Brush Up on Your Racing Etiquette

Our goal is to make sure that everyone has an enjoyable running and racing experience! Did you know that there’s a right and wrong way to race with a friend, pass fellow runners and slow down for water breaks? We’ve put together some tips on how to smoothly navigate through race day.

Announcements. Please listen to announcements at the start, on course and at the finish line. We ask that you pay close attention and follow instructions so that we can maximize your positive experience and keep you safe on race day. This includes doing your part to read your participant instructions and website so that you don’t overwhelm staff and volunteers.

Gear check. This may sound petty, but please leave your keys and other rattling items at home or check them in with your clear gear check bag. Runners around you want to hear the sounds of Miami, not the clanking of your keys in your pocket.

Knock, knock. The portable restrooms are all around the start and course, but of course there aren’t 25,000 of them so you may have to wait a bit. Two things to do when using the facilities is to knock before you swing the door open, sometimes the runners are a bit nervous and they forget to lock. The second thing is to do your best to treat the facility like it is your bathroom at home because others have to use it after you.

Let the fast line up up front. We assign your bibs according to your submitted estimated finish time, don’t harass the security and volunteers to line up in front of runners that are faster than you. If you want to run with a friend, you can drop back to the slower corrals, not the other way around. Race officials will be spot checking corrals, don’t be that person that gets asked to go back to your corral because you snuck into the wrong one.

Fast pass left. Run like we drive in the U.S., the fast lane is on the left side of the road. On the race course make sure you run to the right and pass on the left. A lighthearted shout to the runners ahead of you indicating you’ll be passing is appreciated. Keep in mind that not everyone speaks English, so be patient.

Say NO to dancing lines. Please run with only one friend at a time. Pack running is fine, but we ask that you not run or walk more than two runners abreast. Chit chat along the way is good, but don’t forget this is a race!

No texting and running. We know that runners are great multi-taskers, but running and texting shouldn’t be practiced on race day. We know you’ll be snapping pics and taking selfies, but don’t stop in the middle of the road to post to your Facebook page. Move over to the side of there road out of the way to upload your shots if you can’t wait until the finish line.

Keep the volume low. If you choose to wear headphones we ask that you wear only one side and keep the volume down. We ask this for your safety and for the safety of others around you. Not to mention, we have music out there!

Grab and go! When you pass those water and Gatorade stations don’t stop to chat nor come to a walk if you were running. Squeeze that cup and hold it to your mouth and drink away while you move forward. If you must stop, don’t do it right in front of the tables, do it after you passed the volunteers and slide over out of the lane of runners. We ask that you do the same at the finish line, keep walking all way through the chute. And by the way, you don’t have to lunge for the first table, that area is usually the most crowded so keep moving to the later tables. Most stations should have Gatorade first and water second, but sometimes volunteers switch things up on us in the midst of the excitement and busy time.

Keep Miami clean. The streets, sidewalks and neighborhoods are some of the most beautiful in the country. Don’t litter them with the cups and gel packets. Take your trash and throw it away at the aid stations. Many of us like to carry our cups for a while, just fold it up and hold onto them when you are done so you can toss it when you encounter the next station. And be kind to Biscayne Bay, you’ll be running alongside almost six miles of it, so definitely don’t throw anything on the ground in that area that the wind might pick up and blow into the water.

It’s your race, but there are 25,000 others doing it too. We love that you have friends and family cheering you on, but we ask that you keep them as spectators and not drag them through the final stretch of the race. We have bandit catchers ready to pull folks off for doing this. It is a safety hazard to pull others from the crowd to run in down the final hundred meters along Biscayne Boulevard. If they would like to run in with you, have them sign up and train with you. It’s your moment and thousands of other registrants around you as well we don’t want to ruin it by having them trip on one of your loved ones.

Be inspiring. Some might be running their first race, so they can use all the positive words of encouragement out there. Don’t be afraid to say hi and maybe even strike up a conversation. Some of the best friendships have started at races. We know this is a race, but runners are generally friendly competitors, so if you are passing someone, a thumbs up or a simple ‘Let’s go’ can inspire someone to push through that next mile. Don’t just pass people quietly, the race is long and they might be passing you later on and you might need their words to get to that line. Congratulate and hug those around you when you cross that line and most definitely say something if you see someone wearing their spinning Miami Marathon medal out and about town post race.