MIA Runway 5K Race Experience
I’ll start this post by saying that the MIA Runway 5K was one of the coolest and most unique 5K races I have ever done. I felt like a kid in awe of the planes and absolutely loved running on the runway next to planes taking off (!!). Keep reading so that you can understand why I would recommend this race to everyone and why I can’t wait to sign up for the 2023 edition of this race.
Accommodations
Local race, happy runner!
Expo
Because this race takes place on the airport runway, there was so expo. Bib and shirt pickup was held the day before and the morning of the race. It was a quick and smooth process and bibs were arranged alphabetically. Runners and spectators had to register ahead of time for security clearance, so there was no day-of registration.
Pre-Race
I had 9 miles total for the day, so I ran 6 miles before the 5K race. Pre-race was all about picking up my bib, using the bathroom, and finding my friends. There is no bag check at this event for security reasons. Bathrooms were plentiful and there was a huge American Airlines plane near the hangar where the race was starting, which was really freaking cool. Again, this race made me feel like a kid!
Tip: There is free onsite parking that is plentiful, but you want to arrive with enough time to park and possibly walk a bit before getting to the race area. I arrived close to 7am and walked 5-8 minutes before finding the bib pickup tents; I didn’t have enough time to walk back to my car to drop off the race shirt.
Post-Race
Post-race celebrations took place in the hanger. There was water, Gatorade, bananas, pretzels and cookies from Wawa, and Michelob Ultra beer near the finish line, along with plenty of photo opportunities. Again, like a kid, I was in awe of being in a hanger with hundreds of other runners.
On the Course
The race was a rolling start, which was really nice, and started close to the official start time of 7:30am. The entirety of the looped course is on a runway with one water station near the 1-mile and 2-mile marks (it’s one station for runners on both sides of the loop). There is no shade or coverage, making this a course that is completely exposed to the elements. With 2500 participants, there were people everywhere.
Race Experience
I was a little worried about the 7:30am start time because I have an aversion to running with the sun, but the cloudy conditions made the weather enjoyable for the entire time I was out there on the course. I must have said, “This is so cool” at least 10 times. It was so fun to take pictures with the plane before starting, run on a runway, and watch planes take off while running on the runway. I’m a sucker for “big” races because I love the community that gets automatically created when large groups of people go after the same goal of journeying from start line to finish line and this race gave me all those I-love-this-running-community-so-much feels. While I didn’t notice the spectators, I felt supported the entire time because of the number of movers out on the course; I can almost bet that an image taken from the sky would show a complete circle of people from start to finish at some point in the race.
Water and Gatorade at the finish line were greatly appreciated and, while I didn’t take advantage of the beer, I definitely appreciated the fact that each person was given two beer tickets.
One of the best part of local races is seeing familiar faces, catching up with running friends post-race, and cheering people on along the course.
Overall Impression
I loved this 5K. It was a totally different running experience for me, and it was so heartening to see so many people out there participating in a 5K on a Saturday morning. Who would have thought a run-runway combination is what we all needed to appreciate our ability to do cool things? I feel completely inspired to seek out more out-of-the-box racing experiences.
Pros
Local race for me.
Race day pickup was quick and easy.
7:30am start time with a rolling start for the participants.
2500 participants! This is a huge number for 5Ks and contributed to the feeling of being supported the whole time.
Unique and well-supported course on an airport runway.
Plenty of bathrooms.
Airplane photo opportunity.
Great weather made this a great experience.
Race photographers (not sure if photos are free).
If you get there early enough, close and convenient parking.
Fun and unique medal with a movable plane.
Beer in the finisher’s area in an airport hangar.
Cons
No same-day registration.
If you don’t get there early enough on race day (like me), then you have to run/walk with your race shirt.
No coverage on the course, so weather can play a big role in one’s experience of this race.
I didn’t notice many spectators along the course, but maybe that’s because all I noticed was runners/walkers everywhere.
If you want to race and PR, you must make your way to the front of the pack. Otherwise, you may be doing a bit of weaving around walkers.
For those of you who like the numbers, my official time for the MIA Runway 5K was 31:22. This time really makes me happy because I technically negative split my miles for the day!
Officially, my next race is a relay in December, but I am thinking about signing up for the Turkey Trot and maybe a few other 5Ks before training for my next big race starts (big race is TBD).
