Miami Marathon
The Miami Marathon is an annual marathon racing event hosted by Miami, Florida, since 2003.
The marathon course also runs through the city of Miami Beach, Florida. The race is typically run on the last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February, at approximately 6:00am. The event also includes a half marathon, and a wheelchair division for both races. Marathon finish times can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Shifting Gears United is partner for the disability division.
Celebrities or local politicians typically start the race. Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic marathon champion, and Ryan Hall, winner of the marathon event in the 2008 United States Olympic Trials, have been previously given this honor.
Life Time Fitness produces this event.
History
Orange Bowl era
The inaugural Orange Bowl Marathon, established as part of the annual King Orange Jamboree, was held on, with over 800 participants.Originally the race had started and finished in the Orange Bowl stadium but after issues with the course the start and finish moved to the Crandon Park.
The marathon was never as popular as other races in the racing calendar and had trouble attracting athletes. Eventually, financial problems caused the event to fold.
The last Orange Bowl Marathon that the Association of Road Racing Statisticians has record of was held in 1988.
Current era
The inaugural race was held on with about 3,400 participants.The race has been growing over the years. In 2010,18,321 runners took part in the combined races. For the 10 year anniversary in 2012 the race sold out at 25,000 runners and has continued to reach that number of participants since.
The 2021 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. with all registrants given the option of running the race virtually, transferring their entry to 2022, or obtaining a refund.
The race had begun to decline in size and popularity since its peak in the mid 2010s. However, when it returned from COVID in 2022, it did so with a sold out field that included 15,000 runners across the entire weekend of events. The following year, the total field size increased to about 18,000 runners, and the race was sold out by October. Since then, the race has sold out increasingly quickly. The 2026 Miami Marathon opened registration on August 1, 2025, and general registration for the marathon was sold out by August 11.
Course
Beginning on Biscayne Boulevard next to the Miami-Dade Arena, the course takes runners eastbound on the MacArthur Causeway, past cruise ships docked at the Port of Miami, to South Beach. From there, competitors travel northbound along the famous Ocean Drive, through the City of Miami Beach, and then westbound along the Venetian Causeway and back to the mainland and the City of Miami. Here, the Miami Half Marathon finishes and the full marathon continues southbound through the financial district, Brickell, into Coconut Grove, out the Rickenbacker Causeway towards Key Biscayne, and then back through Brickell and downtown Miami to complete the at Bayfront Park.Through partnership with Shifting Gears United of South Florida, the Miami Marathon hosts a division for athletes with all disabilities. Sub-divisions include open divisions, push-rim, and handcycle.