It’s not every day you can get firsthand training from an Olympian, but hundreds gather in Tropical Park every week to do just that.
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In the dark early hours, hundreds gather there with one goal: to run.
“A lot of our friends told us about the community here, and we had to come check it out,” said a runner, Connie, with the Miami Lakes Run Club. “They mentioned how they help each other and encourage each other to push their pace, so we definitely had to come back.”
“It has been amazing. Like it pushed me, like to come here,” said Cesar, a new member.
You’re not just running to get a good workout in, but you are there to be trained by the best, from professional marathoners, record holders, national title holders and Olympians – including Venezuelan Olympian and record holder, Luis Orta.
“There’s no doubt that you come here and you’re learning from the best, and wherever you are and like your running journey, like everybody wants to get a little better. And it helps to run with people who are better,” runner Stephanie said.
“It’s nice to know that he has the most experience, and for him to be able to share that within the community is amazing,” Connie said.
This gathering of a group of athletes was just a dream Orta had two years ago.
“Seeing other people sharing that passion with me. It’s everything for me,” Orta said. “I go to bed at night thinking about this, and I wake up at 4:00 in the morning thinking about this and super excited.”
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So, what does it take to train?
“Get here at 5:30 in the morning. We call it the filter,” he said. “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. Right? By seven, we’re done, so people can go to work, take the kids to school or whatever it is.”
The free hangout is available to anyone at all running levels. Upon arrival, you’ll see the workout regimen for the day, and it changes at every meetup. The group of over 200 runners is split up into eight different groups led by five coaches and mentors. The groups range by experience level, from Olympians to beginners.
And the goal for all is to learn, practice and improve.
“I think this really establishes a sense of community, a sense of belief that wherever you are in your running journey, like you can take it seriously,” Stephanie said.
And that’s exactly what the runners at Orta’s meetups do, including the Olympian himself, who can be seen running among the group.
Speaking of the Olympics, he’s on the run for 2028.
“The work never ends. As simple as that,” Orta said.
The group meets every Tuesday and Friday at 5:30 a.m. at Tropical Park at the main track course.
For private coaching from Orta or the other coaches at the meetup, you can visit https://www.myolympiccoach.com/miami-team.
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