Miami Marathon 2027 fueling guide: aid stations, Gatorade, gels, and a plan for the heat

The Life Time Miami Marathon is on Sunday, January 31, 2027. At the last edition, corrals started from 6:00 to 6:45 a.m., aid stations began at mile 1.5 and came about every mile after that, and every station except one served water and Gatorade Endurance Formula. Neversecond C30 gels were at about mile 7 and mile 17.3. Unlike many races, the Gatorade here is real fuel: 22 g of carbohydrate per 12 oz. So in Miami you can build a plan around the course drink and two course gels, then carry the rest.

Miami is flat but warm. The organizer lists an average start temperature in the low 60s °F and an average noon temperature in the mid 70s °F, and a sub-3 runner and a 6:30 walker see very different parts of that range. The 2027 aid station page, corral times, and course map are not fully published yet, so this guide uses the last edition’s official information. Recheck everything in race week.

Miami Marathon 2027: the confirmed race facts

Miami uses chip time for its cut-offs, not gun time, so a late corral does not cost you minutes. After the 7-hour pace, aid stations, volunteers, and medical cover are no longer in place, and a follow-up vehicle picks up runners it catches. To make the mile 12.8 checkpoint you need about 16:24 per mile for the first half, just slower than the 16:01 per mile the full limit needs.

What is on the Miami Marathon course

The official aid station page gives the pattern and the two gel stations, but not a mile for every table. The table below lists exactly what it says, based on the last edition’s information. Do not expect a station at a precise mile between the ones named here; expect one roughly every mile.

Gatorade Endurance Formula is the key product. The race page says 12 oz has 22 g of carbohydrate, and Gatorade lists 310 mg of sodium, nearly twice regular Gatorade. A full 150 ml (5 oz) cup is about 9 g of carbohydrate and roughly 130 mg of sodium. At about one station per mile, a 10-minute-per-mile runner passes six stations an hour. Half a cup at each gives close to 27 g of carbohydrate per hour, almost half of a 60 g target, before any gel.

The course gel is Neversecond C30, 30 g of carbohydrate and 200 mg of sodium in a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend, per the race page. The page does not list caffeine for the course gel. If you have trained with C30, the two stations can replace two carried gels. If you have not, buy a few now and test them on long runs, or carry your own.

When you will reach each station at your pace

The table shows elapsed chip time at key points for an even pace. A 3:00 runner in corral B reaches the first gel station at about 0:48, around 6:48 a.m. A 6:00 runner in corral L reaches mile 25.5 at about 5:50, around 12:35 p.m., when the air is near its warmest.

The two course gels are 10.3 miles apart. For a 4:00 runner that is about 1:34 between them, and for a 6:00 runner about 2:22. Either way, the gel stations alone are far too few, so treat them as part of your plan, not the plan.

Pick your plan: three runner profiles

World Athletics’ consensus statement and its distance-running paper give 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour as the common marathon range and suggests trained runners try up to 90 g per hour in longer events. Research on multiple transportable carbohydrates shows that intakes above 60 g per hour are absorbed well only when the product mixes glucose and fructose and the gut has been trained. So here are three honest profiles. With 25 g gels, one every 30 minutes gives 50 g per hour, every 25 minutes gives 60 g, and every 20 minutes gives 75 g.

Racing it: your problem is volume and spills. At 75 g per hour from gels alone, a 3:00 race needs nine 25 g gels. Two Neversecond C30s can replace two of them if you know them. Gatorade at race pace mostly ends up on your shirt, so count only a few grams per cup. Build up to your number over eight to ten weeks of long runs, adding 10 to 15 g per hour every second week while your stomach stays quiet. Take the first gel about 20 minutes in, and the last one around mile 23.

Steady marathon: think in grams. A 4:00 race at 60 g per hour is 240 g. The two course C30s give 60 g. Half a cup of Gatorade at most stations, about 20 cups, gives roughly 80 to 100 g. That leaves about 80 to 100 g, or three to four carried 25 g gels. Write the grams next to each item on one card and total each hour. If it is hot, you will want the Gatorade anyway, which makes this the simplest Miami plan.

Long day: six or seven hours changes the math. Fifty grams per hour over six hours is 300 g. A walker at 13 to 14 minutes per mile passes four to five stations an hour, so Gatorade can cover half or more of that target. Add the two course gels and three or four of your own. The most important number for you is the 3.5-hour checkpoint at mile 12.8: eating on schedule in the first two hours is what keeps you on pace there.

Caffeine, sodium, and cooling buses

• Caffeine: the ISSN position stand supports 3 to 6 mg per kg about 60 minutes before exercise. For a 70 kg runner, 3 mg per kg is 210 mg. The race page lists no caffeine for the course gel, so bring any caffeinated gel you plan to use, and do not stack more than you have tried.
• Sodium: half a cup of Gatorade Endurance at most stations gives roughly 300 to 400 mg per hour, plus 200 mg in each course gel. That covers many runners. Heavy, salty sweaters on a muggy morning may still want a tested salt product, about 300 to 600 mg per hour in total.
• Do not add salt tablets on top of a full Gatorade plan without testing it; too much sodium and sugar at once can upset the stomach.
• Cooling buses at 136 SE 25th Rd, 310 Shore Dr, and 2601 S Bayshore Dr are on the marathon-only part of the course. A few minutes in the air conditioning costs less than a medical stop.
• Tear the top of your gel before a station, so you can drink with the same hand.

Hydration for a warm, humid Miami morning

The organizer calls race weekend one of Miami’s driest and coolest times of year, but warns that the weather can be humid, warm, and wet. Its average start temperature is in the low 60s °F (about 16 to 17 °C) and its average noon temperature in the mid 70s °F (about 24 °C). Weather Spark’s long-term averages for late January agree: a daily high near 76 °F (24 °C), a low near 63 °F (17 °C), about one day in three muggy, and a 15 to 16 percent chance of rain. Sunrise is around 7:04 a.m., so you start in the dark and run most of the race in sun. The race shows a green, yellow, red, or black flag at each mile marker for heat and weather.

The ACSM position stand advises drinking enough to avoid losing more than about 2 percent of body weight, and World Athletics warns against drinking more than you sweat. Finishing heavier than you started is a sign of overdrinking, which can lead to low blood sodium. With a station every mile, it is easy to drink at all of them by habit. Decide in advance which ones you will use.

• Test your sweat rate on one cool and one warm long run before race week.
• If you live somewhere cold, a few runs in extra layers or on a treadmill in a warm room help, but do not change your fuel plan for them.
• Practise drinking from a pinched paper cup while running.
• Seek help at a medical tent for confusion, severe headache, repeated vomiting, or collapse, whatever the clock says.

Breakfast for a 6:00 to 6:45 start

A familiar carbohydrate-rich meal one to four hours before racing is the standard framework in the World Athletics consensus. Corrals opened at 5:00 a.m. at the last edition and roads in downtown and Miami Beach closed from 5:00, so most runners need to be at Biscayne Boulevard by about 5:15 to 5:30. That puts breakfast at about 3:15 to 3:45 a.m. for corral A to D runners, and up to 30 minutes later if you start at 6:45.

• Two and a half to three hours before your corral starts: a practised meal such as a bagel or white rice with honey, a banana, and a familiar drink, about 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per kg.
• Set an alarm and eat even if you are not hungry. Many runners eat half, go back to bed for 30 minutes, then finish it.
• Sixty to ninety minutes before: a small low-fibre top-up, eaten before you drop your clear bag at Gear Check, three blocks south of the start.
• Ten to fifteen minutes before your corral goes: an optional gel, only if used in training.
• Keep caffeine at the dose and timing you know. Toilets are at the front and back of the start area and inside the Kaseya Center.

Course tactics: where Miami tempts you

• Miles 0 to 4: up the MacArthur Causeway at about a quarter mile, the biggest bridge on the course at 9 m, then a second climb near mile 2.5 into Miami Beach. Cool air and crowds pull you fast. The first station is at mile 1.5; take your first gel about 20 minutes in. Slow down for the sharp right turn off the bridge at mile 3.6.
• Miles 4 to 8: South Pointe, Ocean Drive, Washington Avenue, and north to West 28th Street. The first Neversecond station is at about mile 7. This is the coolest part of the race; bank fuel here.
• Miles 8 to 13: back to the mainland over the Venetian Causeway, with a small rise on its last part, then downtown. The half splits off near mile 12.9 and the checkpoint is at mile 12.8. Steady runners should have three gels or the equivalent in by now.
• Miles 13 to 20: over the South Miami Avenue bridge, through Brickell, out and back on the Rickenbacker Causeway, the second gel at mile 17.3, then south toward Coconut Grove. The sun is up and there is less crowd. Keep eating on the clock and watch for uneven road at miles 13.3 and 14.9.
• Miles 20 to 26.2: Coconut Grove, the Shore Drive loops, then north on South Miami Avenue and Bayshore, over the bridge at mile 25.5, and to Bayfront Park. Your last carbohydrate should be in by about mile 23. Mind the speed bump at mile 22.

The long-run rehearsal that makes the plan real

With about 15 weeks to go, there is time for several rehearsals. Start at your corral time, eat the same breakfast at the same clock time, carry the same products, and fuel at the same minutes. Buy Gatorade Endurance Formula powder and drink it from a cup at the pace you plan, because 22 g of carbohydrate per 12 oz is stronger than most sports drinks. If you plan to take the course C30 gels, test them on at least two long runs.

Your final rehearsal is where you simplify. If carrying six or more gels is awkward, lean harder on Gatorade and the two course gels. If drinking at every station leaves you sloshing, drink at every second one and add a gel. The best plan is the one you can still follow on Bayshore Drive at mile 23.

Race-week Miami checklist

• Recheck the official aid station, course, and safety pages for the gel brand, station miles, and corral times.
• Pick up your race kit at Mana Wynwood on Friday, January 29 (noon to 7:00 p.m.) or Saturday, January 30 (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Pickup is mandatory unless you paid for bib mailing.
• Lay out every carried item, add one backup, and write grams and timing on one card.
• Fill in the medical form on the back of your bib.
• Check the forecast 48 hours out and adjust fluid, sodium, and pace, not the whole plan.
• Do not buy an unfamiliar gel at the expo because the flavor sounds good.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and update notes

1. 1Aid StationsLife Time Miami Marathon and HalfAccessed October 17, 2026; last edition’s information. Stations from mile 1.5 about every mile, water and Gatorade Endurance (none at A), Neversecond C30 at F (about mile 7) and O (mile 17.3), 22 g carbohydrate per 12 oz
2. 2Marathon CourseLife Time Miami Marathon and HalfStart and finish addresses, last edition’s corral start times, bridges, 12.8-mile checkpoint, 7-hour chip-time limit, gear check
3. 3Course Overview and Watch Your Step NotesLife Time Miami Marathon and HalfRoad closures and hazards at miles 3.6, 13.3, 14.9, and 22
4. 4Safety, Weather, and Cooling BusesLife Time Miami Marathon and HalfFlag alert system, average start temperature in the low 60s °F and noon in the mid 70s °F, cooling bus locations
5. 5Expo and Race Kit PickupLife Time Miami Marathon and HalfJanuary 31, 2027 race date on the home page; Mana Wynwood expo January 29 and 30, 2027
6. 6Full Marathon Turn by Turn (PDF)Life Time Miami Marathon and HalfRoute through Miami Beach, Venetian Causeway, Brickell, Rickenbacker Causeway, and Coconut Grove
7. 7International Association of Athletics Federations Consensus Statement 2019: Nutrition for AthleticsInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019; PMID 30952204)Carbohydrate ranges, pre-race meal, and hydration guidance
8. 8Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race WalkersInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019; PMID 30747558)Marathon race-day carbohydrate: 30 to 60 g per hour, up to 90 g per hour with glucose and fructose and gut training
9. 9Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Joint Position StatementMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Thomas et al., 2016; PMID 26891166)Fluid guidance: avoid losing more than about 2 percent of body weight
10. 10A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During ExerciseSports Medicine (Jeukendrup, 2014; PMID 24791914)Multiple transportable carbohydrates and intakes above 60 g per hour
11. 11International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise PerformanceJISSN (Guest et al., 2021; PMID 33388079)3 to 6 mg per kg dosing guidance
12. 12Gatorade Endurance FormulaGatorade310 mg sodium and 140 mg potassium, nearly twice the sodium of regular Gatorade Thirst Quencher
13. 13Average Weather in January in MiamiWeather SparkLate-January high and low, muggy and wet-day chances, sunrise