Going to or avoiding the Miami Corporate Run? What to know about traffic, parking, route

The 2023 Lexus Corporate Run returns to downtown Miami Thursday evening.

Take note, drivers: This year’s Corporate Run, in its 38th year, could put about 14,000 runners, walkers or wheelchair users from more than a thousand companies on the streets of downtown Miami.

Employees and employers will bond through competition, fitness and socializing as you’re trying to get home or navigate some nightlife downtown.

That means cars will be detoured for the duration of the 3.1-mile 5K race.

Here’s what everyone needs to know about road shutdowns, parking and access:

When does the Corporate Run start?

Schedule: The run starts at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at Bayfront Park at 301 N. Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami. Get there around 5 p.m. for the programming before the main event. Meet with your team at its tent, get your T-shirt, and warm up. There’s even coordinated stretch routines and pump-you-up events beforehand.

Transportation and how to get there

Options: Public transportation to Bayfront Park is advised.

▪ You can pay directly at Metrorail fare gates using contactless-enabled bank cards or digital wallets or wearable devices like watches or a phone that have Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit Pay and Samsung Pay. Or use transit cards like an EASY Card or EASY Ticket or the Go Miami-Dade Transit Mobile app.

▪ Details are on the Miami-Dade transportation home page at www8.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/home.page or the main Lexus Corporate Run website.

▪ Metrorail fare is $2.25 for a one-way trip or $5.65 for a One-Day Pass to the Government Center station. From there, transfer to Metromover’s Omni Loop or Inner Loop (free) and get off at the College/Bayside, First Street or Bayfront Park Metromover station.

Pro tip: Exit Metromover at the First Street Station, not the Bayfront Station. That’s because the First Street Station is closer to Corporate Run sections A, B, D, E-Class, F, H, S-Class, Q, and R. It also makes accessing the starting line easier, especially for anyone arriving late, officials suggest. Exit the station onto First Street, make a left and walk east a block and a half to Bayfront Park.

Parking at a station

Cost: Parking at the Metrorail stations is $4.50 per day. Pay at the station’s EASY Card/Ticket vending machine or through the PayByPhone app.

Miami parking garages

Here are some of the garages you can consider if you’re driving to the race.

▪ Garage #1 – Courthouse, 40 NW Third St. The nearest Metromover station is Government Center.

▪ Garage #3 – College Station Garage, 190 NE Third St. Nearest Metromover station is College/Bayside, or walk three blocks east and one block south to Bayfront Park.

▪ Garage #4 – Convention Center Garage, 100 SE Second Ave. Nearest Metromover station is Knight Center Station, or walk four blocks east and one block north to Bayfront Park.

▪ Bayside Marketplace Garage, 401 Biscayne Blvd. This garage is adjacent to Bayfront Park. Access the garage via the Port Boulevard entrance. and walk one block south to Bayfront Park. Participants can park here by showing their bib numbers for a discounted rate of $15.

Closed roads

These road closings are for Thursday, April 27:

▪ Biscayne Blvd. northbound lanes from Chopin Plaza to Northeast Fifth Street will be closed from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday.

▪ Southbound lanes of Biscayne Boulevard will offer two-way traffic, and special attention will be given to entry and exit of Chopin Plaza.

▪ Biscayne Boulevard from Chopin Plaza south to Southeast Third Street will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

▪ Southeast Third Street from Biscayne Boulevard to Southeast Third Avenue will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.

▪ Southeast Third Avenue from Biscayne Boulevard to Southeast Second Street will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

▪ Southeast Second Street from Southeast Third Avenue to North River Drive will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.

▪ North River Drive from Southwest Second Street to Northwest Fifth Street will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.

▪ Northwest Fifth Street from North River Drive to Northwest Third Court will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m.

▪ Northwest Fifth Avenue from Northwest Fifth to Fourth streets will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m.

▪ Northwest Fourth Street from Northwest Fifth to Fourth avenues will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:10 p.m.

▪ Northwest Fourth Avenue from Fourth to Fifth streets will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

▪ Northwest Third Court from Fifth to Third streets will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

▪ Northwest Third Street from Northwest Third Court to North Miami Avenue will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:20 p.m.

▪ North Miami Avenue from Northwest Third to Second streets will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

▪ Northeast Second Street from North Miami Avenue to Northeast Second Avenue will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.

▪ Northeast Second Avenue from Second to Fourth streets will be closed from 6:45 p.m to 8:50 p.m.

▪ Northeast Fourth Street from Northeast Second Avenue to Biscayne Boulevard northbound lanes will be closed from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Take note: If you are north of Northwest/Northeast Fourth Street, west of the Miami River or south of Biscayne Boulevard, these closures will not affect you, Corporate Run officials say.

Corporate Run route

Follow along: Once you’re hip to hip with thousands of other fitness-minded folks, you really can’t get lost on the route. You’re all heading on the same path and there are many volunteers guiding participants and people cheering you along the way. But if you’ve never done the Corporate Run here’s the gist of the route, the overview, from the Corporate Run folks:

▪ The race route starts by Bayfront Park’s southern section, then heads west on Southeast Second Street and under Interstate 95 before heading north on North River Drive.

▪ At the intersection with Northwest Fifth Street, participants will turn east before quickly heading north on Northwest Sixth Street.

▪ At the crossing with Northwest Third Court, everyone turns south, then east on Northeast Third Street, finally south on Biscayne Boulevard. The blessed finish line is by the northern side of the park.

Turn by turn: Here’s how Miami police list the turn-by-turn route that will be used for this year’s race.

▪ Start on Biscayne Boulevard (northbound lanes) south of Southeast First Street traveling south

▪ U-Turn before Southeast Third Street

▪ West on Southeast Second Street

▪ North on North River Drive

▪ East on Northwest Fifth Street

▪ North on Northwest Sixth Avenue

▪ East on Northwest Sixth Street

▪ South on Northwest Third Court

▪ East on Northeast Third Street

▪ South on Biscayne Boulevard (northbound lanes) to the finish line at Northeast Second Street.

READ MORE: ‘They are people who will be with you to the end.’ How this running program changes lives

Race day weather

Thursday forecast: The National Weather Service in Miami forecasts a mostly sunny Thursday with a 20% chance of thunderstorms around 2 p.m. and a high near 82. The east winds will blow around 6 to 10 mph.

By 8 p.m., when some of you may still be walking the route or celebrating your conclusion with camaraderie and drinks and snacks back at your tents, the rain chance drops to 10% and the winds hover around 10 mph to cool you off with 78 degrees under the Miami skies.

What South Florida’s weather forecast means for Miami’s big race day and the weekend