Page 1/2 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon 2008/2009

The city of Miami didn’t want to be the only major American city without a marathon, so in 2003 the Miami Marathon came into existence. Since then the race has been held annually with more and more participants every year. Last time, January 27 2008, more than 10,000 runners from over 40 countries ran the streets of Miami in the marathon and half marathon. Next time your get a chance to follow their example is Sunday January 25, 2009. Miamians are proud of their fancy beaches, their many well-healed inhabitants and their visitors in gigantic cruise ships. And they show off everything on the course of the ING Miami Marathon. The start line is at American Airlines Arena – a large sports arena home to the Miami Heat basketball team. From here it travels over Biscayne Bay for a little tour of Miami Beach before it returns by Venetian Causeway across a series of artificially made islands with some of Florida’s most valuable homes. Back on the Miami side of the bay, the course forms a loop through downtown Miami and Coconut Grove and finishes close to the start at Bayfront Park. The course never gets far away from the coast, which means that it stays nice and flat. Only the bridges needed to get from one piece of land to the other present some inclination. The marathon and the half marathon both start and finish in the same place and share the same route for about 20 km.
The backdrop of your athletic efforts will consist of paradise-like beaches, enormous cruise ships, breathtaking ocean views and luxurious jet-set mansions. Doesn’t all this sound like the perfect setting to film a Hollywood movie? This thought has come to a number of Hollywood directors who shot their movies in the tropical Miami scenery, and the marathon course lets you pass some of the movie locations. Among many others, the fast-moving '2 Fast 2 Furious', the legendary gangster movie 'Scarface' and the pastel-shaded 1980s TV show 'Miami Vice' have been shot in the streets and on the beaches of Miami. And don’t expect to be disappointed with the crowd-size along the way. The marathon organisers highly encourage Miami citizens to come and support the persistent athletes. They even make special Cheering Zones with extra entertainment for both runners and onlookers and print each participant’s name on his or her bib number for personal cheering.
Find out more on registration and other info at the official Miami Marathon website here.

ING Miami Marathon 2009 Course
Check out an aerial map of a marathon course set in paradise here.

ING Miami Marathon Results and Information