The Miami Marathon is a 26.2-mile race that goes through Miami Beach and Miami and will cause some blocked roads and traffic tie ups. Whether you’re trying to get to the marathon or totally trying to avoid it, here are our five best tips to help you navigate the crowds and gridlock.
1. Know when and where the marathon starts and ends.
- The race starts at 6 a.m. in downtown Miami at 601 Biscayne Blvd.
- It goes through Miami Beach, Coconut Grove and near Brickell.
- The race ends at Bayfront Park, and all runners will be off the course by 2 p.m. Road re-openings will be staggered based on when runners clear those areas.
2. Plan your commute based on these traffic predictions.
If you’re heading to or from the Beach in the morning, you should use the Julia Tuttle Causeway but just know a lot of people will have the same idea.
Before hopping in your car, check out this timeline from the marathon organizers on when and where to expect traffic:
- Downtown/Brickell area: 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Eastbound MacArthur Causeway: 5 a.m. – 8 a.m.
- Miami Beach/South Beach area: 5 a.m. – 10 a.m.
- Venetian Causeway: 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.
- Coconut Grove area: 6:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
- Rickenbacker Causeway: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
3. Find alternate routes because these roads will be closed.
To see full details on these road closures, including what time exactly they’ll close and reopen, check this more detailed traffic advisory from marathon organizers.
Here are the roads you’ll generally want to avoid:
- Biscayne Blvd
- SE 1st Street
- MacArthur Causeway
- Alton Road/5th/South Pointe Drive
- Ocean Drive
- Washington Ave
- Pennsylvania Ave
- 17th St
- Dade Blvd
- Venetian Causeway
- NE 1st Ave
- N Miami Ave
- S Miami Ave
- SW 1st Ave
- S Bayshore Drive
- Grand Ave
- Rickenbacker Causeway
- Brickell Ave
- S Miami Ave
4. Take the Metromover
Look, we know public transportation is not the most desirable option for most Miamians, but the free Metromover is pretty consistent and will get you around downtown Miami without much trouble. If you’re parking somewhere in downtown to cheer the runners on, the Metromover will be especially clutch.
5. Just sleep in
We’re mostly kidding here but hey, this race gets going at about 6 a.m. and is mostly wrapped up by the early afternoon. No one will blame you for pushing back brunch plans or deciding to watch more episodes of Black Mirror before heading out for the day.