Thousands to take part in Life Time Miami Marathon, Half Marathon on Sunday
MIAMI - Thousands of runners from all over the world will take part in this weekend's Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon.
The race begins at the Kaseya Center in Downtown Miami at 6 a.m. on Sunday.
In the first 12.8 miles of the race, runners cross the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach and then head down the iconic Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue before crossing back toward downtown over the scenic Venetian Causeway. The course extends as far south as Coconut Grove. They then head back to downtown Miami for the finish line at Bayfront Park.
All participants have to be completely off the course by 2 p.m.
Road closures due to the Miami Marathon
For the safety of those taking part, there will be a number of road closures.
Beginning at noon on Friday, Biscayne Boulevard will be closed to traffic between SE 3 Street and NE 2 Street. It will reopen for a short time on Saturday before the race.
On Sunday, expect bumper-to-bumper traffic in Downtown Miami and Brickell all morning until the early afternoon, Miami Beach hot spots like Ocean Drive and Alton Road until about 10 a.m. In Coconut Grove, steer clear from the early morning until the early afternoon.
To get to and from Miami Beach, drivers should use the Julia Tuttle Causeway from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Despite the closures, the Miami Downtown Development Authority said this is big for nearby businesses.
"This is their time to shine. This is the time for everyone to enjoy the Downtown Miami cuisine, nightlife, the electricity that our city has that no other city really has," said MDDA spokeswoman Kim Hills.
Brightline will be offering early morning train service, where runners can depart from West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, or Aventura and arrive at MiamiCentral Station at 5:08 a.m., just steps away from the starting line. The early morning train departs at 3:48 am from West Palm Beach, 4:12 a.m. from Boca Raton, 4:30 a.m. from Fort Lauderdale, and 4:46 a.m. from Aventura.
The Miami Marathon has grown
Frankie Ruiz, who co-founded the event in 2003, has seen it evolve into one of the premier marathons in the running community, as it sold out in August at maximum capacity.
"We have come a long way, with 3,400 hundred runners, and now upwards of 18,000, there's been this demand and with this demand has come some great things which is, we have sort of turned the corner here and gave become a spectator event," Ruiz said.
Competitors from over 70 countries will be participating. The event includes the full marathon at 26.2 miles, half marathon and 5k competitions.
CBS News Miami's Harry Cicma will be competing in the Miami Marathon for his second consecutive year, as he vies for his 11th career marathon medal, and prepares for the Tokyo Marathon on March 2, which will be his 6th Abbott Star.
