18K runners at Miami Marathon: When streets will be closed, how to get there, weather
The 2024 Life Time Miami Marathon and Half is back Sunday for its 22nd run on the streets of South Florida.
The race will showcase 18,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes, and thousands more are expected to cheer from the sidelines, according to organizers.
The full marathon covers 26.2 miles, starting downtown, crossing over to Miami Beach, back through downtown, dipping onto the Rickenbacker Causeway, heading south into Coconut Grove and then back to downtown. The half marathon covers 13.1 miles and goes along the same route but skips the Rickenbacker, Brickell and the Grove.
Many streets will be closed, starting on Saturday and continuing through Sunday afternoon.
Here’s a guide to street closures, transportation options, the weather forecast and more:
When is the Miami marathon?
The opening ceremony is at 5:45 a.m. Sunday and the race starts at 6 a.m. (5:55 a.m. for para athletes) on Biscayne Boulevard at the Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd., home of the Miami Heat. The finish line is at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd. The post-race party will last until 1:30 p.m.
Participants must reach the 12.8-mile mark within 3.5 hours to be allowed to continue the marathon, organizers said. Those who do not reach the mark on time will be encouraged to head to the finish line to complete a half marathon.
Which roads will be shut down? When?
While most of the street closures will be Sunday morning, some streets by the Kaseya Center will start closing on Saturday morning.
Here is a breakdown by area of street closings:
Downtown Miami
Starting at noon Friday, traffic on Biscayne Boulevard from Southeast Third Street to Northeast Second Street will be diverted in a counterflow direction until 8 a.m. Saturday. At 8 a.m. Saturday, the southbound lanes of the boulevard between those streets will be open, but the northbound lanes will be closed.
The northbound lanes of Biscayne Boulevard from Southeast Sixth Street to Northeast 11th Terrace will be closed from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. From Southeast Third Street to Northeast First Street, however, the boulevard will be closed until 5 p.m. Sunday.
Other downtown Miami streets that will be closed Sunday morning include the southbound lanes of North Miami Avenue, between Northeast 15th Street and Northwest First Avenue.
MacArthur Causeway
The eastbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway will be shut down between Biscayne Boulevard and Alton Road/Fifth Street in Miami Beach from 5 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Sunday.
Miami Beach
Ocean Drive will be closed between South Pointe Drive and 15th Street from 5:55 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. Sunday. Alton Road will be shut down between Fifth Street and South Pointe Drive from 5 a.m. to 8:25 a.m.
Washington Avenue will be closed between 14th Street and Dade Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. Sunday.
Prairie/Meridian Avenue will shut down between Dade Boulevard and 28th Street from 6:15 a.m. to 9:05 a.m.
The westbound lanes of Dade Boulevard will be closed from Washington Avenue to the Venetian Causeway from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Drivers needing to enter or exit Miami Beach from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday should take the Julia Tuttle Causeway.
Venetian Causeway
The westbound lanes of the Venetian Causeway will be shut down between Dade Boulevard and Northeast 15th Street from 6:35 a.m. Sunday to 10 a.m. Sunday.
Brickell
The southbound lanes of Brickell Avenue will be closed from Southeast Fifth Street to Southwest 15th Road from 6:35 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Sunday. Northbound lanes will be shut down between Southwest 15th Road and 26th Road from 6:40 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
Rickenbacker Causeway
All lanes of the Rickenbacker Causeway will be closed between Southwest 26th Road and the William Powell Bridge from 6:40 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Sunday.
Coconut Grove
The northbound lanes of South Miami Avenue, which becomes South Bayshore Drive, will be closed from U.S. 1 to McFarlane Road from 6:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
The northbound lanes of South Bayshore Drive will shut down between Mary Street and Aviation Avenue from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Sunday.
Additional Coconut Grove streets that will be closed from Sunday morning to early afternoon are Main Highway (northbound), Shore Drive, Tigertail Avenue, Aviation Avenue, Grand Avenue, Commodore Plaza and McFarlane Road.
What are some transportation and parking options?
Public transportation might be your best bet to get downtown, considering all the street closures.
READ MORE: Is the cost of gas making you drive less? You have some options in Miami to get around
Metrorail and Metromover service will start at 4 a.m. Sunday. Metrorail garages and surface lots will open at 4 a.m. with free parking all day, Miami-Dade Transit said on X, formerly Twitter.
Brightline is offering early-morning rapid train service on race day, with departures starting at 3:48 a.m. from the West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale stations to the downtown MiamiCentral station, 600 NW First Ave., organizers said. Stops will not be made at the Boca Raton or Aventura stations.
READ MORE: Tri-Rail arrives in Miami, but not the promised one-seat ride downtown. What’s next?
For those who purchased pre-race shuttle tickets, the buses will leave at 4 a.m. Sunday from 1800 Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach. Post-race shuttles will operate from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the pickup spot at Northeast Eighth Street and Biscayne Boulevard, next to the Kaseya Center.
For more information about public transportation and parking options, including costs, visit themiamimarathon.com/transportation.
Where can spectators watch the marathon?
Spectators can watch the marathon from the start and finish lines at the Kaseya Center or they can go to one of several “cheer zones,” organizers said.
Cheer zones:
▪ Washington Avenue and 17th Street in Miami Beach
▪ Miami Beach Senior High School, 2231 Prairie Ave.
▪ Northeast 15th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami
▪ Baptist Medical Plaza, 2660 Brickell Ave.
▪ 3140 Grand Ave. in Coconut Grove
Make sure to park legally; avoid getting towed.
What is the weather going to be like?
The Sunday weather forecast for Miami is not ideal for runners.
Expect a mostly sunny morning in the low 70s and a high in the low 80s around noon, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
For more information about the marathon, visit themiamimarathon.com.
