race well organized? Sometimes new races can be an logistic disaster and I want to steer clear if that is the case. Thanks!

[miamiblue]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

I am trying to pick a good winter race and was thinking about the ING Miami Half-marathon in January, 2010. This past January was the first year that ING had a race in Miami. Did anyone run it and have any feedback? How was the course? Was the race well organized? Sometimes new races can be an logistic disaster and I want to steer clear if that is the case. Thanks!

Actually, I think the Miami marathon and half have been going on for at least the past two years, if not three. I have friends who have run it and said it is pretty fun, and of course a super easy course, considering it is basically completely flat.

The only logistic issue I remember hearing about from a couple of years ago was that runners were jumping into the bushes in people's yards to relieve themselves. I'm assuming that precautions have been taken since then to try to keep this from happening.

A friend of mine ran the full marathon this year and seemed to have a good time.

[kevinkagy]

I've never done it, but I have friends who have, and they seem to really like it. There's always a lot of people; it's always packed. It looks like a lot of fun, but you have to be a good runner lol.

[cholo57]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

I am trying to pick a good winter race and was thinking about the ING Miami Half-marathon in January, 2010. This past January was the first year that ING had a race in Miami. Did anyone run it and have any feedback? How was the course? Was the race well organized? Sometimes new races can be an logistic disaster and I want to steer clear if that is the case. Thanks!

I ran the Half-Marathon back in '04 and it went well. The only problem was that in that particular day it rained, poured and rained at the beggining and end of it.
The course itself...if I remember well enough,...starts right outside of the American Airlines Arena, crossing MacArthur causeway (rain/drizzle), right along Ocean Drive (South Beach) and back across the Venetian Causeway (rain and more rain),..around N. Miami/S. Miami Ave. ..that's when it really poured folks!!!!...untill Biscayne Blvd. and it ended right in front of the Bayside Marketplace.
As far as logistics IMHO it was well organized...there were stages with bands playing along the way, water and fruit stations, porta-potties and of course..the ocassional bus and taxi for those that could not finish/keep up.
And if I remember correctly, Toyota sponsored the Half/Full Marathon that year.
All in all..it was a lot of fun.
Good luck....I may enter next year.

[muscleman305]

Sounds like fun!