Latest news with #LifeTimeMiamiMarathon
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Carnival cruise company plans to move its Miami-Dade headquarters
Real Estate News Carnival cruise company plans to move its Miami-Dade headquarters A view of the operations center at Carnival headquarters in Doral at 3655 NW 87th Ave. Miami Herald File Carnival Corp. is heading to a new port in South Florida. The cruise ship company announced this week it plans to move its corporate headquarters from Doral to a growing business district near Miami International Airport. 'We don't want to see them go,' Doral Mayor Christi Fraga said. 'Our city is nostalgic for them.' Fraga said she's disappointed with the decision, but also confident that another company will express interest in the Carnival campus at Northwest 87th Avenue and 36th Street. 'Everyone recognizes them around here,' said Fraga, who noted that Carnival, founded by the Arison family, was one of the earliest and largest companies to move to Doral in the 1980s. Micky Arison, son of Carnival founder Ted Arison, owns the Miami Heat basketball team. New headquarters for Carnival The cruise giant announced on May 5 that it had purchased property in the Waterford Business District, just south of the airport, as the future site of the company's new 'state-of-the-art global headquarters development.' On what's now vacant land, Carnival will build a multi-building campus that will initially accommodate over 2,000 workers. The company will move most of its onshore employees there from other business units, too. The campus is expected to be completed in 2028 and become Carnival's new global headquarters and its main North America office. Carnival will join other multinational companies based in the area, including Subway and Burger King. It will 'for the first time unite in a single location most of its North America shoreside team members from across the corporation and its cruise line operating units,' the company said in a statement. Employees based at the Doral headquarters will continue to work there until the move. Carnival paid $26.9 million for a 15-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Northwest Seventh Street and 65th Avenue, according to Blanca Commercial Real Estate, leasing agent for the Waterford Business District and advisor on the deal. The cruise company is 'planning to build a larger campus than what they have in Doral,' Tere Blanca, CEO of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, told the Miami Herald. That follows more remote workers returning to the office after the COVID pandemic — 'the trend is to be more in the office than not,' Blanca said. A change of plans for Carnival Runners pass the Carat PortMiami during Life Time Miami Marathon on Sunday, January 28, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@ Carnival's move seems to be a reversal from its plans when the company put its Doral office up for sale over a year ago. At the time, Carnival was looking for a smaller space. 'We understand this was a downsizing,' Mayor Fraga said, 'because the building was pretty empty after COVID.' Bloomberg reported last year that Carnival was looking to sell the Doral headquarters, which is 470,000 square feet, and move to a 300,000-square-feet building. While the Doral office is on 18 acres and the land at the Waterford Business District is on 15 acres, the proposed new global headquarters when finished will initially take up 600,000 to 700,000 square feet, Carnival's statement said. Fraga and Blanca are confident Carnival will eventually find a buyer for the Doral building. 'It's a phenomenal site for development,' Blanca said. 'Doral has a very established business district.' Carnival's plans are a boost for the growing Waterford Business District, already home to Subway, Verizon and Assurant. Nuveen Real Estate and PIMCO Real Estate own the district and worked on the deal with Carnival. Waterford 'is experiencing tremendous momentum in terms of activity,' said Blanca, who expects more deals this year. Carnival's new campus will be designed from scratch. When finished, it will include open collaboration zones, individual workplaces and 'ample meeting rooms.' One thing that won't change: A global headquarters building isn't the same as where a company is registered. Carnival is incorporated in Panama. 'We are primarily foreign corporations engaged in the business of operating cruise ships in international transportation,' the company wrote in its 2024 annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of that and a part of the Internal Revenue Service Code, 'substantially all of Carnival's Corporation's income is exempt from U.S. federal income and branch profit taxes,' the company wrote. Carnival does pay property tax, however. In 2024, the company paid a $1.1 million tax bill on the Doral headquarters, according to Miami-Dade County property records. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 11:21 AM. VS Vinod Sreeharsha Miami Herald Email this person Vinod Sreeharsha covers tourism trends in South Florida for the Miami Herald.
Miami Herald
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Meet the woman who wouldn't let trial, prison or a freak injury keep her from the Miami Marathon
Paola Soto had every excuse not to run in Sunday's Life Time Miami Marathon. In 2022, she was on trial for charges of conspiracy and smuggling. In 2023, she was in prison. And in 2024, finally free from incarceration with plans to finally run, she fell in a pothole and injured her knee. Many people would have given up. Marathons are a test of mental strength; just the very idea of a 26.2-mile run can be deterrent. Soto, however, isn't most people. 'Running saved me,' she said, calling the activity her 'purpose.' 'It's so much easier to stay in bed on a chilly day, watch Netflix or eat snacks. But I need it. It became something that just makes me feel better.' After three years of setback after setback after setback, Soto will finally run the 2025 Life Time Miami Marathon, which starts Sunday morning near the Kaseya Center, runs through Miami Beach and ends downtown. The journey to get here was far from easy — just days before her interview she had a nightmare that Sunday's race had started without her — yet it strengthened her. Taught her. And arguably most importantly, humbled her. 'I learned that I'm capable of surviving the unexpected,' Soto said, later adding that she realized the importance of 'making myself a priority' and 'setting strong boundaries.' 'This is my way out' It started in 2010. A then-24-year-old Soto had began to work for renowned Colombian handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez, whose work was featured everywhere from 'Sex in the City' to the film 'The Devil Wears Prada.' The issue was Gonzalez, like most artists, struggled to meet deadlines. That meant Soto, a Colombian native, would have to transport the bags to the United States herself instead of through the proper channels. 'At some point when you're involved in this world and in that world, you're oriented to your goal,' Soto recalled, adding that she needed to have 'everything in for the exposition at the showroom, exhibited at the right time so the buyers from all these large companies can buy them.' In 2019, however, Soto got caught. It was an experience that she will never forget. 'The company that I worked for was under investigation and I didn't know that,' Soto said Soto who was on vacation when the probe began. When she landed at Miami International Airport in December 2019, U.S. Marshalls greeted her. 'That was the beginning. I was terrified. I was praying that they didn't take me to prison.' Although the Marshalls took her to the Miami Federal Detention Center, she posted bond the next day. Soto spent the next three years in litigation, eventually pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate as witness. Longtime friend Jobeth Ramirez was shocked. 'It was just surprising,' said Ramirez who had known Soto for more than a decade. 'Someone like Pao facing the charge that they said she was facing was just so unreal. It felt like someone was setting her up. It didn't seem like Pao. It seemed like a situation where her kindness was taken advantage of.' On September 28, 2022, Soto would begin her nine-month sentence at Marianna Federal Camp. That's when the fear began to set in. 'When I entered prison, I was in fear not just of the surroundings but of myself,' Soto said. Her mind raced with questions almost immediately. 'Is a really bad depression going to hit me? Am I going to be able to survive? Am I going to think about killing myself? What's going to happen to me?' Negative thoughts, however, can often become a self-fulfilling prophecy and before long, she actually found herself deep in the doldrums, recalled friend Rebecca Cyphers. 'When you're first put there, you don't know what to expect,' said Cyphers, who arrived at Marianna with Soto. 'There are no doors and you're put up on the second floor and you're in quarantine for a couple of weeks at a time.' Added Cyphers: 'We were very scared of what was outside of quarantine. We had all these 'Orange is the New Black' shows that had us sacred to death. We had been told about women killing each other and coming into your room.' Then Soto remembered her old friend. Running 'is therapy for me,' she said. 'This is my way out.' Added Soto: 'I'm a different person when I run.' Although Soto had planned to do the 2023 Miami Marathon alongside Ramirez, her incarceration prevented her from doing so. Soto, however, came up with an idea. 'While I was in prison, there was a track,' she recalled, 'and I was like 'You know what? If they can do it, I can do it. That was it.' Armed with a training guide courtesy of Ramirez, Soto trained profusely during the next three and a half months to prepare herself for a makeshift, half marathon. Many inmates called her crazy. Some even told her she didn't have to do it. Soto, however, knew that she needed to run for her mental health. 'Prison is all mental,' she said, explaining that people often 'set the limitations' on themselves without. 'Even while being in prison, I felt free being able to break those barriers through running.' Eventually, many of her fellow inmates decided to participate. 'So many people got involved and started getting motivated like 'Let me get out there and walk with you,'' Soto recalled being told. When it came time for her own marathon, the prison and inmates alike did everything they could to make it appear some level of normal. They created lap cards and a medal while Cyphers put together a peanut butter victory cake. Her fellow inmates even shared their fruit — bananas in particular — so she could fight off cramps. 'This little group of us positioned ourselves around the track and had words for her on our signs to keep her positive and going,' Cyphers said. 'So she finished — I think it was 54 laps or something — and we had Winner's Circle for her and celebrated that day.' 'I was not surprised that that's how she took it but definitely inspired nonetheless because no one would've blamed her if she didn't choose to run a marathon,' Ramirez added, explaining that Soto 'didn't let her circumstances define her.' 'It just goes to show you as long as you put your mind to something and apply yourself and show up for yourself, you can meet your goals.' When Soto emerged from prison in May 2023, she was a different person. Her resilience inspired Cyphers to write and release a children's book entitled 'Little Running Wolf Girl: Paola's Tale.' 'It's a heartfelt story but she's really coming out an amazing woman, an amazing winner because of all her persistence,' Cyphers said, later quipping that she 'would like to be more like her and I'm twice her age.' Added Cyphers: 'There's really no one quite like her.' Soto, like everyone, is far from perfect. Despite her jovial demeanor, she too has bad days. And when those come, she remembers the words of one woman in particular who cheered her on during her prison marathon. 'On my difficult days, I still have the girls in my head,' Soto said. 'There's one girl in particular. I remember I was tired and she's like 'Come on, baby. You got this! You got this!' 'Mind can be your best ally or your worst enemy' As Soto sat at a coffee shop in Coconut Grove, reflecting on her life ahead of Sunday's marathon, she wasn't bitter. There were a bit of nerves – her last two efforts ultimately didn't pan out – yet she felt confident. 'I think the hardest one was being able to run in prison because your mind can be your best ally or your worst enemy,' Soto said. But when Soto accidentally stepped in a pothole ahead of the 2024 Miami Marathon, she inflamed her infrapatellar fat pad, the tissue behind the kneecap, and the doubt started to creep back into her mind. 'When I fell, I cried but not solely out of pain — it was mostly frustration,' Soto said. She immediately began to question whether a marathon was even God's plan for her. But the more inquiries Soto had, the more she thought about life behind bars. Whether incarcerated or on the mend, it was just another trial for her 'That's life,' Soto said. 'Life is always going to bring you ups and downs. You're going to fall then you're going to have to stand up again.' Nowadays, Soto has her real estate license. She'll get married soon. Prison, as it seems, is way in rearview mirror. But when she finally crosses that finish line, expect a release of the emotions that she has carried around since 2022. 'I'm going to cry. I'm already emotional and I haven't even completed it,' Soto said. 'I feel like I'm closing a chapter in my life and this is graduation.' IF YOU GO WHAT: Miami Marathon WHEN: 5 a.m. Sunday, February 2, 2025 WHERE: City of Miami and Miami Beach PRICE: Free for spectators For more information, visit
CBS News
31-01-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Mostly sunny and breezy last day of January in South Florida, warmer over weekend
MIAMI - It was a milder start to the final Friday of January with temperatures mostly in the low 70s across South Florida. We were 10 to 12 degrees warmer than Thursday morning. Mainly dry, warm and breezy in the afternoon with highs near 80 degrees under mostly sunny skies. There is a moderate risk of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches due to the stronger onshore flow. Small craft should exercise caution along the Atlantic and Keys waters due to increasing winds, 2 to 3-foot seas and a moderate chop on the bays. It will be even warmer for the first weekend of February. Near record heat is possible on Saturday as the CBS Miami Next Weather team is forecasting a high of 83 degrees in Miami, the current record is 85 degrees. When you factor in the humidity, it will feel like the mid to upper 80s. It will be a comfortable start for folks participating in the Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday with temperatures in the upper 60s in the early morning. We'll warm to the low 80s on Sunday afternoon with only a few stray showers possible. The warm weather sticks around through next week as highs remain in the low 80s.
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.
