Miami Half Marathon

Miami, Florida

Sunday, January 28, 2018

On Sunday, January 28, 2018 I race walker the Miami Half Marathon in Miami, Florida.  The temperature remained in the low 70’s for the entire race with mostly cloudy skies and 10-15 mph winds with higher gusts.  Water/Gatorade Stations were located approximately every mile.  The volunteers tried hard to keep up with the needs of the 13871 participants in the half marathon and the 2889 participants in the full marathon; however, they were unable to do so because the tables were too close together and there were not enough volunteers.  The course utilized roads that were completely closed to traffic and started at the American Airlines Arena went out to Miami Beach on the MacArthur Causeway where that was a high bridge near mile one that represented the only hill of any consequence but was not vary challenging.  The return trip to Miami was on a different causeway which only had bridges of low elevation.  The finish was south of the Arena on Biscayne Boulevard.  All the roads were completely closed to traffic and no cars crossed the course even at intersections.  In the past there were extreme back-ups and honking drivers at many intersections.  This was the sixteenth time for this event and my wife, Gerda, and I have done it every year.  As a special way to recognize us and the few other participants who have done it every year, a second bib stating that fact was supplied for wearing on our backs and we were assigned to the third of 14 corrals behind the elite corral and the seeded corral with participants that were twice as fast as us and required the rest of the field to pass us.  As a result many people congratulated us they read our bib as they passed us which was very nice of them.  The roads were wide and we did not seem to block anyone’s way.  I have always liked the way that I have been treated by the organizers and this makes me want to return.  We signed up for the 2019 addition of the event at a special early bird price when we got home on Sunday evening.  The exposition this year was at the Mana Wynwood (as it was in 2016) which is in the graffiti art section of Miami where almost every possible surface is covered with graffiti, much of which shows that many of the artists have much talent.  However, I am not sure how safe the neighborhood would be at night as most businesses and homes have bars on the windows and doors and security fences.  Also graffiti is usually associated with gang activity and high crime areas.  I would prefer that the exposition be held in a safer part of Miami or Miami Beach as it was the other 14 years.

The Exposition

Before the Race

After the Race