Frankie Ruiz: Marathon founder now running new show: Miami wellness
Frankie Ruiz, who turned his lifelong passion of running into a career and built up Miami’s athletic community in the process, is taking on a new role as the City of Miami’s Chief Wellness Officer. In this role, a unique position boasted by few if any other municipalities nationwide, he will focus on improving Miami’s parks and resident wellbeing and promises to release a series of workout videos with the mayor himself.
This appointment comes in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and, according to Mr. Ruiz, provides an opportunity to address preventative healthcare and sedentary or unhealthy lifestyles not just to help residents fend off covid but to increase overall wellbeing and be better prepared for future diseases.
Born, raised and educated in Miami, Mr. Ruiz said he didn’t want to leave. Instead, he brought the running community to him, starting the Miami Marathon in 2003. The race changed hands a few times and was eventually acquired by fitness giant Life Time, which is to soon open a new facility in Coral Gables.
Mr. Ruiz keeps a hand in the action as this company’s Chief Running Officer. Outside of work, he keeps running literally and figuratively, coaching cross country at Belen Jesuit Prep High School and leading the Run Club Network, which includes eight clubs across South Florida including the Brickell, Doral and South Beach Run Clubs.
Mr. Ruiz spoke by phone with Miami Today Reporter Kylea Henseler.
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Marcos Freire
March 24, 2021 at 4:28 pm
Frankie Ruiz is a role model to be followed. I was working at Bayside Marketplace in 2003 when he started the Miami Marathon, and he inspired me to run my first half marathon that year. After that, I run a couple more halves and moved on to my first full marathon in 2005, and went on to run 13 full marathons, including 5 in Miami! Frankie has touched so many lives here in South Florida, and he deserves this new role so much! I wish him many blessings and lots of luck in his new role! We are lucky to have him! 🙂
Marcos Freire
Leah Kinnaird
March 27, 2021 at 4:16 pm
Congratulations, Frankie! You’ve been a champion for wellness and fitness in a lot of ways. It’s good to see you stepping…or running…into this new position. My hope is that you can continue to influence opportunities for recreation, sports, and athletics for the benefit of our community and for the spaces that need protection for those purposes.
Sunny McLean
March 29, 2021 at 4:54 pm
What great news Frankie! Who better to fill the (running) shoes as Chief Wellness Officer. You will be missed on the VKAB, but our parks and public health will welcome you. I look forward to you helping all local athletes and fitness lovers enjoy Miami even more.