The interest was so much that weeks ago the organizers opened more places and in this way the total reaches 21,635 registered: 3,892 for the marathon and 14,440 for the half marathon, on Sunday; and 3,303 for the Tropical 5K, on Saturday.
There are always last-minute desertions, so it is estimated that around 20,000 athletes in total will take the start between the Saturday and Sunday competitions.
“It hurts me a lot to tell people that they cannot participate and the waiting list for 2024 is 9,500 athletes,” Ruiz commented. “When we started 23 years ago we had to beg people to run, but now the demand is like in the Super Bowl.”
Ruiz, a passionate distance runner who runs three times a week with the clubs he has scattered throughout South Florida, recommended to all those who were left out this year to register for the Expo, which will take place on Friday the 26th and Saturday, January 27, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
In this edition, the foreign countries with the highest number of participants are Colombia (1,878), Mexico (1,169), Peru (414), Ecuador (332) and Guatemala (258). Then come Costa Rica, Canada, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
These figures do not include nationalities but rather the place of origin of the participants. Ruiz said that many people from those countries but residing in the United States appear as locals.
“The prestige of the Miami Marathon among Latin Americans is enormous and it continues to be a preferred destination because the participant there generally has family or is interested in Miami,” Ruiz explained. “In addition, getting to our city is easy and cheaper than running in New York, Chicago or Berlin.”
10 years ago, when the Miami Marathon had reached a high level, the company began to invest heavily in attracting runners and Ruiz began to visit various countries and now they are reaping the rewards.
“The vision was that 50 percent of the participants in the race would speak Spanish and we have exceeded that goal,” Ruiz commented. “We continue with our presence in Latin American countries, we visit them, we work with influencers, we go to big races with our staff or with people we hire there.”
Now the results of that effort are seen and the Life Time Miami Marathon also takes advantage of the enthusiasm for racing that athletes in those countries show.
“In Peru, for example, the passion for in-depth testing has grown a lot,” said Ruiz. “I spent a lot of time with the Peru Runners, they love Miami and as an event ours is less expensive than those in NY, Boston or Europe.”
Ruiz highlighted that 53 percent of the runners of the XXII Marathon come to Miami to run for the first time.
“That is very good for the race and economically very favorable for the city,” Ruiz said. “In this way our career maintains its freshness and always seems new. As additional information, I must affirm that the number of men and women participating is quite even.”
In each edition there are always adjustments with the purpose of improving the runners’ experience and this edition is no different.
“The main change we have made is that the start will be narrower and the starting frequency of the runners will be more restricted,” Ruiz said. “This is because due to the construction of the I395 bridges, the entrance to the MacArthur Causeway is less wide.”
To do things in a professional manner, the event organizers hired a company specializing in crowd science.
“They have worked with the NY and Chicago Marathon, among others,” Ruiz explained. “They keep statistics on how many people per minute and per second fit on a given route, the amount of water needed for the runners, the supply points for the athletes and everything is analyzed by computer and mathematical calculations. Our goal is to understand and improve the experience and safety of athletes and all staff working at the event.”
In total, about 2,500 people work on race day: 500 police officers, 150 doctors and paramedics, nurses, staff and volunteers.
As soon as the test is over, we work on the awards and the results. The next day, Monday, preparations begin for the 2025 edition, which will actually begin days before at the Expo with the opening of registration.
ITINERARY
XXII Life Time Marathon and Miami Half Marathon 2024
January 26: Expo
Location: Miami Beach Convention Center (1901 Convention Center Drive, 2nd floor)
Hours: 12 to 7 pm, Friday and 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday
Exhibitors: Around 130.
January 27: Tropical 5K
Participants: 3,330
Departure: 980 MacArthur Causeway (Watson Island)
Time: 7:30 am
January 28: Miami Marathon
Participants: 3,892
Departure: Kaseya Center
Time: 6 am
Miami Half Marathon
Participants: 14,440
Departure: Kaseya Center
Time: 6 am
