My First Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run

Runners participate in the 2017 Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run. The 5K and 10K races will be held for the 42nd year on Nov. 9. (Kiko Ricote via Key News)

By MARCO GOMEZ Key News Contributor

I moved to Key Biscayne in 1999 and have been actively involved with the Lighthouse Run both as a runner and as a volunteer for the past 20 years. My first exposure to this event was Nov. 16, 1985, at the eighth annual Lighthouse Run. I lived in Kendall at the time and made the trek to Key Biscayne to run the 10K. I remember driving over the drawbridge and feeling relieved when it was in the down position so I wouldn’t miss the start of the race.

There were 1,400 runners registered for the race that year. It is important to understand the United States was experiencing a running boom in the 1980s. The Lighthouse Run was the brainchild of Key Biscayners James Brewster and Ray Sullivan. They had a great concept and their timing was impeccable. The race attracted world-class competitors like U.S. Olympic marathoner Benji Durden, who set the Lighthouse Run 10K record of 29:35 in 1982. 

In 1985, the race started and ended at the Key Biscayne Community School. Award-winning Miami Herald sports editor and Key Biscayne resident Edwin Pope was the honorary starter. The course took us down to Harbor Drive, into Mashta then on Island Drive to Crandon Boulevard and into Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park for a glance at the lighthouse before heading back to the school. I finished in a respectable 38:15, roughly six minutes and 10 seconds per mile. The winner that year, Rubin Rodriguez, posted a time of 32:08. The competition was fierce, across all age groups.

I recall staying on the Key after the race, having lunch and a few libations with some friends before heading back to Kendall. I remember being impressed with the race, the course and the Key, so I made a mental note to add the race to my calendar for the next year. A few months later, I accepted a job transfer overseas and 14 years would pass until my next Lighthouse Run. 

When I moved to Key Biscayne in 1999, it was my good fortune to have James Brewster as a neighbor. He was well into his third decade as Race Director of the Lighthouse Run. We worked together for many years, making the race an event by the community and for the community. We lost Jim last year, but his legacy lives on. The Lighthouse Run is considered to be the longest continuously operating race event in the State of Florida. 

The Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run

The 42nd annual Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run will take place the morning of Saturday, Nov. 9, at Bill Baggs State Park. Over 900 runners will participate in the 5K and the 10K events. They will be supported along the course and at the finish line by more than 200 volunteers. 

Proceeds of the race are donated to local charities. 

The 10K will start promptly at 7:40 a.m. followed by the 5K start at 7:50 a.m. Access to Bill Baggs State Park closes at 7 a.m., so attendees are asked to please plan accordingly. 

Register here.