Feel the burn
Miami’s a flat city, with an average elevation of six feet above sea level. The turquoise ocean waters roll up onto the sand, blown by the wind into parking lots and onto the streets. In the dog days of summer, which generally run from late April to early November, the heat and humidity thickens the air from Sunny Isles Beach all the way down to Key West. The occasional ocean breeze is a godsend, a divine gift of fleeting temperate relief that reminds you that these oppressive conditions aren’t permanent. But even on the stickiest of days, a quick jog on the Rickenbacker Causeway serves as a healthful, and even cool, consolation.
As the sole gateway to Key Biscayne since 1947, the Rickenbacker Causeway was a drawbridge for the first 40 years of its existence. Named after Eddie Rickenbacker, famed war hero and then president of the Miami-based Eastern Airlines, the causeway provided easy access to some of Miami’s best beaches. In 1980, with the causeway’s popularity increasing, the high-rise bridge that stands today was erected.
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Address 3301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 | Tip After your workout, reward yourself with an indulgence. End your morning run at the Rusty Pelican (3201 Rickenbacker Causeway). Enjoy the views of Biscayne Bay over a delicious brunch on the northeast tip of Virginia Key.
Unlike the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeways, Rickenbacker’s traffic is relatively light. But the cool winds that blow in from Biscayne Bay to the south and the view of Downtown’s skyline to the north are what put this causeway in a league of its own. A bona fide jogger’s paradise, Rickenbacker Causeway’s barricaded sidewalks offer a long stretch of safe and uninterrupted running space, while the bridge’s steep inclines provide a much-needed break from the monotony of the area’s otherwise level terrain – it’s the only spot in town for hill training.
Start your day by hitting the ground running. Head to the causeway at sunrise to get your exercise in before the temperature spikes. The weather is also usually calmest at this hour, when the sun just breaks the horizon and illuminates Brickell’s glittering skyline.
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