If you're going to run 26.2 miles outside in January, there are worse places to do it than Miami.
The Life Time Miami Marathon gets underway on Sunday with nearly 20,000 runners from all over the world descending upon the winter sun and sand for the ultimate test of endurance, strength and will.
The Miami Marathon began in 2003, attracting approximately 3,400 participants. Over two decades, the race has developed into an internationally renowned event featuring runners from all 50 states and over 80 countries.
A USTAF-certified course — and a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon — the Miami Marathon is also a qualifying race for the AbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships to be held September 15, 2024, at the Sydney Marathon. Last year's world championship race was held at the Chicago Marathon.
Runners participating in the Miami Marathon will take in stunning tropical views and sounds of the Magic City with a finish line alongside the water at Bayfront Park. Here's everything you need to know about this year's race.
How to watch the Miami Marathon in 2024
- Date: Sunday, January 28
- TV channel (Miami): News coverage on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox
- Live stream: Fubo
Unlike the New York City and Boston Marathons (among others), the Miami Marathon is not available to watch nationally.
However, for those in the Miami market, the race is typically covered by local news affiliates, including WPLG-10 (ABC), WFOR-TV (CBS), WTVJ (NBC) and WSVN (Fox). You can stream all three channels live on Fubo which offers a 7-day free trial.
MIAMI MARATHON COVERAGE: Watch on Fubo (Miami markets only)
Miami Marathon 2024 start time
The opening ceremony is at 5:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, January 28.
The Para Athletes' Start time is 5:55 a.m. ET with the first wave of runners set to start at 6:00 a.m. Below is a full schedule for Sunday's events.
- 4:00 am Pre-race shuttles leave Miami Beach Convention Center*
- 4:30 am General gear check and VIP tent gear check open | Bayfront Park
- 5:00 am Start line access open
- 5:45 am Opening ceremony
- 5:55 am Para Athletes Start
- 6:00 am Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Start
- 6:30 am Spectator bleachers open | Finish Line
- 6:30 am – 1:30 pm Finish Fest post-race party | Bayfront Park
- 7:30 am – 1:00 pm Life Time Pickleball Miami Exhibition | Bayfront Park
- 8:00 am – 1:00 pm Post-race shuttle service back to Miami Beach Convention Center
- 8:30 am Half Marathon Elite athlete awards ceremony | Bayfront Park
- 10:00 am Marathon Elite athlete awards ceremony | Bayfront Park
- 11:00 am Kids Run Miami / Miami Kids Mile start
Miami Marathon prize money, purse for winner
There is prize money for top finishers in every division for the marathon and half-marathon. Below are the payouts for the marathon's top finishers. For full awards including para-athletes, masters division and half-marathon payouts, click here and scroll to the bottom.
Overall Elite Male
- 1st place: USD $4,500
- 2nd place: USD $2,000
- 3rd place: USD $1,000
Overall Elite Female
- 1st place: USD $4,500
- 2nd place: USD $2,000
- 3rd place: USD $1,000
Miami Marathon 2024 route
The course is USTAF-certified, flat and single-loop with several bridges along the course with a very slight incline.
Miami is also a Boston-qualifying race. Full details on how to qualify for the Boston Marathon can be found here.
The starting line is at 601 Biscayne Blvd and begins with runners heading north in front of the Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat.
Though a flat course, there are several bridges with slight elevation changes. A quarter mile into the race, the MacArthur Causeway connects to Watson Island. Runners then continue along the MacArthur Causeway for about three miles before a second bridge connects to Miami Beach.
Runners continue through Miami Beach until mile 8 when participants return to mainland Miami by crossing the Venetian Causeway, a three-mile stretch. After passing through Brickell, runners complete an approximate out and back along the water to Coconut Grove.
The finish line is at 301 Biscayne Blvd, four blocks south of the starting line and adjacent to Bayfront Park.
Miami Marathon Weather Forecast 2024
The forecast for Sunday's race shows temperatures in the low 70s in the early morning for start time before reaching the low-mid 80s during the afternoon.
Weekend forecasts show a partially cloudy outlook with a 10-15 percent chance of rain throughout the late morning and into the early afternoon.
Past Miami Marathon winners
The course record is 2:12:22 set by Kenya's David Ruto back in 2003. Below is a list of the five most recent winners for both men and women. You can search for a comprehensive list of winners here.
Men
Winners of the men's division in the 2018-2023 Miami Marathons are:
| Year | Runner (Country) | Time |
| 2023 | George Onyancha (USA) | 2:18:26 |
| 2022 | Jackson Limo (USA) | 2:21:34 |
| 2021 | Canceled (COVID-19) | |
| 2020 | Saidi Juma Makula (Tanzania) | 2:22:01 |
| 2019 | Ezekiel Kipsang (Canada) | 2:16:36 |
| 2018 | Hillary Too (USA) | 2:23:03 |
Women
Winners of the women's division in the 2018-2023 Miami Marathons are:
| Year | Runner (Country) | Time |
| 2023 | Damaris Areba (USA) | 2:33:51 |
| 2022 | Martha Akeno (USA) | 2:29:00 |
| 2021 | Canceled (COVID-19) | |
| 2020 | Aydee Loayza Huaman (Peru) | 2:46:54 |
| 2019 | Kate Landau (USA) | 2:37:48 |
| 2018 | Lyubov Denisova (USA) | 2:40:54 |
