Running News Daily

Kenyans take Home Life Time Miami Marathon Titles

They were nearly 8,000 miles from home in the urban center of Kisii, Kenya, but their individual pursuits for Life Time Miami Marathon titles brought them together in South Florida on Sunday. Originating from farming families in southwest Kenya, George Onyancha and Damaris Areba both secured easy victories in their inaugural appearances in Miami's signature running event.

Twenty-nine-year-old Onyancha (2:18:25) finished nearly six minutes ahead of Siraj Amda (2:24:16) of New York in the men's Marathon. Twenty-seven-year-old Areba turned in the second fastest time in Miami Marathon history (2:33:49) bettered only by fellow Kenyan Martha Akeno's course record (2:29:00) last year. Isgah Cheruto (2:36:19) of Minneapolis was second behind Areba.

Onyancha and Areba were winners of few words. "I was leading and had another runner behind me until the 25K mark," Onyancha said. "Since I didn't know what his strategy was, I thought: 'Let me take off."

Areba was more focused on the uniqueness of the course route. The U.S.TAF-certified and Boston Marathon-qualifying circuit showcased the best views of Miami's cityscape and waterways during the 26.2-mile and 13.1-mile races. "The lights on the big ships, they're so beautiful," Areba said.

It was the 21st edition of the Life Time Miami Marathon and Half, which wound through downtown Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove. The event's sold-out field of 18,000 runners came from all 50 states and 69 countries – generating upwards of $50 million in economic impact to the Miami community. Colombia (1,300) and Mexico (1,100) led a wave of Latino runners, while nearly 1,000 U.S.-based runners represented the state of New York.

The Marathon began in front of the downtown Miami-Dade Arena before heading to South Beach via the MacArthur Causeway and then back downtown along the Venetian Causeway. Runners then headed south through the lush Coconut Grove community before turning north through the Brickell Avenue financial district and across the finish line at Bayfront Park.

The temperature at race start was 72 degrees and eventually settled into the mid-70s. Runners were able to experience the South Florida sunrise nearly an hour into their run, and the sparkling cruise ships docked at the Port of Miami put an exclamation point on the Event's iconic views.

Onyancha races mostly in Europe and China, and Sunday's marathon was his first in the United States. Areba has been on a tear, winning four marathons in eight months. Prior to her Miami victory Sunday, Areba won titles at the Green Bay Marathon (May), the Quad Cities Marathon (September) and the Des Moines Marathon (October). In November, she was fourth at the Philadelphia Marathon.

When Nacho Hernando-Angulo (1:08:36) arrived first to the finish line of the Half Marathon, he was almost home. The 29-year-old broke the tape just 800 meters from the hi-rise where he lives in downtown Miami. "To be home with the (2023) title is awesome," said Hernando-Angulo. "This title has to stay home, in Miami."

Veteran French triathlete, Brice Daubord (1:10:11), and 24-year-old, Alberto Mena (1:10:21) of Ecuador, were nearly two minutes off Angulo's pace to secure second and third place while event-defending-champion, Cesar Lizano, was sixth (1:14:01). The 40-year-old Costa Rican was fourth in 2012, third in 2014 and fifth in 2015 before winning last year's Miami title.

A native of Madrid, Spain, Hernando-Angulo settled in Miami in 2018 following running careers at New Hampshire Technical Institute and Southern New Hampshire University. He works as a sales director for a European importer. "I moved to Miami for work, definitely not for training," he said. "It's very tough to be an elite runner here. So we do what we can."

Ethiopia's Weynshet Ansa Weldestadisk (1:14:55) won her second career half-marathon Sunday, ahead of Ukraine's Valentyna Veretska (1:18:41) and defending champion, Lisa Brooking (1:18:50) of Canada. "It was a good course, but very windy and hot," said Weldestaisk. "The city is so beautiful. I wish I could live here. Everybody was telling me 'good job.' It gave me power."

The tall and slender Weldestadisk has been based in Washington DC for the last four months while competing in a series of U.S. races. The 26-year-old smashed the course record at the Extra Long Bronx (NY) 10-Mile Race last September and won both the Philadelphia Marathon and the Virginia 10 Miler in November.

Veretska, the women's half-marathon runner-up, continued her good results since fleeing Ukraine last year and winning the Jerusalem Marathon a month later in borrowed shoes and gear. The 32-year-old ran her first race in the U.S. in November, finishing third at the Princeton Marathon.

Onyancha and Areba each received $4,500 for their first-place finishes. Onyancha will use the funds to pay for two of his brothers' tuition payments while Areba will donate a portion to Kenyan youth developmental running programs and use the remainder to buy land to build a house. She and her husband are currently living in a rental unit. "I loved the city and the palm trees," Onyancha said about his first experience in Miami. "They look like umbrellas."

More information about the Life Time Miami Marathon may be found at www.themiamimarathon.com and on social media at Facebook.com/RunMiami, Instagram.com/TheMiamiMarathon, and Twitter.com/RunMiami. The Life Time Miami Marathon And Half operates with the tremendous support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.

The Miami Marathon And Half is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned by the Company, including the Chicago Spring Half Marathon, Garmin UNBOUND Gravel, and Leadville Race Series. For more information about Life Time (NYSE: LTH), visit www.lifetime.life. More information about Life Time athletic events is available at lifetime.life/athletic-events.

(01/30/2023) Views: 1,078 ⚡AMP

The iconic Miami Marathon And Half is returning to the streets

The Miami Marathon And Half is returning to the streets of downtown Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove beginning at 6:00am ET on Sunday, January 29. A sold-out cap of 18,000 runners representing 50 states and nearly 70 countries will experience the majestic beauty of South Florida stride by stride.

The strong international demand for a spot in the world-renowned race generated the earliest sell-out in the event's 21-year history – a result buoyed by its USTAF-certified, Boston-qualifying, fast and flat course that showcases Miami's unparalleled cityscape and waterways.

"The event presents something for everyone who runs or walks, and they want to experience it every year," said Frankie Ruiz, co-founder of the Life Time Miami Marathon and Chief Running Officer at Life Time. "This race always has been unique because of the energy and vibe that only South Florida can provide. The Life Time Miami Marathon and all of the activities that go along with it truly present an amazing weekend of fun experiences for the entire family."

New elements in 2023 include:

The Life Time Diaper Derby for 25 babies aged 6-12 months will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, January 27, at the Miami Famous Expo at Miami Beach Convention Center. Babies will make their way across a 10-foot mat for the chance to win awards in four different categories: Speed Demon for the fastest baby on-course; Trailblazer for the baby who forges their own path to the finish; Party Pooper for the biggest crybaby on-course; and awards for the top three overall finishers.

An awards category in support of non-binary runners and gender inclusion. Fourteen non-binary runners are registered to participate.

Local artist, Luis Valle's, painted murals adorning the walls of various local shopping centers, including Sunset Place in South Miami, Midtown Shops, Aventura Mall in North Miami Beach and City Place Doral. Valle's work is also on display all over Miami in restaurants, bars, schools and businesses. Additionally, runners will be adorned with Valle's artistry on the finisher medals of both the Marathon and Half Marathon.

A partnership with The Woody Foundation, an organization formed to transform the lives of people living with paralysis, to provide prize money and travel stipends for those attending from outside South Florida and improve the race experience for pushrim and handcycle athletes.

A special Brightline train from West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale to reduce emissions from cars driving to downtown Miami – adding to the event's array of green initiatives. At 3:43am on race morning, a Brightline train will depart the West Palm Beach station to take runners to the Marathon start line near FTZ Arena in downtown Miami. (The train also will stop at the Fort Lauderdale station.) Healthy snacks to fuel up for the race are included in the $32 fare from West Palm Beach and $27 fare from Fort Lauderdale. Other environmental measures include sourcing water from fire hydrants to move away from water bottles, installing storm drain filters to prevent waste from polluting waterways, and using increased digital signage to avoid paper waste.

The Life Time Miami Marathon And Half operates with the tremendous support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.

(01/17/2023) Views: 874 ⚡AMP
by Life Time

2022 Miami Marathon will celebrate 20 years this weekend

One of the largest running events in the world is celebrating decades in South Florida.

“We had our sights on being a big race,” said co-founder Frankie Ruiz. Twenty years later, the Miami Marathon is one of the biggest in the running world.

From its inaugural with only 3,400 runners to now having an average of 25,000, its become an international renowned running event.

“Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people that run this race aren’t doing it for a living or a profession,” said Ruiz. “The rest are just like me who are just having a good time sharing community, sharing a common goal that day.”

There have been some big names running some record times here in the magic city. The best time so far was just over two hours.

Like many other events, the Miami Marathon is returning for its 20th year after going virtual last year due to COVID-19.

They are seeing the demand from their participants as the race sold out back in November.

“Now, what I think we have is all this pent up demand,” Ruiz said. “We deferred a lot of those entries of people that were registered, because a whole lot of people registered for 2021. We pushed those over to 2022, and I think there’s definitely a greater sense of health and well-being and wellness and so forth and that’s why we’re seeing the demand in the sport right now.”

Twenty-six miles of roads across South Florida will transform into one the best courses in the country.

(02/04/2022) Views: 1,275 ⚡AMP
by Alex Browning

2021 Miami Marathon & Half-Marathon Cancelled due to the coronavirus concerns

The 2021 Miami Marathon and Half-Marathon are now canceled over COVID concerns.

Organizers broke the news Monday night, saying, in part:

“Believe me when I say we are devastated. This will be the first time we are unable to host this event since its inception in 2003, however the health and well-being of our running community is of utmost importance. Due to coronavirus-related concerns for our runners, spectators, volunteers, staff, vendors and the numerous partners and essential workers that support us throughout race weekend, we made the difficult decision to cancel Miami’s premiere endurance event.”

The races were supposed to take place on Jan. 31.

Registered participants will be emailed on Oct. 26 to choose whether they want to defer or switch their entry.

Those who defer can participate in the rescheduled 2022 event. Participants who decide to switch will be given the following options:

Access to a free online program leading up to the virtual event in January

Free entry into the Virtual 2021 Life Time Tropical 5K (Jan. 17), Virtual Half Marathon (Jan. 24) and Virtual Full Marathon (Jan. 31)

Guaranteed entry into the participant capped 2022 Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon

Donate their registration fee to the Miami-Dade County Public

Get a refund for their registration fee (minus processing fees).

(10/13/2020) Views: 1,492 ⚡AMP

Beatie Deutsch from Israel wins Miami half-marathon

An ultra-Orthodox mother of five won the half-marathon at the 18th annual Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon event.

American-Israeli Beatie Deutsch, 30, finished with a time of 1:16:4 to win in the women’s category on Sunday, the Miami Herald reported.

It was Deutsch’s first race in the United States. She is working to qualify to represent Israel in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. That race currently is scheduled for a Saturday, however, and the Sabbath-observing Deutsch would be unable to compete even if she can reach the Olympic qualifying time.

Deutsch, who moved to Israel from New Jersey in 2009, is known for running in a skirt, sleeves that fall below her elbows, and a headscarf.

In May, Deutsch was the top female finisher in a 13-mile half-marathon race in Riga, Latvia, reportedly becoming the first ultra-Orthodox woman to win an international athletic competition.

This year, for the first time, the Miami Marathon offered kosher-certified meals for athletes at the finish line, the Miami Herald reported.

(02/11/2020) Views: 1,699 ⚡AMP
by Marcy Oster

Israeli marathon runner Beatie Deutsch is set to compete in the 2020 Fitbit Miami Half Marathon

Israeli marathon runner Beatie Deutsch is breaking records just four years after taking up the sport. But that isn’t what makes her so remarkable. It’s the stereotypes and cultural barriers she shatters every time she crosses a finish line in a long skirt, long sleeves and a head scarf.

The 30-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jewish mother of five, who was raised in New Jersey and moved to Israel in 2008, broke the course record for Israeli women at the 2018 Jerusalem Marathon, and has since won the Tiberias Marathon, the Israeli half marathon and marathon national championship. Her personal best marathon time of 2:32 is just shy of the Olympic qualifying standard.

Last May, she won a half marathon in Latvia, becoming the first known Orthodox Jewish woman to win an international race. This Sunday, she is running in the LIfe Time Miami Marathon, her first race in the United States. She is competing in the half marathon, and will be rooted on by Jewish fans in South Florida and all over the world, many of whom follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@marathonmother).

“Speedy Beatie,” as she has been nicknamed, is inspiring Orthodox Jewish women to take up running, women like Brocha Lipkind, a 45-year-old mother of five from North Miami Beach, who is participating in the Miami Marathon with a 54-member team called “Run4Yitzi.”

The group is raising funds for ALS-stricken Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz of Los Angeles, 47, who cannot move, talk or eat on his own but writes a weekly blog using eye movements to direct his computer.

“I think the stereotypical view people have of a religious Jewish woman is a woman with a million kids hanging on her, not working, not caring about herself and her individuality and we don’t always represent so well because maybe sometimes we look haggard,” Lipkind said. “Beatie is out there changing the face of what religious mothers and women look like. Even more so, she’s changing the face of what people think Jewish people are all about. She is out there surrounded by runners from all over, even Palestinian runners. She’s representing a culture of love and kindness, support for everybody.”

Deutsch grew up in Passaic, New Jersey., and though she was always tiny — she is barely over 5 feet now — she was athletic and coordinated. She didn’t watch sports because her deeply religious family didn’t own a television, but she was a talented gymnast. She stopped training at age 12 for modesty reasons because the coaches were men. She took taekwondo lessons and played basketball every Sunday with other girls at her school. She never considered running until four years ago, when she finished last in family races on the beach and vowed to get back in shape.

Her husband, Michael, an avid cyclist, fully supported her new hobby and even bought her a runner’s watch. She never imagined running marathons would result in becoming an international role model.

“Sports has such an important power to break down barriers,” she said by phone from Jerusalem. “Through the running community in Israel, I have come in contact with so many people, not just Jewish but also non-Jewish. In Israel, there are a lot of stereotypes about religious Jews and people have misconceptions about what we are able to do and how oppressed we are. I have been able to break down some of those barriers.”

Living in a “Haredi” community of strictly Orthodox Jews, Deutsch said “being different is not always accepted,” but she is slowly changing attitudes. She is proving that she can be a doting mother to five children under the age of 10, a devoted wife and a professional athlete.

(02/07/2020) Views: 1,935 ⚡AMP
by Michelle Kaufman

Kenya's Ezekiel Kipsang won the Miami Marathon clocking 2:16:34

Ezekiel Kipsang is one for one in marathons. The 22-year-old Kenyan, who lives in Ottawa, Ontario, won the Miami Marathon, running the distance for the first time Sunday. He finished in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 34 seconds to beat runner-up Jacob Chemtai of Kenya by nearly 2½ minutes.

Kate Landau of Tacoma, Washington, overcame leg cramps and nausea to win the women's race with a time of 2:37:45. Mary Akor of Hawthorne, California, was a distant second in 2:45:55.

More than 20,000 participants in the marathon and half-marathon ran in humid, windy weather.

(01/28/2019) Views: 2,080 ⚡AMP

I can still remember my fear, my dread five years ago says Joan Chrissos who is running the Fitbit Miami half Marathon Sunday

"I ran a minute, walked a minute, Ran, Walked, Ran, Walked, For 30 minutes, says Joan Chrissos. "That was my first day of training for the Miami Half Marathon five years ago. I can still remember my fear, my dread.

"I was 58 and hadn’t run since my senior year of high school when I was one of eight girls on the boys’ track team. It was not that I loved running, but rather I was making a political statement at age 17.

"Fast forward to that October morning and my first training session with TeamFootWorks, the nonprofit running program of FootWorks, the family-owned store in South Miami that will begin its 46th year on May 15. TeamFootWorks has trained thousands of people to run a marathon, a half marathon or a 5K, people like me, who never thought they could master such a feat."

Joan has already run 10 half marathons so far. 

"I’ve run in Halloween costumes (OK, a Halloween shirt). I’ve run in 40-degree weather. I’ve run in rain (Ugh!). And I’ve chugged up and down the hills of Nashville, which are beautiful but killer on the last mile.

"Along the way, I’ve lost weight, gained muscle, eaten healthier, slept better, gotten closer to my husband Ken (who is running the full marathon on Sunday) and learned to break down complex challenges to manageable tasks, literally one step at a time.

"Most importantly, I’ve gained a rich circle of friends. We have sweated side by side, yelling “We’ve got this!” as we make our way past each mile post. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve celebrated the birth of children, and mourned the death of loved ones.

"And every Saturday, after our runs, we treat ourselves to breakfast, dissecting our performance and the latest in our lives over eggs, grits and café con leche."

(01/24/2019) Views: 2,215 ⚡AMP

Rick Rayman marks 40 years of running every day, and he’s planning his next marathon, the Miami Marathon

Yesterday in Toronto, Rick Rayman, 72, marked 40 years of running every day. He celebrated with his friend Steve DeBoer, 64, of Rochester, Minn., who travelled to Toronto to mark the occasion with him, with–what else?–a short run. Both men occupy high positions on the Streak Runners International site–Rayman is #2 on the international list, and DeBoer, 64, who has a 47.5-year streak going, is #3 on the US list. 

(Rayman is considerably ahead of the next person on the international list, Tyler Brett Forkes, who is also Canadian, and whose streak is at 27.9 years.)

Rayman’s streak began in 1978, but not with any real intention behind it. Then his friend Brian Williams, at the time a sportscaster with CBC television, commented on the air one evening that his friend Rick Rayman had run every day for 278 days. 

”That’s what made me think, why don’t I keep going?” says Rayman, who is Director of Student Life at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, and still teaches three days a week. So what constitutes a streak? How far do you actually have to run every day for it to count?

According to the streak site, the answer is one mile. Rayman’s personal standard slightly higher: 30 minutes minimum. But he often runs for an hour or more, and longer on weekends.

More impressive than that is the fact that he has run every edition of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which celebrated 29 years this year–and that was Rayman’s 365th marathon. (And his 13th in 2018 alone.)

“I remember when there were only 600 runners, and it finished at the Flatiron building,” says Rayman. He’s planning his next marathon, the Miami Marathon. Rayman tells us that many streakers plan when to end their streaks, so they aren’t forced to stop due to injury. Not him.

“I plan to run until I can’t any more.”

(12/11/2018) Views: 1,940 ⚡AMP

High Winds Slow Down runners at Miami Marathon

More than 20,000 runners from over 80 countries hit the streets of South Florida Sunday for the Fitbit Miami Marathon. Runners faced high winds - gusts of up to 15 mph - along the route, slowing down the times of many runners. Kenyan runner Hillary Too, 38, was the first man (2:23:03). “I was aiming at 2:15 this time. But the wind was so tough," Too said. "This is why I could not run 2:15. But I'd like to come next year.” Lyubov Denisova, 46, of Gainesville was first woman (2:40:54). (01/28/2018) Views: 1,509 ⚡AMP

Miami Marathon will make you move

The Miami Marathon is a big-city race with a super-relaxed party vibe. It’s the perfect escape from a Canadian winter. In cities like Boston, Chicago and even New York, the streets are eerily quiet on the eve of a marathon. Thousands of locals and visiting runners opt to lay low, eat a quick pasta dinner and get to bed early. This is not the case the night before the Miami Marathon. (12/15/2017) Views: 1,635 ⚡AMP