It's taken me two and half weeks to process the Philly marathon, so here we go...! I've wanted to run this marathon for a good amount of years now, and had added it to my to run list. I was all set to go then 2020 happened and it was canceled. I signed up for another year but ended up not making it to town to run it. This was my year, I'd registered in 2022 the day of the race for 2023. All in all, I'll say this race is a great race. I was in an out of the expo because I had dinner plans Friday night. I didn't have my best race, and that's putting it lightly. I was on the 6a shuttle from my hotel and managed to make it onto the last bus departing. If you're like me, and don't love showing up super early to a start (I prefer showing up 15-30 min max before, NOT hours ahead). My tip here, is don't wait if shuttles are running 5a-6a, I came out around 545a and just lucked out on snagging a seat on the final departure. You'll want to lean more towards the 515a line up/boarding option time. I'm a born and raised California girl (I know! barf!) with that being said, anything under 70 degrees is cold to me. While many runners were grateful for the 37degree temps (even referring to the weather as "much warmer than last year") I was f**cken COLD! We arrived to the start line and bathroom lines were INSANE! I arrived by 615ish and had to wait until 710a to use the porta potty. I stood there freezing the entire time because somehow I completely dropped the ball on remembering to pack pre race area layers. I made a mad dash to begin with my corral and was fortunate we didn't go off until 715a. As excited as I was to get this race started, I very quickly needed to use the restroom again by Mile 1. This continued on the ENTIRE race, through mile 23. I've never in my life experienced this, although earlier this year a very similar thing happened on the Big Sur course. I started calling this marathon "tour de porta potty" having used the porta potties SEVEN TIMES!!! I can't make this shi* up. I clearly need to be far more cognizant of my pre marathon food and drink intake, and research reasons this occurred twice this year. I've run in very cold temps before and through extremely wet conditions so I'm not quite sure why my body did this. My moving time via Strava wasn't terrible, but definitely not my strongest race but my overall time was quite disappointing after lengthy waits for all porta potties until mile 23. Pro tip for the ladies, and gents too I suppose: ALWAYS pack tons of extra tp. I usually have a good amount on me, but def not enough for 7 trips to the restroom and ended up having to take off my gloves and use those. Girl problems! As disappointed as I was in my body on this course, the course itself was great a ton of the time - it's just hard to enjoy something when you keep having to pee. The signs were some of the best marathon signs I've ever seen, and the dogs along the course were the cutest! The neighborhoods were a lot of fun. My body just somehow butchered my run and I've accepted that fact. I've had an incredible year this year, taking 1st in almost every shorter distance run, overall in two trail races, a Masters spot, and a marathon PR. I came home to race two additional races within days of this and will probably marathon annually until the day I die. That being said, don't beat yourself up if you have an unusual race. It can be hard when you register, and pay to travel out of state + accommodations and F it all up, but Check! I've run Philly. If you're a local, this is a superb first marathon race. If you live in a nearby state via train/car, this is a no brainer marathon. I heard some folks mentioning they didn't like the marathon shirt, I thought although a bit flashier than most - it's nice to have a long sleeve quarter zip option and later felt proud to wear it on my return flight home. The medal is one of the cutest ever too! An actual ringing mini Liberty Bell. Fluids/Blocks etc were plentiful although I wasn't in need of taking much of this in. My only request MORE restrooms! Although I'd never want to need to use one on course, the lines were just SO long and there didn't seem to be enough OR enough tp in them. Start/Finish line are a breeze, for walking back to hotels in the area after I was about 1.5 miles away. If you're coming in from out of town, definitely stay in that area. All in all, 5 STAR spectators, great course - terrible morning for my system for whatever which reason. As always feel free to DM if I've left some key points out - happy to help! Now, go RUN. read more

Philadelphia Marathon - My first ringing bell medal, I love it! Plenty of medals for the full marathon finishers - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I hope to not catch hands for this review as I am SO proud of what our city is able to put together every Marathon weekend. There's so much effort and coordination that goes into making this happen and, as someone who puts on events and truly despises when people revel in nit picking small details, I find myself a bit soured by my experience running the Philadelphia Half. I want to start with what's AMAZING: + The course itself is FUN and challenging and the crowd support is fabulous. It's an amazing way to take in our city from the Delaware to the Schuylkill and many different neighborhoods. + The expo is well put on with great sponsors and partners. + Enough on course porta potties and ample hydration/fuel stops. Some points I feel could improve for future races: + The elephant in the room...security lines. I don't understand how this happened and, while I understand and value the commitment to safety, the processes need to be changed for the future. There was confusion about entrances that were not communicated at ALL within the event or before (more on that coming soon) and it really created a lot of pre-race stress. I moved out of one line into another and was able to get into my corral juuuust in time despite arriving to the race an hour and a half before start time. + Pre-event communication was more or less non-existent until the day before the expo. This is my 5th half and I run Broad Street every year, so I feel like I have an idea for what the "standard" pre-race comm plan looks like. The Philly Half does not follow that formula and I think it lead to some of the confusion. There was no email about results, no post-race communications at all...very odd. + Post-race crowding and post-race transport/shuttle is messy messy. I ended up walking the mile home after receiving my medal. While this isn't a race I'll run again, I am SO proud to have this event in our city and do recommend folks run the half or the full here in Philly for the amazing course alone. I hope organizers can take the security issue to heart and figure out a way to keep spectators and athletes safe without it creating so much pre-race stress. read more

I enjoyed this marathon a lot! (I didn't exactly perform awesome, but that's for my review of myself, not the event!) I loved the crowd support almost the entire time, and the course was a really fun mixture of running through the city and getting a little bit less urban running dorm the river and through Fairmount. I had no problem with security (got through in about 20 min, we arrived about 45 min before start time). It was very efficiently run with plenty of water and gel stations. The start and finish are very central so it was easy to get to and leave. Overall, the city was very into it and the excitement was palpable all weekend! I'd recommend trying it! read more

Philadelphia Marathon - Post finish - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was maybe my 20th half marathon and definitely one of my favorites. This half had been on my list for a few years so I was excited to be able to run it this year. The race didn't disappoint. Packet pick up was easy and the hours were great for those of is traveling from out of town. The venue was large and they had a fair amount of vendors. Race day was a breeze. Logistically this race is set up like NYC. You pass through security and them have a village to wait in. There's plenty of port a Johns, bag drop off, and a warming tent. The bag drop was awesome. Instead of having a tag that's attached from your bib you're given a wrist band. I always worry about my bag getting lost but this was brilliant. They also had a warming tent for pre and post race. It was 29 degrees at the start so being warm was greatly appreciated. The course was very scenic and went through some really nice neighborhoods. Crowd support was great. I was pleasantly surprised by how many people braved the cold. Plus the medal was awesome! It's the liberty bell . read more

I traveled all this way to Philadelphia to cross Pennsylvania off my list of states to run a marathon in. I'd give it 4.5stars but I am unable to do that on this rating scale and it isn't a 5star race. The only thing that prevents it from being a 5star was on race morning there wasn't enough port-a-potties and I patiently waited over an hour in line to use the bathroom before start time. Honestly when I got in line I hadn't needed to use the restroom but I saw how extremely long the potty line was and figured I should try before the race started. I still was in line when the race and my corral started ( I was 4th corral after the initial corral). People had cut in line to use the bathroom which made it kind of disappointing as a first impression as an out-of-state marathoner who came to experience. Now that I've mentioned all the negative aspects let me rave on what made my race experience first class. They had several buses that allowed runners to be picked up and make our way towards the start line. The race course extremely easy that had allowed me to seeing all the parts of Philly. Spectators made me feel welcomed and continually kept me hyped especially towards the end when I kicked it into high gear to allow me to PR( personal record). I can't forget to mention that the weather was perfect for running even though it did start raining after I finished and got on the bus to head back to the hotel. I plan on running this race again once I complete my personal goal of running in each of the 50 states. read more

Philadelphia Marathon - PR - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I can now proudly say that I've run the Philadelphia Half Marathon. Although the half race is no longer on the same day as the full marathon, the course is what makes it great. Starting and ending at Eakins Oval, the 13.1 route took us through center city, past the Liberty Bell, through South Philly, back up South Street and past Rittenhouse Square before departing for UC/West Philly and Fairmount Park. I loved running through the city I call home- 13.1 miles gave plenty of time to reflect on years of memories. The hills were limited to West Philly and Fairmount Park; while they weren't fun, they could've been worse. The course was well supported with water and Gatorade stations throughout, along with volunteers and signs acting as directionals. Crowd support was great in certain areas, like Center City and the finish line. I wish the full and half were on the same day to give the half runners a stronger crowd support that only comes with marathons. My biggest grip about this race was the pacers. I saw two pacers in two different corrals in the beginning, but never again. There was a full 15 minutes between the two pace groups, and not multiple pacers for each group- like I've seen with races like the Hot Chocolate Run. The expo was pretty smooth sailing. Unfortunately, I had to go after work on Friday, which was naturally a zoo. Starting the expo on Thursday would've been helpful. Picking up my packet the night before the race cut into my race preparation, relaxation and sleep. The swag was nice, although the women's tech shirts ran a little small. Not all bags were stuffed with the same swag. The post race scene had the standard fare of bananas and pretzels. There was a Yards sponsored beer tent where they were selling Brawler and Pale Ale, but cash only. Most races give a beer to the runners. Aside from not having cash, I wasn't interested in paying to drink a beer in the cold. But that's not why I was there, right? The Philly Half is really all about the course. If they keep the course the same, or at least heavily city centric, I'd absolutely do it again. read more

This is a review for the Half Marathon component of this race. While the race course was OK, that stretch of 3.5-4 miles straight without porta potties between the Columbus Blvd. area and Drexel University was incredibly painful, especially after I had to skip the previous one or two potty stops due to the few stalls and insanely long lines at each stop in the first 4-ish miles of the race. For a race of this size and pricing, it was unacceptable not to have anywhere to pee for the first 8 miles! I'm not even sure whether this helped or hurt my pace... Did trying to find a place to pee make me run faster or was I so uncomfortable that I pretty much hobbled from Columbus Blvd all the way to University City? Also, the post-race refreshments were weak, highlighted by cold/stale/cement-hard Philly pretzels and preserved fruit cups. (They did have bananas, though, which I do appreciate.) In contrast, other half marathons I've been to this year (all of which had lower entry fees) provided varieties of fresh bagels, fresh doughnuts, multiple bottles of water/gatorade per runner, whole fruits, protein bars, yogurt, hot New England clam chowder, flavored water ice, pizza, and/or hot pancake/bacon/sausage breakfasts. Some of those races also provided free race photos, whereas photo packages for this race are ~$50-100. To top it all off, the medal design was horrendous this year. I loved the 2015 medal design with the Liberty Bell and ring around it, and supposedly they chose to do the bell again this year "by popular demand," but instead of a classy-looking frame for the bell like in the 2015 design, the bell this year was supported by two thin rods fixed on top of a rectangular base - so cheaply made that the bell came off the base when a runner accidentally dropped it. The bells also actually rang, which was kind of cool for the first 2 minutes, but then I started getting a migraine being surrounded by thousands of ringing bells all over the Art Museum area. Overall, I liked the more city-centric course this year, and even the parts that went through Fairmount Park. The water stations were well-spaced out, though I didn't use them so I could avoid having to pee even more. However, among the 11 organized races that I ran this year, I'd rank this one in the bottom tier and probably won't sign up for it again. read more

This was a pretty fun race. Mostly flat, except for the hill between miles 9 and 10, with decent crowd support. The rowdiest areas are Center City, the Art Museum, and Manayunk. Fairmount Park in West Philly, while having fewer crowds, is beautiful. The out-and-back between miles 14 and 26.2 was better than I expected, though it was a bit demoralizing to see trucks drive down the other side of the route (cuz there were no more runners left) as I looped back toward the Art Museum. Crowds can get a little thin along this stretch, but I got by just fine even without music. The stretch on Columbus Blvd. (between miles 2.5 and 3.5) was probably my least favorite part of the race, but it doesn't last very long and it's early on. I'd love to see them move that part to Front Street instead. Those are just some small gripes. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this race and would recommend it. Medal's great, too! read more

Philadelphia Marathon - Before the race started. Rainy and windy, but everyone was in good spirits! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As of November 18, 2012 - I am a marathoner! AND I am so glad that it happened in Philadelphia I "Refined Possible" and can proudly say that I am one of the 1% completed a marathon and I was smiling the whole time (except maybe during mile 21-23). A little back story - I was one of those displaced NYCM runners who thought that my fall (and first) marathon dreams (and countless hours of training) would have to be put on the back burner until 2013 but when the Philadelphia Marathon opened up slots to NYCM runners- I jumped at the chance. I had already signed up for the 1/2 Marathon in the Spring so I was lucky to already have a place to stay. Here are my thoughts on the race: *Expo - I had no problem picking up my number. Since I was a a NYCM "refuge" and I was not able to get a shirt that day but was told one would be mailed to me at a later date. Great variety of vendors but was surprised that some of the larger running companies (Brooks, Mizuno, Nike) were not present *The Mayor - *LOVED LOVED LOVED the fact that the mayor of Philadelphia is such an integral part of the weekend. Always smiling he welcomed all native and out of town participants with his enthusiasm for both his city and the race. He was there the morning of the race giving out his annual "high fives" as the marathon runners started. Unfortunately I was on the wrong side but caught a glimpse of his smiling face. *The Start - No problem finding that. Mark and I just followed the mass of runners. Everything was well mapped out and all of the volunteers were very helpful in helping me locate my correct corral. Definitely enough port-a-potties as well. Waves started very smoothly and did not feel the crush of runners that I have experienced in other races where corrals are not handled as smoothly. *Course - This is my first marathon so I don't have much to compare it to but it was definitely flatter then some of the Half marathons I have participated in. The only "hill" was at mile 9 and thanks to my hill work I got over it with no problems. I would have liked the full marathon to deviate from the half a bit sooner as it got crowded on some of the more residential portions of the first part of the course. Some other runners that I spoke to indicated that they got confused last year when the half and full split off but I found that the signs were well places and highly visible. *Fuel - *Hydration (water and Gatorade) stations were well stocked and there were plenty of them throughout the entire course Although I carried my own fuel - it was good to see that they had several fuel stations along the course. *Crowds - From start to finish the fans were awesome and one of the reasons I love running urban races. The course has many "cheer" zones throughout the course. Some neighborhoods really went all out and kept me motivated as I ran past the cheering crowds and signs that read "If you were Paul Ryan you would have been here an hour ago", "No one Made you do this" and my husband's personal favorite "After 26.2miles I get my wife back". Even as I made my way back to the city - the fan support never wavered. I had my Rocky moment during the last 1.2 miles as I took my headphones off and soaked in the fan support and random strangers yelling my name in support. *Finish Line- I would have liked some water right away but I had to get my heat sheet and then walk farther for water. I know they were probably trying to avoid having runner "shut down" but what I really wanted was some H20. Additionally - the line was long I had to wait a good 10 minutes for some food, during which time I started to stiffen up. The food was "meh" but the best best best thing they had was warm chicken broth. Hot and salty - it was just what I needed. *The city should be proud of the event they put on. The city truly defines the term "Brotherly Love". It showed great love to this NYCM refugee runner and first time Marathoner and I look forward to coming back next year to help celebrate their 20th anniversary Philly Style! read more

Just finished the 2013 Goretex Philadelphia marathon on Sunday, 11/17/2013. It was my 64th lifetime marathon finish and 42nd state in my attempt to complete a marathon in all US States from Hawaii. I have heard that the Philadelphia marathon was the largest marathon in all of Pennsylvania, so I decided on signing up for this one for a chance to run in historic Philadelphia. Over a hundred of my friends within the Marathon Maniac club community was going to run this one this year, so I just had to - plus, I needed Pennsylvania anyway for my states collection. What better way to run Pennsylvania than in Philadelphia! It was definitely a treat for sure. The ambiance was great and the experience was unforgettable. The 2013 Goretex Philadelphia marathon runner expo was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located on Arch and 11th Streets. It was estimated that the participating count was bloating over 15,000 participants. A marathoner friend of mine who ran in 2012 likened the Philadelphia marathon to that of Chicago marathon, which I have ran 2x in 2008 and 2009 and loved every step of it. Clearly, I was excited on that. The runner expo had pretty much everything and mimicked the Chicago marathon expo to a tee, with the large convention center motif and many runner related vendors selling their wares and services. Many marathons were also there selling their race as well. It was pretty epic there. The race this year used the B tag timing system, where the timing chip is affixed to your race bib, so you shouldn't bend it or else it will not work and record your time. The Philadelphia marathon was 26.2 miles within downtown Philadelphia starting at Elkin's Circle near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rocky Statue. It winds around downtown for the first 8 miles. Then it continues along the Skyill River into Manayuk and then finally back into Elkin's Circle & Benjamin Parkway for the celebration and the finish line. There were timing points at 10K, 1/2 marathon, and 30K. The half marathoners ran with the full marathoners up until mile 12.5 then split off to the finish. It was a surreal feeling to have a large group of runners you were running with peel off to the half marathon finish and you were alone doing the full with 13.5 miles left to do. The course was very pretty along the S River and continuing into the neighboring town of Manayuk. The second half of the course was essentially and out and back section, so I got to see many of my faster friends out there along the course. Crossing the finish line no matter if it was your 1st, 2nd, 64th, or 100th, it was special since every race experience is different and unique. Philadelphia marathon was special and while it wasn't as special or amazing as Chicago, running Philadelphia is great and thankful for the opportunity to do so. The finish line was great and the announcer announced my arrival. After 26.2 miles on foot, it was so sweet. I got to also join in on the celebrations after the race since 2 of my friends celebrated their 100th marathon finish in Philadelphia. It was awesome and amazing at the same time. I'll probably need a few years to reach that elite plateau, but for now, I'm glad that I got to run Philadelphia. Great crowd support in the early miles, but not so much in the 2nd half. The aid stations were plentiful and they serves Gatorade along with cliff bar gels. Run Philadelphia if you can. It was pretty epic. Run more! A+ read more

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Loved the course - flat with maybe 1 turn in last 13 miles. Mostly along river - scenic. Sorry to say bag drop seemed a bit slow, but rain before race might have been partly to blame. Good cheer zones, expo, and fan support. Nice liberty bell medal and tech shirt with no ads. Could maybe use more mile markers. Thankfully, pretty perfect temp in 2017 event, plus no rain during run. Used One Logan as hotel - super convenient and well run. Very nice city for a vegetarian these days. Will certainly recommend this event to fellow runners. read more

Easily one of my favorite races, hands down! My wife and I each ran the Half Marathon portion of the race. Arriving the day before the race, we checked into the hotel and headed over to the Philly Convention Center to pick up our race gear and peruse all the overpriced but guilty pleasures of the expo. Everything went smoothly there, from arrival to bib pickup to browsing the merch and vendors. The next morning, not so bright and early (no sun yet!), we left our hotel and found our way to the starting line. This being the first race we've done since the Boston Marathon attack, we were advised to arrive extra early to navigate the security procedures. This ended up being a very efficient process, with several entry points to the starting line where runners were funneled in and bag checked. My only gripe about the start area would be the number of port-a-loos available. At first glance there seemed to be tons, but when I stood in one of many 50 minute long lines to use it, I started to wish there was more. Ready to go, the race started right on time and man was it a great send off! The only send off better would have to be NYC's Marathon, but that involves actual canon fire... The course itself was great, but a little deceiving. I was under the impression this was one of the flattest courses around. Well, "flattest courses around" doesn't necessarily mean completely flat! Anyway, you wind your way through downtown Philly, along the riverbank, through the streets of Independence Hall, and eventually back into the park. While some of the streets were extremely narrow forcing a lot of us up onto the sidewalks (even behind the crowds in some cases!), it was so scenic and beautiful. 13 miles later, I waved goodbye to those brave souls tackling the marathon, and curved into the finish line. It was phenomenal. Cruising past the steps Rocky proudly climbed, the crowds went wild and I crossed the finish both exhausted and exhilarated. I was awarded my gleaming medal, cloaked in a foil blanket, given my recovery bag, and put in front of a finisher's banner to photograph the moment. Afterwards I re-navigated security and got a great spot to see my wife finish her first half marathon! After I get a few more different city races under my belt, I may be back for the full marathon. Absolutely loved it! Oh, and their motto: "The Best TIME Of Your Life"? I PR'd by over two minutes. : D read more

Philadelphia Marathon - Finished! Check out that bling. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I did the damn thing yesterday. So happy it's done and over with. Trained for 3months with a local philadelphia running group. Great experience. Would I do the race again? Prob not. lol. Painful experience because I had hip pain (due to tight IT band). If I get my body together mayyyyybeee I'll do one in the distant future. I'll stick to half marathons from now. I'm happy to be able to check this off my "to do" list. :) Now on to my sports massage because everything from the waist down aches soo much. read more

I'm fighting the temptation to evaluate this on how much I enjoyed my first half-marathon as opposed to evaluating the logistics and organization of the event. But dang it, it's hard to separate the two. I ran the entire race smiling; to be part of a 30,000 conveyer belt of humanity in a city is such a far cry from the lonely Lancaster County training runs through farm fields! So, here's what I liked: 1. The half marathon course: was flat and fast. It passed all the sights it should..liberty bell, Independence Hall, zoo, Fairmount Park, South Street, and yes, the art museum. Enjoyed seeing the sights from a new perspective. How about a detour down Elfrith's Alley? Can't speak to the rest of the marathon course...check back next year! 2.Registration: easy, with good communication emails. 3. Amenities: After the race, the soft pretzels, food/drink, and a big honking medal! Dislikes: 1. Expo: I know it's the norm, but having to travel downtown to pick up the packet is a pain. Can't think of a solution, except to ride the train! Expo was interesting- for a newbie, anyway. 2. Porta potties before the race: Whole lotta potties, but even more people who have been hydrating for several days before. Lines were insane, and barely made it to the corral on time. 3. Parking: Woman in the expo gave us good advise, but no spots were left in the neighborhoods north of the parkway. Drove for 15 minutes before finding a spot .75 mile away, but GPS didn't mark the spot accurately, and we had to walk an extra hour to find the car after the race. Partially my fault...ARRIVE EARLIER! This being said, I cannot wait until next year...hope the full is in my future! I can't express how much fun I had, and how great it is to be part of a 30,000 runner event, as opposed to the local yokel 5k's and 10k's. So much fun. Thanks, organizers and volunteers! read more

My favorite road race of the year! Where other city can you get a high five from the mayor? Flat, fast course with the perfect number of drink stops. The expo is always great fun with lots of deals and freebies. The locals love it too - last years got hugs, candy, and even a beer while running. I have nothing but praise. 26.2!!! read more

I can't believe I forgot to post my review of the Philadelphia Marathon which I wrote in November of 2008! Good luck to everyone running this weekend! You will love it. And without further ado, here's my review: When I was thinking about signing up for a fall marathon, I wanted to go somewhere new and make a vacation out of it. After some research, I decided upon the Philadelphia Marathon. I heard it was a relatively flat, fast course, and the city seemed like a nice place to visit, full of history, art, and great restaurants. The City of Brotherly Love did not disappoint. It's a true walking city, and we were able to see a lot of the famous sites, such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. While I enjoy running in cold weather, I was not prepared for race conditions in the low-20s. The cups of water and Gatorade had a thin layer of ice on top, and the pavement in front of some of the water stops had frozen. The first half of the marathon was actually the same as the half marathon course, and it wound through the city by many of the historical spots. The second half of the race was more rural, running along side the Schuylkill River to the town of Manayunk and back. And the race starts and finishes in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the steps that Rocky made so famous. I made the best of the conditions and ran as consistently as I could, finally speeding up in the last 6 miles for a negative split and a finish time of 3:43:38. It was my 24th marathon and my 3rd fastest ever. I was thrilled to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which I will run April 20, 2009. I highly recommend running the Philadelphia Marathon. read more

I loved everything about my Philadelphia Marathon experience, except maybe those last 6 miles. The 2011 Philly Marathon was my first marathon. Being a Philly resident, there really was no choice in what my first marathon would be. I was so excited for the race, and had been training for months. When race weekend came, the forecast looked unseasonably warm and perfect. I was ready. The marathon expo was very well organized. Packet pick-up was smooth. There was a great selection of vendors. And the swag was pretty decent. Runners received a long sleeve tech tee, a nice cinch backpack filled with food and other random stuff. I needed to change my corral for the race, and the staff was very helpful and made the process easy. Race morning came and I headed over to the parkway. I ran into Mayor Michael Nutter near the starting line and stopped him to get a picture together. He asked if it was my first marathon and reassured me there was no reason to be nervous. What a great way to start out the morning. My corral ended up starting about 20 minutes after the race start. The first part of the course is amazing. You go through the city, on fairly flat roads. There are lots of spectators with fun signs to cheer you on. I honestly didn't even feel like I was running for the first 10 miles. Then you hit Fairmount and a pretty big hill comes out of nowhere. Lots of runners started slowing down at this point. I trucked along, excited to see my friends at the halfway point at the art museum. After the art museum, the course becomes much more grueling. The long stretch on Kelly Drive is desolate. Almost no spectators. And then. There's Manayunk. Huge hills heading into and leaving Main Street, but at least there were fun crowds. Fans were handing out everything from brownies to cups of beer as runners raced by. The last few miles are brutal. You're back on Kelly Drive, with no spectators, and it's a bit of an uphill run. There was also an issue with the water stations after mile 20. I was nowhere near the end of the runners, but they ran out of cups! I ended up taking an entire gallon of gatorade and spilling most of it while trying to drink it. It's much more difficult than it sounds. The finish line was lined with cheering crowds. Immediately after crossing, you're handed a medal and a heat sheet. I do wish the food/water tent was a little closer. I ended up skipping that part entirely since I found my friends and was eager to see them. The photo company was on par with most other races I did. They were a little slow in posting the pics, but I guess with 20,000+ runners, that's to be expected. I would definitely do this race again. read more

I did the half marathon in 2012 and it is one of my favorite half marathons that I have done so far. I really wanted to run a half marathon in a state other than California and I picked the Philadelphia half based on the great reviews it had. I also had never been to Philly I wanted to check it out. This event is so well organized, I was amazed. The half marathon takes you through the city so there is a lot to see. There is a ton of course support as well! read more

On a whim, I decided to sign up for the Philly Marathon - despite two bad knees and 0 experience running a race. The plan was to train. The plan did not happen. Out of sure laziness I'm sure. I completed two long runs (13 - 18 mi) and declared myself ready. Not even close. When we got to mile 9 or so - be prepared for that run up the hill! That was pure torture. After mile 14 + ... be prepared for a lack of water being supplied! Despite this - after about 5 pit stops to 'drain myself' - I managed to finish in 5 hrs ... sad I know, but an accomplishment nonetheless. An amazing experience overall - definitely something I don't plan to do ever again. Cross it off the bucket list! read more

Hands-down, my most favorite marathon ever and I've run 7 (some in California and the Poconos) but I keep coming back faithfully to the Philadelphia Marathon. Both the full and half marathon are organized very well from bag checks to port-a-potties, from start to finish. It is a flat course with very few hills (by the Please Touch Museum and Manayunk) making it a fast race. The crowd support is amazing in Center City, Wes Philly, and in Manayunk. I cannot say enough about this marathon-it's amazing! Tips: 1) Kid friendly (Kids race is the day before the marathon). 2) Look for Mayor Nutter at the beginning and end of the race- he is full of high fives. 3) Manayunk gives out little beer cups at the bottom of main street, and look for the awesome brownies along the way- they keep you going towards the end when you are sick of gels. read more

We have a great marathon in Philly! Like the other big races, it has gotten very crowded as the number of people who want to race has grown exponentially. That means there will be too many people at the start so you'll be weaving for a mile. There will be 300 port-a-johns but every one will have a long line. My first marathon was the year the Chicago marathon was shut down due to heat. Everyone piled into Philly to qualify for Boston and suddenly the registration was closed for the first time ever. I had been training but neglected to sign up. Now what? I anted up for the half which runs at the same time so at least I paid my way. Then I went bandit. I was sure they would pull me over and say "Wait a minute buddy, you have a half marathon bib, come with me, you're banned from running for life." So I tied my jacket over my bib and ran sideways past anyone who looked like a race official. Everything was going to plan as I returned to Eakins Oval, just about half way there. This was the do or die point. Officials were cattle shooting half marathoners to the left and marathoners to the right. Or was that the reverse? I was confused and went left. As I came around the oval, the sidelines crammed with people, I saw what was clearly a finish line. Too late, I had crossed over the half marathon finish and into a mass of runners who were done. My legs went numb. Never one to admit defeat, I did an about face and ran into the runners, against the stream, back over the finish line, then jumped two fences and headed down to Manayunk as if nothing happened, although people were looking at me like I was insane. As an aside, the hardest part of this race is back up the hill from Manayunk. It's not steep but it is long. Whatever you do, don't accept the beer from the nice people on the streets in Manaunk. You'll never finish. Thanks but no. It was not pretty, but I finished. In one year I went from never running to completing the BSR, half marathon, and marathon. I got three big medals and told everyone I was unstoppable. I promptly stopped running and got fat. This is a journey everyone can and should make. Just make sure you sign up early. Good luck. read more

I ran this marathon last year and returned again this year to run with some friends. This was my 7th marathon so I have been around the block a few times. This race has it all: A great fan base (but some quiet times to reflect on how you feel) Adequate water and gel stops Easily marked course (I chose to follow the hoards of people in front of me) A few hills to keep you honest Beer heading into and out of Manionk Views of the city as you return Historical sites Boat House Row Amazing Fans (yes, this is the one day that Philly really is the city of Brotherly Love) The best piece of advice I can give is find a Philly native to run with. This city is so rich in history that you will won't even know you are running a marathon as you learn about the history of this great city! -Work on the expo a little to make it easier to navigate and I will declare this the #1 marathon in the states. May the wind be at your back at every turn! read more

I've done the Half Marathon 3 of the 4 past yrs. Race is well run and a fairly flat course. There's a hill around 6.5/7 but fairly smooth sailing after that. The fan base is great and it's a good course if you're trying to BQ. Well marked course, but be prepared for some quieter parts, especially if you're running the full marathon. The weather is on the cooler side, but so far, I've been able to avoid rain/snow. Mayor Nutter comes out and helps start the race with Bart Yasso coming out as a regular starter as well. The Expo is at the convention center and is pretty easy in and out. Good variety of stuff to choose from. Take advantage of some freebies while you're there. Word of advise, try to find street parking or in one of the self serving lots and avoid the convention center parking garage (it's pricey!). read more

The worst marathon ever. I ran the half & full marathon 2019 and my finish times are missing in the results. I can only see my name with a WRONG bib number and it has NO FINISH TIME. Are you serious?? I registered for the full marathon in March and the half marathon in November. I was given 2 bib numbers at the expo and the staff at the solution center told me I had to have the same bib number for both races, as "the Liberty Challenge". So they took my 2 bibs and gave me a different bib number. I think the bib number in the results is the one I gave to the staff. And my new bib number is missing in the results. They didn't register it? It's not a good idea to change a bib the day before the race. Very stupid. I emailed the timing company and the website many times but they never answer me. They don't care how much I was looking forward to the marathon and my results. I will never participate in the Philly marathon again. read more

This is an absolutely beautiful city, and the race highlights some of our most fabulous city stops. It was awesome to see out-of-towners occasionally stop to take pictures of things like Memorial Hall, the Waterworks, and of course anything along the Parkway. This is my second half marathon and the other was Rock 'N Roll Virginia Beach. I have done other races, too, so my review uses those experiences for comparison. We were told to arrive *no later than* 5:30, but when we arrived at 5:20, they wouldn't even let us through into the secured area. The security was a joke - an armored tank on site, but they didn't even look at our bags. Security Theater. It was waaay colder than I'd anticipated (my fault, obviously) and I saw all of these people with emergency blankets. They said that Goretex gave them out at the END of the race and that these were blankets from last year. Uh...okay? Why not give them out at the beginning, collect them, and give them out again at the end? I would have killed for a blanket in the frigid AM. No trash cans anywhere? No water in the back corrals? I guess I would have had to walk down to the seeded runners areas, and that was about a half mile up. Why not have two water places at the start? The Portapotties were fine. The corrals were fine and moved quickly. The discarded clothing collection was amazing! So efficient! Our guests had an easy time coming to watch at Mile 3 AND at the Finish Line. The water stations were well-placed and very efficient. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers! The course was fine for the Half-Marathoners, but it would have been really disheartening for new Marathoners because the split happened at mile 12.5 and so we were being cheered on to finish and they still had 13 miles. At the end, we had to wait in long lines for refreshments, and then water was given out a few stations down. The water should be right after the medals. HOW TO MAKE YOUR DAY BETTER: *Bring an emergency blanket for the AM. *Arrive at 6 or 6:15 if you aren't in an early corral. *Bring your own water for the AM. *Use a designated meeting spot because everyone looks the same wrapped in the post-race blankets. And, P.S., you don't actually see the Liberty Bell because the building faces away from the race. Sorry! read more

Hmm...did I run the same race as everyone else? I did the Philly Half in 2010, and I was less than impressed with it and doubt I'll do it again. The course started promisingly enough, right in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and no, I did not do the Rocky dance). But as we were running, I noticed that the streets of Philly are a lot narrower than I'm used to (e.g., DC races), so up until MILE 7, I couldn't even run at my natural pace, and trust me, I was actively trying to move on up like The Jeffersons. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there... My time was seriously hobbled because I actually bothered to start in the correct corral (the organization was horrendous - nobody knew where to go, let alone who to ask). Plus, I felt a little hoodwinked because according to the map, we'd be running through Old Town, South Street, University City, and along Kelly Drive. I thought it'd be a nice trip down memory lane because I'd gone to college in Philly. I guess technically, we did run through those areas, but it seemed like the course ran through a lot of the side streets so we missed a lot of the sights. The race also wouldn't let us wear headphones, so that really stunk, and the photographer that the race hired was ONLY at the finish line. For my DC races, I have shots of me in front of the Capitol, at the finish, in front of museums, etc. And Philly, you CANNOT run out of GU. I had to wait until mile 10 before I got my first packet of GU. Running's a mental thing; if you mess with expectations, it throws everything off. Finally, in terms of swag, the swag itself was great, but 1) they ran out of the free technical shirts for runners (I managed to get mine), and 2) my race bag had a hole in it, and if it weren't for my friend, my wallet and phone would definitely have fallen out. I give the race one extra star because the refreshments afterwards included the famous Philly soft pretzels with mustard. read more

This past November, I completed my first half marathon in 2:04:18. I did beat my personal time! Yay, me! Hard training throughout the 5 months period paid off. Words will not be enough to describe how emotional (for me) was to run through the city that we walk every day and be supported by so many strangers to keep on going. People were holding this banners up saying: "HI FIVE for more energy", "Smile, you paid for this". Literally, I teared out many times. The Philadelphia Marathon was a great event! Starting with the Expo at the Constitution Center all the way to the finish line. Runners should pick up their bibs at the expo along with the marathon packets. There were a lot of booths advertising their products for your best running experience. Personally, I visited Larabar booth and donated my old sneakers. On the morning of the race, I was there very early but found out that it's not necessary. There are no crazy lines at the check ins. Thumbs up to all the volunteers and the security. There are many UPS trucks who will hold your stuff until you finish the race. I.e. I was carrying a jacket (end of November, it's clearly cold) and left it at the truck. Many people were encouraged to donate their heavy clothing by throwing them on the side of the way. This is a nice gesture and surely a many, many people did so. If you live in the city, make sure you do this run at least once in your lifetime. You'll be surprised at how much you'll enjoy it. If you're an early bird, the ticket to the event should be cheaper. I'll do it again this following year - literally, can't wait! read more

I've run the half marathon portion of this race three times and have always enjoyed it. The race is well-organized and the course routes runners through many of the scenic and historic sights of Philadelphia. Already looking forward to the 2014 race! read more

I originally gave Philadelphia Marathon two stars because of the incident with the volunteer. However, the Executive Director of the race, Ms. Hess personally phoned me up and apologized on behalf of the race for the actions of the volunteer who threatened to call a police officer and subsequently pushed me for waiting at the finish line staging area. Moving forward she assured me that volunteers would be given training not to do this in the future. Five stars for the great course, and the Philadelphia Marathon Race Director caring on a personal level to make the phonecall. Thank you. read more

This is a great race. I've done the half the past few years and it goes all over the city. There's a couple of hilly stretches (miles 7 and 9 I think) but after mile 10 it's all flat to the end of the half. The timing sucks in November because of the weather. It's pretty cold at the start. Bring throw always to stay warm read more

My first marathon! What an experience. I live in this fine city, and of course it made me proud to finish 26.2 in the city I call my home. After training for 3-4 months, many grueling and lonely long runs, and sustaining stress fractures to my left leg, I made it to 22nd and Ben Franklin Parkway at 7am ready to run. The course is moderately flat with an exception here and there. I had done a half marathon before, and at the half-way point of Philly marathon, I was thinking "great! I feel awesome!... Oh crap I have to do this all over again!" There are certainly more hills in the second half... or maybe that was just reality kicking in. The spectators and race volunteers are awesome as well. It is true, they are handing out beer in Manayunk. Before I started I thought there was no way I'd miss that opportunity, but by the time I got there, about mile 20, I laughed (painfully) and continued to run by. Kudos to the runners who participated in that part though! For some reason I didn't really get time to check out the expo, but I will be sure to do it this year--that's right, against my sanity and better judgement, I signed up to run again! Can't wait! Cheers to dedicating miles, time, injuries, toenails, blisters, money, and mostly SANITY to the next 26.2! read more

I can now proudly state that I am part of the 1%! No, not the 1% earning 300k per year, but even better - the 1% of people who has ever run a marathon! I'll take health over wealth anytime. While I thought I was going to expire during the last hour of the race, the crowd was really great and pushed me through. Great job Philly. read more

This was such a lovely race. A scenic tour of the city and the beautiful landscape. read more

Philadelphia Marathon - I competed then completed my second half marathon. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I've run the Philadelphia Marathon 4 times at this point. I have a love/hate relationship with it. The beginning is filled with spectators and the miles seem to fall away. At the end, after you leave Manayunk until you get back to the Art Museum the course is pretty bare. This is when you need cheering and support the most. The last couple miles seem especially grueling. In terms of race support there are plenty of water and aid stations. The course does have some hills so don't run this marathon thinking it is completely flat. The weather is usually decent and since it is run in November the temperature is usually just right. The start can be kind of cold but once you start running you warm up pretty quick. Also don't wait to get in line at the porta-potties the lines get super long right before the start of the race. read more

I'll keep this simple. Expo- I think the expo is not very well organized. When we walked in there was no indication anywhere that you needed to go all the ay to the back to pick up the bib and packet. On the way out I was even asked by several people where to go to get their stuff. Good selection of vendors though to shop. Much better experience though at Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. Shirt and Medal - Excellent design. Far superior to Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. Good selection of additional merchandise you can buy at either race. Course - I prefer Rock 'n' Roll with the nice scenic run along the river with just 4-5 miles in the city. Getting in/out - ridiculous security that led to a 15-20 minute late start which was totally unacceptable. Someone with the mind to do something terrible could do so on the course at any place or even jump into the race a mile out and then do something at the Finish. The security entrance is unnecessary in my opinion. Let's not be afraid to live. Probably would not run this race again. read more

It's Sunday, November 23rd, 2008, and it's 5:00AM. This date has been circled on my Calendar for quite some time, and alarms are going off all over my room. It's still dark outside, with the temperature hovering around the low to mid 20s. I make my way through eerily quiet streets of west Philadelphia towards the Trolley station. Upon my arrival, I am relieved to find others as crazy as I am, huddled together in the cold dark, wearing shorts and T-shirts and pacing in nervous anticipation. There is some light smalltalk, but there's nothing much to say. The Trolley pulls up and we all board. In center city now, making my way to the Art Museum, the crowd thickens as the sun begins to rise. If this were any other Sunday, these streets would be deserted, but not today. In spite of the early hour and the freezing cold temperature, there is a profound electricity in the air. Today is the day of the Philadelphia Marathon. The start of the race was very well organized. I had no trouble checking in my gear, and the volunteers were polite and helpful. The gear is stored in school buses based on your bib number, and there are plenty of them. There were also plenty of portajohns, though you may have a short wait to get into one. The lineup was easy enough. Mayor Nutter and other dignitaries gave speeches, and then we were off, a sea of runners suddenly exploding through the streets of Philadelphia. The the race begins by crisscrossing though Center City, first east to Penn's Landing, then West to University City. The course is flat and wide here, though it is a little congested as it is still early in the race. In University city, there is a decent number of people lining the streets to cheer on the runners. From here we head north and past the zoo and into Fairmount park. The park is beautiful in the fall, but at around the ten mile mark there is a big hill to climb. It is still early enough where it's manageable. We pass by the Please Touch Museum and the Civil War Memorial, among other park attractions before winding along the Schuylkill river back to the Art Museum. The marathon is now halfway over, and the temperature is finally creeping above the freezing mark. The sun is a little higher now, as we begin our trek to Manayunk . This is where the race really starts to become a struggle. At about the fourteen mile mark, upon reentering the park, there is another big hill to climb. To make matters worse, the crowd supports really thins out as we wind along the east bank of the Schuylkill river. In spite of this, though, I struggle on. Upon reaching Manayunk , I've run about eighteen miles, and am cold and wet and inconceivably tired. Every muscle aches, and there are blisters on my feet. However, this was by far the best part of the race. The people of Manayunk were amazing! They came out in droves and were by far the most into the race and the most supportive. There were people blasting music, playing instruments, handing out all sorts of things from chocolate to home baked goods. There was even a memorable group who disguised themselves as a water station... but they were actually distributing beer! It was fantastic. Upon leaving there were about five miles to go, but I am once again charged up and feeling good. I know now that I can finish the race. The last leg runs back through Fairmount park. This time, though, it is familiar territory and all flat. There is a big crowd around the finish line, and I somehow find the energy sprint across the line. I am ecstatic; flooded with emotion. Somebody throws a blanket around me and puts a medal around my neck as I make my way to the food tent. I have some chicken broth and pretzels, and at this point it is the tastiest thing I've ever eaten. Retrieving the gear I checked in was easy. I did it. I finished my first marathon! This was a fantastic experience. Finishing that race took a lot of hard work and determination, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Thanks everybody who turned out to cheer on the runners! The organizers and volunteers were awesome as well; there was no shortage of bathrooms, food, water, or Gatorade along the course. I hope to run in the marathon again next year! read more

An absolutely beautiful course with the best volunteers of any marathon. The mostly flat course took us past many historical buildings and markers. The trees along the course were spectacular. All the events are very well organized. The volunteers were incredible. Knew how to hand us water. Knew how to cheer. Loved the man at mile 24 who yelled, "Keep those legs moving." The end of the marathon was super organized. Medal, food and family was able to reach us quickly. My only complaint was the announcer. Felt like he was plugging all the sponsors all the time. He kept saying he needed coffee because he was cold. We didn't need tips to run the marathon from him. And he could have called out the colors of the corrals at the start line. This is a MUST marathon for everyone who runs. We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Center City, which was convenient. Busses picked us up to go to the start line. About a mile walk back (there were busses, but I prefer to walk it out after the marathon) which was easy. People on the street all congratulated me for finishing as I walked back to the hotel. read more

The Philly Marathon is one of the most accessible big city races in the country. For a field of 30-40 thousand runners, it feels more intimate. The expo is at the convention center downtown and is super easy and quick to pick up gear and race bibs. The expo was a decent size with lots of athletic gear companies and tons of other city races. The start line is easy to get to, near the art museum of Rocky step fame. This year security was increased, but it was still very quick and easy to get to the corrals. They don't check assignments very closely, so it's pretty easy to move forward or back with friends, though back is strongly suggested. There really weren't enough porta potties at the beginning, or even along the race as there were huge lines at each until about mile 10. The size is nice though as you can really get to the corral about 10 minutes before the race starts and have no problem. The route is spectacular for the first 13 miles and winds through the downtown past several historical landmarks. These include the Liberty Bell, the mint, Liberty Hall, City Hall, and South Street. The final two miles of the first half loop out to the zoo and back. It can be hard to catch your breath near the zoo though from the animal smell. After 13 miles, the half breaks off from the full and finishes in front of the art museum. For the full runners, the course then goes for a long out and back along the river. This includes a short jaunt over the Falls Bridge and back, turning around in Manayunk. The support along the entire route is incredible. There's hardly a spot where there aren't  at least a few spectators cheering on the runners. Along Chestnut Street and near the start / finish, it's packed. The finish line gets a bit crowded and the walk to the exit is a bit long, especially on tired legs. The course is a fairly flat one and it's a good one for setting a quick time. In general, the organization is very good and the size makes it a nice approachable race. read more

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Scenic, great fan support, a wonderful way to experience Philadelphia! Were from Hawaii and Loved this marathon and got to run it with my dad! read more

I've run this race 4 times, and a bunch of other halves and fulls. This is by far my favorite. Even though I only lived in Philly for 2 years, I keep coming back for it each year. Well run, through amazing parts of the city, and very well supported. Definitely one of my favorites! read more