I did the Nike Swim Miami 10K in 2010 and 2011, mainly to get out of Chicago (where I lived at the time) in April, and because I had friends to stay with in Miami. In 2011 it was my warmup for Tampa Bay.
The good:
- warm weather in April
- early-season 10K opportunity
- some FINA-level swimmers participate, if you're into that sort of thing
The less-good:
- boring loop course
- organizationally haphazard
That information may be out of date, but I still wouldn't go back again.
Hi Marlin, I swam the 5k last year and booked for the 10k next month. The problem with this course is that it is a loop course around a sailboat mooring field. Lovely for spectators. Not so much for the swimmers. Here is a breakdown of my thoughts:
PRO's:
-over 1000 swimmers
-good chance to compete at a high level if you are into that (olympic swimmers present)
-cool, unpretentious yacht club to meet swimmers, dip in the pool, have lunch after.
-races include 800m, 1 mile, 3k and 10k
-April race date is a good head start for 10k swimmers to kick off the season
-beautiful setting for spectators/ photography
CON's:
-the sailboat mooring field is nasty. water is dirty & polluted by sailors flushing toilets. YUK
-another problem is the boat ramp along the course. Boat & jet ski traffic add an element of danger as do boat leaks. Last year, the water had a strong gasoline smell during my last lap.
-finally, the water/ fuel station is at the dock marking the 1mile loop. You have to wait for that milestone to refuel or hydrate. I prefer being more in control of my fuel with a support boat but they dont allow them.
So why on earth am I swimming this race again you ask? Like I said, its the first 10k of the season and I need to gage my readiness for my other upcoming races. I also took a proactive role in helping the RC address the water quality/ boating safety issues. I contacted both Marine Patrol and USCG to assist with vessel inspections (make sure sailboats lock their toilet valves), and general boater safety throughout the race.
I hear they are moving the location of this race in 2016. Its in Miami, they SHOULD be able to find a gorgeous location! Hope this helps
I did the 5K last year and it was fine. I remember it was very hot that day after early morning thunderstorms.
Flat water boat basin with no current or tide effects. So it was a bit on the easy side. The water was not dirty but it was just okay, Not tropical clean, more like lake water. Hotels were expensive but that's Miami. Have fun
if you do it.
marlin
Member
Skip to content
Comments
The good:
- warm weather in April
- early-season 10K opportunity
- some FINA-level swimmers participate, if you're into that sort of thing
The less-good:
- boring loop course
- organizationally haphazard
That information may be out of date, but I still wouldn't go back again.
Here are my race reports if you're interested:
- http://marathonswimmers.org/blog/2010/04/race-report-nike-swim-miami-10k/
- http://marathonswimmers.org/blog/2011/04/report-nsm11/
PRO's:
-over 1000 swimmers
-good chance to compete at a high level if you are into that (olympic swimmers present)
-cool, unpretentious yacht club to meet swimmers, dip in the pool, have lunch after.
-races include 800m, 1 mile, 3k and 10k
-April race date is a good head start for 10k swimmers to kick off the season
-beautiful setting for spectators/ photography
CON's:
-the sailboat mooring field is nasty. water is dirty & polluted by sailors flushing toilets. YUK
-another problem is the boat ramp along the course. Boat & jet ski traffic add an element of danger as do boat leaks. Last year, the water had a strong gasoline smell during my last lap.
-finally, the water/ fuel station is at the dock marking the 1mile loop. You have to wait for that milestone to refuel or hydrate. I prefer being more in control of my fuel with a support boat but they dont allow them.
So why on earth am I swimming this race again you ask? Like I said, its the first 10k of the season and I need to gage my readiness for my other upcoming races. I also took a proactive role in helping the RC address the water quality/ boating safety issues. I contacted both Marine Patrol and USCG to assist with vessel inspections (make sure sailboats lock their toilet valves), and general boater safety throughout the race.
I hear they are moving the location of this race in 2016. Its in Miami, they SHOULD be able to find a gorgeous location! Hope this helps
Flat water boat basin with no current or tide effects. So it was a bit on the easy side. The water was not dirty but it was just okay, Not tropical clean, more like lake water. Hotels were expensive but that's Miami. Have fun
if you do it.