Glades Runners Experience Everglades in Inaugural Miccosukee Race

As the sun peeked over the horizon, a sweet-smelling smoke drifted through the Miccosukee Indian Village, mixing with prayers from Miccosukee Councilman Pete Osceola for a healthy, prosperous inaugural Glades Runner race on Saturday.

For some people, the Miccosukee Glades Runner was about getting to the finish line, which was a return to the starting line at the Village. But for many of the 168 runners, the best part of the event was the experience of the Everglades. 

“It was certainly a unique venue and a unique opportunity,” said Bob Becker, co-director of the race. “I’ve been involved in a lot of races as a runner and an organizer, and I’ve never experienced anything like that kind of venue, especially the start and finish in the Village,” said Becker, an event organizer from UltraSports. 

The ultramarathon included four race options: a 5k, 16.5-mile, 50k, and 50-mile race, drawing almost all fitness and experience levels, as well as age groups, from throughout the state and out of state.

It wasn’t just a race— it was a cultural experience in nature— with the Miccosukee Village at the center, organizers said.

Participants noted the experience of running through nature, with alligators near the path, anhinga sitting on branches, turtles at the water’s edge, and other animals along the route, as well as the presence of the Everglades’ distinctive native plants, large and small. 

Some racers were panting, catching their breath, as they described the alligators they ran past - arms stretched wide to describe their length and distance - but they did so with joy and enthusiasm. 

For many Glades Runner participants, it was their first time beginning and ending in a place anything like the Miccosukee Indian Village, which offered refreshments at no cost in addition to tribal vendors with handmade jewelry, alligator wrestling, fry bread samples, alligator bites, and other meals, wood carving demonstrations, and introductions to Florida’s Indigenous people’s culture. 

“It was beautifully laid out and a unique opportunity to host a race like this,” said Becker.

He organized the event with co-race director Kevin Donaldson of the Miccosukee Tribe. The Miccosukee Police and the National Park Service rangers kept people safe, slowed traffic, and cheered the racers on along the way.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident Robert Rex, a participant in the 50-mile race, said he chose to come all the way to the Everglades to run the ultramarathon that would be like no other race.

“This has been so well organized,” said Rex, as he continued running with the afternoon sun beginning to heat up the racers along Loop Road, many of whom would return in the dark. 

“Limiting traffic to one lane, that’s a big deal for runners. The hospitality from the tribe has just been great. It’s been good fun,” Rex said. 

He finished in fourth place, running for more than 12.5 hours.

Event photographer Tuan Nguyen of Pier 2 Pier Media has photographed many races and nothing like this, he said. 

UltraSports organizes races in Key West, Daytona, and Jacksonville, among other places. Becker finished up the Glades Runner to then run in a race in North Carolina. 

“The biggest difference is that those are road races, while the Glades Runner takes place in nature, offering endless wildlife sightings and a unique, rugged landscape and showcases the culture of the Miccosukee Tribe,” said Nguyen. 

“When photographing this race, I aimed to capture as much of the culture, wildlife, and environment as possible to showcase what makes this event so special. Big Cypress is an area I’ve visited many times, and it's always incredible to shoot in such a wild, dynamic setting,” said Nguyen, a resident of Fort Lauderdale.

The environment and hosts in no way took second place to the runners, who each received medals, many of whom also received a meaningful experience with nature, they said.

“Now, when we talk about the Everglades and Big Cypress and the need to protect them both, with the Tribe involved every step of the way, people have something to wrap their heads around because they've seen for themselves what's actually at stake,” said William “Popeye” Osceola, Miccosukee tribal secretary. 

Several Naples area residents participated, including at least two first place winners from Naples— Jamie DePaola, 35, who won the women’s 50-mile race, and 14-year-old Ziyon Osceola-Jones, also of Naples, who won first place in the 5k, a path that spanned from the Village to Everglades National Park’s Shark Valley and back, finishing in 21 minutes and 27 seconds. 

Some people ran their first race and others came back to run this thinking they had long finished their last race— such was the case for Jayden Pace Gallagher of Miami, who won the 16.5-mile race through Shark Valley.

“I thought I wasn’t going to run anymore,” she said after having completed a Miami marathon. 

“Then I saw this, and it was an inaugural race. We never had been part of a first before. Also, we come to the Everglades a lot and we love it,” said Pace Gallagher, whose spouse was also running. 

Among the rewards for participating, winners of the 50k and 50-mile races received handmade jackets. Jackets for the 50k were provided by Khadijah Cypress, while the jackets for the 50 Mile were provided by Adriana Huggins. Patchwork was provided by Myra Frank and Betty Clay. The winning jackets are a symbol of endurance, strength and victory, event organizers said.

“I think we have a winner on our hands here with this event and look forward to building and improving upon it for next year,” said Popeye.