Latest news with #FrankieRuiz
CBS News
17-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Unique Miami recycling company gives discarded shoes new traction
Miami — A donation box at the Brickell Run Club in Miami, Florida, asks runners to recycle used sneakers that would otherwise wind up in the trash. "Typically, on a weekly basis, we'll probably get, I don't know, maybe, 20 pairs of running shoes that people have decided to part ways with," said Frankie Ruiz, the club's founder. "...We collect them every week. We fill up one of these boxes, typically, once or twice a month." They are one of several such drop-off locations across the United States for the used shoes that are then collected by the for-profit recycling company Sneaker Impact. "I think this is an excellent solution," Ruiz said. "For the avid runner, they're switching out their shoes every three to four months." The shoes are taken to Sneaker Impact's warehouse at its headquarters near Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood. Shoes that arrive at Sneaker Impact are sorted to either be reused or recycled, depending on their condition. Sneaker Impact says it gets over one million shoes per year. "It's all about accountability, sending the right product to the right market," Sneaker Impact founder and CEO Moe Hachem told CBS News. "Sneakers are a necessity in the developing world. They are a form of transportation." All the reusable shoes are shipped outside of the U.S., where they're eventually resold by mom-and-pop shops in the developing world in nations such as Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia. "You're not only reducing waste here at home, you are creating microbusiness opportunities in a developing country," Hachem said. Shoes that are not shipped out for resale by Sneaker Impact are crushed and given a second life as foam, rubber or textiles. "Those could be made into flooring, into mats, into tiles," Hachem said. "And we've also made a sandal from 85% sneaker foam." He said his goal in founding Sneaker Impact was to develop an environmentally friendly way to do business. "This is important, there is no planet B. Sneaker Impact should be the last resort — reuse, upcycle, gift to your neighbors," Hachem said. He said he hopes other companies replicate the type of work he's doing "We have no other competition," Hachem said. "The only competition we have are landfills."
Axios
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
"Part of Miami's fabric": Life Time Miami Marathon continues to grow
When Frankie Ruiz set out to organize what would later become the Life Time Miami Marathon, he never anticipated it would one day attract more than 18,000 runners — including thousands from outside the U.S. Why it matters: Miami's marathon isn't often listed alongside the world's most iconic races — like those in New York or Chicago — but Ruiz sees growing evidence that it's catching up. This year's race, the 23rd edition, sold out in record time, the Miami Herald reported — despite having its highest-ever cap on participants at 18,500. Global brands have begun partnering with local run clubs to host community events and activations in the lead-up to Sunday's race. Case in point: Nike hosted its " After Dark Tour" on Monday, Hoka invited runners to test the new Bondi 9 sneaker on Tuesday, and lululemon is hosting a shakeout run ahead of the race. Ciele also held an unsanctioned race with the HERD run community on Thursday — "the ultimate validation that you have a legit event," Ruiz said. Meanwhile, the race itself has become a spectator event. "We used to beg people to come out and watch the race," he said. "It's not elbow-to-elbow for all 26 miles, but when I drive the course at 6am and there's already people out with signs, that to me makes it real." Fun fact: Ruiz has run the course but has never participated in the official race. He's too busy worrying about logistics, including where street cones go and keeping things in order. But this year's race has 60 "streakers," or runners who have participated every year since the race's inception in 2003. If you go: The Tropical 5K is Saturday morning, followed by the half and full marathon on Sunday. Spectator bleachers open at 6:30am Sunday. More info is available here. Finish line: In hindsight, the race's growth seems less surprising, boasting a course with ocean views, the Miami skyline and entertainment throughout. So whether it feels like one of the world's major races or not, Ruiz said the marathon is now "actually part of the fabric of Miami."
CBS News
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Thousands to take part in Life Time Miami Marathon, Half Marathon this weekend
MIAMI - Thousands of runners from all over the world will lace up their shoes and take part in this weekend's Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon. The race will begin at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami at 6 a.m. In the first 12.8 miles of the race, runners will cross the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach and then head down the iconic Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue before crossing back toward downtown over the scenic Venetian Causeway. The course extends as far south as Coconut Grove. They then head back to downtown Miami for the finish line at Bayfront Park. All participants are completely off the course by 2 p.m. Road closures For the safety of those taking part, there will be a number of road closures. Beginning at noon on Friday, Biscayne Boulevard will be closed to traffic between SE 3 Street and NE 2 Street. It will reopen for a short time on Saturday before the race. On Sunday, expect bumper-to-bumper traffic in Downtown Miami and Brickell all morning until the early afternoon, Miami Beach hot spots like Ocean Drive and Alton Road until about 10 a.m. In Coconut Grove, steer clear from the early morning until the early afternoon. To get to and from Miami Beach, drivers should use the Julia Tuttle Causeway from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Despite the closures, the Miami Downtown Development Authority said this is big for nearby businesses. "This is their time to shine. This is the time for everyone to enjoy the Downtown Miami cuisine, nightlife, the electricity that our city has that no other city really has," said MDDA spokeswoman Kim Hills. Miami Marathon has grown Frankie Ruiz, who co-founded the event in 2003, has seen it evolve into one of the premier marathons in the running community, as it sold out in August at maximum capacity. "We have come a long way, with 3,400 hundred runners, and now upwards of 18,000, there's been this demand and with this demand has come some great things which is, we have sort of turned the corner here and gave become a spectator event," Ruiz said. Competitors from over 70 countries will be participating. The event includes the full marathon at 26.2 miles, half marathon and 5k competitions. CBS News Miami's Harry Cicma will be competing in the Miami Marathon for his second consecutive year, as he vies for his 11th career marathon medal, and prepares for the Tokyo Marathon on March 2nd, which will be his 6th Abbott Star.
