From Waste to Race 5K Invites You to Run On a Former Landfill Site

Frankie Ruiz has been getting the same two questions since he began organizing the From Waste to Race 5K run, which takes place Saturday, March 29, on a former landfill site in Doral: Is the area safe? And does it smell?

Those are fair questions. You can’t blame someone for thinking the area around the Covanta waste-to-energy facility — which closed in 2023 after an incinerator fire — might have lingering issues. But Ruiz, the founder of Miami's wildly popular Brickell Run Club, has been assured by Miami-Dade County officials that the former Miami-Dade County landfill is safe to run, and he insists it is stink-free.

"People are like, 'I'm not running on a landfill.' But it's a former landfill," says Ruiz. "They're like, 'How bad does it smell?' It doesn't smell. They ask, 'Is it safe to be there?' It's safe to go to Vista View Park — I've been doing it for years, and I'm still here."

Ruiz is referring to Davie's Vista View Park, which was a landfill from 1964 to 1987 before it was converted into a park in 2003. District 12 commissioner and former Doral mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez hopes to replicate that success story at the former landfill site. That’s why he reached out to Ruiz, maybe the most influential figure in Miami’s running scene, to organize a race that would highlight the land’s potential as a park. Ruiz says the idea was right up his alley.

"I'm a runner that looks for scenery, and [this land] has scenery," says Ruiz, who organizes the annual Life Time Miami Marathon, among other races. "A quarter of this park has a coconut palm tree row. It has a view of a lake. It has a green area that looks like Jurassic Park. It has this mound. You can see airplanes landing. You can see Miami's skyline clearly. There's a five-kilometer paved path — that's what we're using Saturday.

"This has been under our noses the whole time. I'm just shrugging my shoulders like, 'What are we waiting for? Just open this thing.'"

Of course, Ruiz knows it’s not that simple.

In the backdrop of the forthcoming run is a longstanding debate over whether to rebuild an incinerator in Doral — or in a different part of South Florida — in the aftermath of the Covanta facility fire. Since the incident, garbage has been transported to other landfills via trucks and trains. Some in the community have advocated for the continuation of this disposal method.

The most prominent opponent of a rebuild in Doral is Eric Trump, who reportedly criticized the proposal during a call with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. According to the New York Times, his father frequently downplayed the effects of climate change and rolled back around 100 environmental policies focused on clean air, water, wildlife, and toxic chemicals during his first presidential term, but that didn’t keep the younger Trump from taking a stand against an incinerator three miles from the Trump National Doral Miami.

The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners will reconvene in July to continue discussing possible solutions.
Ruiz steers clear of a political discussion, but he does feel that the need for more landfill space should be a wake-up call for the community and a reminder of the importance of recycling (the county generates waste at around double the national average). And while he is pushing for the area to be converted into a park, Ruiz doesn’t want to see it become overdeveloped.

"We have this massive piece of property near an area that can use parks. I think you can make the argument that any area can use a park, but specifically for Doral, which has blown up [population-wise], this park would be bigger than Tropical Park. And we know the impact that Tropical Park has had on the community."

Those participating in the From Waste to Race 5K will have the opportunity to see the vision for themselves. The timed event on the normally-closed-off parcel of land will offer typical race goodies (shirts, bibs, medals, and snacks), but don’t expect a grand production. The 5K was announced only weeks ahead of time, whereas other races are typically announced several months in advance.

"I don't want an overproduced park, so we're not going to do an overproduced race," says Ruiz.

From Waste to Race 5K. 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 29, at 6997 NW 97th Ave., Doral. Admission costs $35 via runsignup.com.