Brian Rock's Staging Area

The Erie Marathon is exactly what it is advertised as. I found it when I was looking for an early fall race to try and have a last chance at a BQ for next year. Many runners find themselves in that situation, and Erie is one of the larger marathons organized for that purpose.

The course is fast and flat. It loops through Presque Isle State Park twice, and there’s virtually no elevation change. There’s a good deal of shade and some picturesque views. The only downside of the course is that there aren’t many spectators through the middle of the course.

Packet pick up and the race start were smooth. There are water stations every mile, well stocked with friendly volunteers. There were several course photographers, and they posted official results as people finished. They also take all the precautions (like timing mats and a video for evidence) to make sure times are legitimate and approved by BAA for BQ purposes.

One downside to the race set up is that you can’t park in the park on race day. You park outside the park and then walk a little over half a mile to the start. This is fine in the beginning, but it’s not great after you’re done.

Be wary of the weather, too. Early September is often nice on the lake, but there’s always the chance of a warm, humid day. It was warm and humid the day I ran, and it took its toll on a lot of people.

This is a low budget affair, with a low cost but great production value. The volunteers were awesome, and they make this race a great experience. If you’re looking for an early fall race – especially if you’re trying to get a last chance BQ – the Erie Marathon is a great choice.

Philly is an amazing big city race, but the logistics run smoothly and it doesn’t have the hang-ups that the larger majors do.

The course meanders through downtown and historic Philly before taking a trip out and back along the Schuylkill River. It’s exciting and scenic. There are a few hills in the middle of the race, but nothing terrible. The miles out along the Schuylkill River are tough, but it feels great when you turn around to head towards the finish.

The energy along the course is amazing. There are large crowds throughout the first half downtown. The crowds thin out a bit in the middle through the park, but it’s never completely dead. People play music along the course, and you’re bound to hear “Eye of the Tiger” a few times. When you pull into Manayunk at the turn around, it’s packed shoulder to shoulder. You can even stop for beer and pretzels if you like. The last mile or two along Kelly Drive is crowded with supporters as you finish.

There were plenty of aid stations, and they were well stocked and well manned. It was extremely windy the day I ran, and a few tables did blow over. But the volunteers managed to get things together. There are large banks of porta potties at the aid stations, as well.

The logistics getting in weren’t too bad. It’s a big event, so there is tight security. There were pretty long lines at the main entrances on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, but if you go around to the left or right you can find much shorter security lines. I left my hotel downtown, around a mile away, at 6am and got to the start with plenty of time to spare. The gear check looked like a madhouse, but the lines moved quickly. You should try and use a bathroom before you go through security, though, because the lines at the porta potties after security were very long.

The start was quick and efficient. You’re assigned to a corral based on your estimated finish time, but they only wait a couple minutes between corrals. So everyone starts shortly after 7am – it’s not like Boston or New York where it takes all day for the waves to be released.

The post-race festivities were nice. As soon as you cross the finish line, they have hot broth waiting for you. It’s amazing. They had some other vendors in the area giving away other food and drinks. Your family will have to go through security to meet you, but they can get to the secure area at the end. I would have stayed longer, but it was freezing.

The weather is a wildcard for this race. It’s November, so it shouldn’t be too hot. But you never know if it’ll be a nice 40’s fall day, or a frigid winter morning. The day I ran, it was ~30 degrees with heavy winds. I loved the race, and I’ll take cold over heat any day, but it put a damper on the post-race festivities.

All told, it is an amazing race. I would highly recommend it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up back here again in the future.

I ran the half marathon at the 2022 Coastal Delaware Running Festival. The festival also included a 5k (on Saturday), and a marathon and 9k that went off Sunday morning before the half.

The race starts on the boardwalk in Rehobeth Beach. It’s a cute little shore town, and it’s a great place for a getaway.

The boardwalk itself is fairly short, and the route quickly leaves the boardwalk for a short loop through the neighborhood. The first two miles or so isn’t particularly beautiful, but they are nice tree-lined streets offering shade.

The middle chunk of the race (around miles 4 to 11) are run through Cape Henlopen State Park. Here, it’s a packed dirt road. The route goes through the forest for a bit, along the pond, and back. It’s beautiful, scenic, and serene.

The course is very flat, with a few gentle slopes along the way.

There are nice crowds along the boardwalk at the start and the finish, but crowd support gets kind of thin after that. The full marathon and 9k start earlier than the half, so for the first three miles or so we ran by the slower participants in those races. But once the routes diverged around mile 4, it was much quieter.

Aid stations were plentiful, with water and gatorade. Gu was available at mile 8. After the race, we got our medal, a hat, water, and a banana. At check in, I also got a shirt (not a tech shirt, but it is a comfortable cotton tee shirt) and a branded beer glass.

The race started on time – going off at exactly 7:40. The marathon started at 7:00, and the 9k started at 7:20. This helped spread people out on the course, as opposed to some races that start the marathon and half together.

The half marathon field was also loosely divided into three corrals. The first corral was designated for those running faster than 8:00/mi. It was based on the honor system, but people respected the rope and stayed behind it if they didn’t think they belonged in the corral. As a result, a much smaller group of 3-4 dozen of us took off at 7:40 – and the other corrals followed at 7:41 and 7:42.

The post race atmosphere was great. By the time we finished, the 9k finishers had all come in. We started to stream in, followed a little while later by the first marathon finishers. There was a good crowd on the boardwalk, and it added a lot of energy to the last phase of the race. I enjoyed sitting on the boardwalk for 20-30 minutes after I finished, watching the other racers come in and cheering them on.

There was also a great post-race celebration. Runners got free entry, and friends / family could buy a ticket ahead of time for $30. It was held at Grotto Pizza, a block from the finish, and it lasted from 9 to 3. This gave me time to walk back to the hotel, clean up, check out, and then meander over around 11. As a runner, you get three beer tickets and there’s a decent buffet of salad, pizza, pasta, and chicken. Not gourmet food, and not New Jersey pizza… but definitely enjoyable. The TVs inside were live streaming the finish line, and you could continue to hear the announcer.

Overall, it was a great race – a scenic route, well organized, with a lot of energy at the start and finish. It’s a little quiet in the middle of the race, and the minimal amount of crowd support out in the park is the only potential downside (if that’s important to you).