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He was in South Florida for less than 40 hours, and it was quite a trip from Kenya, but highly decorated marathoner Dominic Ondoro accomplished the purpose of his mission Sunday when he won the 24th edition of the Life Time Miami Marathon and Half presented by FP Movement.
Ondoro covered the 26.2-mile distance in 2:17:47 to dominate the elite men’s marathon division of the iconic event, finishing more than two minutes ahead of runner-up Bradley Makuvire of Texas (2:20:12). Brazil’s Ederson Vilela Pereira (2:21:18) rounded out the top three.
The 37-year-old father of three and winner of more than 20 marathons worldwide departed Kenya on Friday morning, arriving in Miami just after 1:00 AM on Saturday. He was picked up by a local, last-minute host when weather cancelled his longtime coach’s flight from Texas. A comfortable bed was waiting in the host’s Broward County home where he got enough rest to arrive in Downtime Miami before sunrise ready to perform.
Turning his ankle at mile 21 proved to only be a minor nuisance toward Ondoro’s goal of a first Miami victory.
Marine biologist doctoral candidate Christina Welsh was the first woman to cross the marathon finish line for the elite women’s division (2:42:14). She amusingly compared her marine research work to running marathons in the Florida climate, which challenged Sunday’s runners.
“In my research, I measure how fast fish metabolism is under different temperatures and when they’re exercising,” she explained. “I put the fish on a treadmill and make them work as hard as they can, and then see what their (maximum oxygen volume) is.”
Then, Welsch smirked. “I feel a lot like the fish on the treadmill when I’m running through the Florida humidity.”
Completing the podium in the women’s marathon were 2025 European Master’s marathon champion Ellie Stevens (2:45:43) of Las Vegas and Hanna Hauschild (2:52:27) of Miami Beach.
With his family watching and his wife accompanying him in the Half Marathon, proud Colombian Mauricio Gonzalez won the elite men’s division in 1:06:17. Finishing behind Gonzalez in the men’s half marathon was a pair of runners who battled to the finish line. Miami resident Paxton Smith (1:08:27) finished second for the second consecutive year, while two-time Olympic Trials qualifier Will Norris of Charlottesville, VA was third (1:08:1).
Brit Tracy Barlow (1:17:37) found that third time was the charm in winning the Half Marathon for the elite women’s division after finishing third the last two years.
“It was knowing about the course and using that to my advantage,” said the diminutive 40-year-old Barlow. “I knew where the bends were coming, because it’s quite long straights. That can be quite mentally tough when you think there’s a bend coming and it’s not for another two miles. I knew just to put my head down and run and then take up miles that way.”
Lucy Dobbs of Indianapolis (1:19:32), who has a pair of top 50 finishes in the New York and Boston Marathons, and McKenna Revord, a volunteer coach at the University of Miami, (1:25:10) were second and third.
Participants representing 49 states and 82 countries were among the 18,500 runners at the start line for the USTAF-certified, Boston-qualifying course that showcased the best views of Miami’s cityscape and waterways.
The race kicked off at Kaseya Arena on Biscayne Boulevard before runners turned east and headed to South Beach past the twinkle-lighted cruise ships at the Port of Miami. The sun began to rise as runners crossed Ocean Drive and then headed back toward downtown Miami. Marathon runners also weaved through the lush Coconut Grove community and Miami’s financial district.
The 2026 Life Time Miami Marathon & Half sold out at 18,500 runners in mid-August 2025, the fifth consecutive and also the earliest sellout in history.
The weekend included Saturday’s Life Time Tropical 5K warm-up race, where 2016 Venezuelan Olympian Luis Orta won for the fifth time. But two furry members of the Miami Beach Fire Department garnered much more attention at the finish line.
In an effort to call attention to mental health issues within the fire service, search and rescue and emotional support K-9s Deco and Sasha participated along with their firefighter handlers Stephany Marcos and Capt. Sergio Martinez. Like many of the 3,300 runners in the Tropical 5K, Deco and Sasha were winded after the 3.1-mile race. Deco, wearing a medal around his neck, sprawled across the pavement and took a much-needed rest in front of the famed Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant.
Orta, on the other hand, looked fresh. He wasn’t pushed as he crossed the finish line 44 seconds ahead of second place Tom Black of New York. Then on Sunday, Orta was back on the pavement and finished 10th among his fellow male elites in the Half Marathon.
The Miami Marathon, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand.
In addition to the iconic Miami Marathon & Half, Life Time also has a strong presence in South Florida with five athletic country club destinations, including the newest at West Boca. This destination joins Life Time’s established locations in Coral Gables, Miami at the Falls, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach Gardens.
The Miami Marathon & Half presented by FP Movement is among nearly 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by Life Time including the Chicago Half Marathon, UNBOUND Gravel, and the Leadville Race Series. For more information about all Life Time athletic events including event registrations, visit https://my.lifetime.life/athletic-events.html.
