Jogging in Miami

Jogging

There are numerous places to run in Miami, but the routes recommended below are considered among the safest and most scenic. Foot Works (5724 Sunset Dr., South Miami. 305/667-9322. www.footworksmiami.com), a running-shoe store that sponsors races and organizes marathon training, is a great source of information. The Miami Runners Club (8720 N. Kendall Dr., Suite 206, Miami. 305/227-1500) has information on running-related matters, such as routes and races.

The beachside Bal Harbour jogging path begins at the southern boundary of town, where it connects with the Surfside path. Mostly made of hard-packed sand and gravel at this point, the path turns into paved brick behind the Sheraton Bal Harbour. This jogging trail runs between the hotels and the ocean for about 2 mi, ending at the Haulover Cut passageway between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, a popular fishing spot.

In Coconut Grove,follow the pedestrian-bicycle path on South Bayshore Drive, cutting over the causeway to Key Biscayne for a longer run and a chance to jog uphill on the two wide bridges linking the key to the mainland.

In South Beach good running options are Bay Road, parallel to Alton Road, and the Ocean Drive sidewalk across the street from the art-deco hotels and outdoor cafés. And, of course, you can run right along the Atlantic on the beach. One good route is to follow the ramp down to the beach at 21st Street, then jog south along the hard-packed sand all the way to South Pointe Park, at the southernmost tip of Miami Beach. There you can get a great view of Government Cut, the passageway that cargo and cruise ships take as they leave the Port of Miami and head out toward the Bahamas or the Caribbean. You also get a close-up view of the ultrachic, multi-million-dollar condos on Fisher Island, on the far side of Government Cut.

Surfside,north of Miami Beach, has brilliant ocean vistas. You can park your car on any side street near 87th Street and Collins Avenue and walk onto the sand. Climb the rise to the path that looks like a levee. This elevated hard-packed, sand-and-gravel trail, which runs between the condos and hotels and the beach from 87th to 96th streets, gives you a clear view of the ocean. Another plus is that it's off-limits to skaters and bikers.