Ideal Bite

This Sunday, Jan. 25, the ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon (www.ingmiamimarathon.com) will host the largest field in South Florida marathon and half marathon history. As of today, 14,740 men and women had signed up to race, run or walk South Florida’s largest combo running event. With less than 300 registrations spots remaining, race organizers are expecting a sell-out of its capacity 15,000 field.

“There is an appeal to the ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon that resonates every January,” said Gaby Pozo, general manager, ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon. “It’s the cool and comfortable weather, the beautiful racecourse and vistas, and for some, the potential to qualify for Boston. Yet one of the key factors to our race experience is the tremendous support from our local communities. We expect more than 50,000 of our neighbors to stand on the streets and cheer every runner to the finish line.”

Among the nearly 15,000 racers, the ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon will host one of its largest international fields this Sunday, Jan. 25. More than 12 percent of the running field will hail from outside of U.S. borders with a total of 55 countries being represented. The record field also includes runners from all 50 states. More than geographically diverse, the race features a wide range of ages proving that one can never be too young or too old to run a distance race. In the full marathon, the oldest racer will be a local 76-year-old South Beach resident with the youngest being a 16-year-old from Coral Gables, Fla. In the half marathon, a three-time race veteran will lead the age category at 82-years-old with the youngest taking on the 13.1-mile course being a pair of 12-year-olds from Miami.

Online registration for the race has now closed. Registration reopens at the Health and Fitness Expo in Miami Beach on Friday, Jan. 23 from noon to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More information, including spectator information is available online at www.ingmiamimarathon.com.

2009 ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon

Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 marks the seventh running of the ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon. The 26.2 mile marathon (and 13.1 mile half marathon) takes runners and walkers through one of America’s most international and vibrant cities. Beginning along the waterfront at American Airlines Arena, the course features beautiful vistas of cruise ships and mansions along the MacArthur Causeway before entering world-famous South Beach, then through the Venetian Islands, into the revitalized Arts District and the downtown area. Full marathoners continue on to Coconut Grove, onto the Rickenbacker Causeway with views of Biscayne Bay and the city skylines before turning back onto Brickell Avenue leading to a perfect finish at the Bayfront Park. The race was named a “Top Winter Destination Race” by USA Today and one of the “Top 10 Races to Run” by Runner’s World magazine. The ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon is expecting a record field of 15,000 racers for the 2009 event. The race is managed by PR Racing Miami, LLC and US Road Sports and Entertainment Group. More information including registration and volunteer information is available at www.ingmiamimarathon.com.

SOURCE ING Miami Marathon & Half Marathon / PRnewswire