Training with the best in Miami Lakes

Where can you get Olympic-level running training for free? At a run club, of course. In Miami Lakes, about 16 miles north of downtown Miami, hundreds gather in the dark morning hours to run with professional marathoners and top athletes including Luis Orta, Venezuelan Olympian and record holder.

The Miami Lakes Run Club meets every Tuesday and Friday at 5:30 am at the main track course in Tropical Park to train with Orta, who describes the early morning start time as a “filter.”

“If you’re here at 5:30 in the morning, it means that you’re going to work hard because nobody wakes up at 4:00 in the morning not wanting to work hard,” he said, according to a report by NBC6. “By seven, we’re done, so people can go to work, take the kids to school or whatever it is.”

The free session open to all running levels and features a different workout regimen each time. The gathering of more than 200 runners is divided up into eight groups led by five coaches and mentors with a wide range of experience levels. Miami Lakes Run Club also hosts 5K runs on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.