The Life Time Miami Marathon brings the best out of and to Miami. This year was no different.

It seemed like everyone running had a powerful motivation, but here are some of the most compelling stories.

When 83-year-old Faye Goldin had an accident at the end of last year, her 22-year long streak of completing the Miami half marathon, beginning with the first race in 2003, was in jeopardy, then Claudio Navas stepped up.

Navas, a Miami Beach firefighter, heard that Goldin would need someone to push her wheelchair and help her complete her 23rd half marathon, he couldn’t say no.

“We had to keep the streak alive. 23 years is 23 years,” Navas said.

Navas has been running the marathon for the last 12 years and this year he had over 50 firefighters walking in the name of mental health with him, but he pushed Goldin or as he refers to her “the legend,” the entire way.

Goldin was more than happy to get the push.

“It was magnificent. I’m crying just thinking about it,” Goldin said as she teared up over the phone. “The fact that he heard about me not being able to race and wanted to help me keep the streak alive, I mean who does that?”

Miami resident and Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School English teacher Paxton Smith made his entire school proud placing second overall in the men’s half-marathon with a time of 01:07:33.

The Colorado native has been running his entire life, but since moving to Miami he has found a community that shares his passion for the sport.

“When I first moved here, I was doing everything by myself, but the running community has really popped off over the last year,” Smith said. “Now, I have a whole running community who really inspire me, and I think I’m into running more than ever.”

Smith also coaches cross country and track at the school and while he doesn’t often talk about his passion for running with his students, they are his main motivation.

“Those kids go through a lot, so I hope I can make an impact in their life. I try to put most of my energy towards them and giving them the highest quality education I possibly can,” Smith said.

“The students are the ones that get me out of bed at the end of the day. I’m exhausted, but I go through nothing compared to what these kids go through.”

Richard Whitehead has competed in marathons all around the world, but his completion of the Miami Marathon comes with a larger goal in mind.

Whitehead, a double amputee marathoner, has now finished 82 career marathons, finally checking Miami off his list yesterday. His goal is to run 20 marathons by the end of the year, finishing in September with the New York Marathon, which will mark 100 total marathons.

Whitehead was born without legs but has never let it hamper him. Not only has he completed 82 marathons, but he also holds the world record marathon time for a double amputee and multiple Paralympic gold medals.

“I think it is important to travel around the world and inspire people,” Whitehead said. “There are probably people who have never seen someone run on prosthetics before.”