Definitely, the amount of spectators, and how they cheer you, it is unbelievable. It is clear that the Philly people love their marathon, and you feel cheered like nowhere else. … MORE
Definitely, the amount of spectators, and how they cheer you, it is unbelievable. It is clear that the Philly people love their marathon, and you feel cheered like nowhere else.
Medal and race shirt were really good.
The course is beautiful, but challenging because of the rolling hills. The total ascent is more than 600 ft.
There were very long lines to use the portable toiles at the start, even just 5 minutes before the start. Early arrival is highly recommended.
After the finish line, the food variety was sort of limited.
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Best spectators, best cheering
Definitely, the amount of spectators, and how they cheer you, it is unbelievable. It is clear that the Philly people love their marathon, and you feel cheered like nowhere else. … MORE
Definitely, the amount of spectators, and how they cheer you, it is unbelievable. It is clear that the Philly people love their marathon, and you feel cheered like nowhere else.
Medal and race shirt were really good.
The course is beautiful, but challenging because of the rolling hills. The total ascent is more than 600 ft.
There were very long lines to use the portable toiles at the start, even just 5 minutes before the start. Early arrival is highly recommended.
After the finish line, the food variety was sort of limited.
First half of the Patriot Challenge
This year's expo seemed to be a little thinner than last year's, but the race weather was perfect. I hear that security was a nightmare, but I got there right … MORE
This year’s expo seemed to be a little thinner than last year’s, but the race weather was perfect. I hear that security was a nightmare, but I got there right when it opened so breezed through and got a seat in the warming tent to pass the time until the race started. This year’s weather was perfect (I even wore shorts!), and the medal as always was very nice…though unfortunately the race ran out for the slower runners (I started early since I was doing the challenge). I’m sure they were disappointed, but the race is doing all they can to make up for it and promptly addressed the issue which was caused by record race turnout. This year’s shirt was again a long sleeve tech shirt featuring a running Ben Franklin kite and all. The challenge medal is huge and the entire reason I do the challenge when I run this event haha.
The course itself is a nice running tour of Philly and while it has some hills of note, I wouldn’t call it hard just challenging at times. Due to the weather, crowd support along the race course was amazing. My disappointment from this year is no street pretzels at the finish. Those I missed, but the other usual post race snacks were there and I had to run along to the 8k anyway.
Beautiful weather
The expo was pretty large. The swag wasn’t anything spectacular but the medal was cool due to the bell actually ringing. The security lines were very long so many people … MORE
The expo was pretty large. The swag wasn’t anything spectacular but the medal was cool due to the bell actually ringing. The security lines were very long so many people didn’t get to start the race on time. I fortunately got there very early to avoid this. There also was not very many portapottys.
Big race with lots of crowd support
This was my first big city marathon. Expo was ok. The bus shuttle to and from the race was well planned and the process ran smoothly. They even let spectators … MORE
This was my first big city marathon. Expo was ok. The bus shuttle to and from the race was well planned and the process ran smoothly. They even let spectators ride. I didn’t like having to go through security in the runners zone. Spectators weren’t allowed in. Plenty of aid stations and volunteers. Course was somewhat flat with some rolling hills in the middle. I ended up with about 700 feet of elevation. A ton of crowd support made the miles fly by. Huge medal! I would definitely recommend.
Stay Gritty
My 27th marathon, but the first I've ever run in my city of residence at the time. The expo is in Center City, and it's probably a good idea for … MORE
My 27th marathon, but the first I’ve ever run in my city of residence at the time. The expo is in Center City, and it’s probably a good idea for out-of-towners to take public transit there, since Center City parking is not great. This was my largest marathon to date, with about 13,000 marathoners and triple that for half marathoners. Long lines at the expo on Friday afternoon. I was disappointed that so many of the expo vendors had a purely business motive (“sign up for our service!!”) and there weren’t more free samples.
The half-marathoners run the day before, which keeps the marathon crowds manageable. I had never run a marathon with a pre-race security checkpoint before. Arrive at least 30-40 minutes before start time, because the checkpoint lines are as long as a baseball game.
We were set off in waves, separated by about 90 seconds. We start on Ben Franklin Parkway, next to the Museum of Art, and run east to the Delaware River, then west across Center City again. The first six miles are thronged with fans, and it’s awesome. At mile 7, we cross the Wissahickon River into University City, where college kids from UPenn and Drexel cheer for two miles. Miles 9-12 are lonely with some hills, saved by a score of fans at mile 13.
Save your mental strength for miles 16-24. A four-mile out-and-back up the east bank of the Wissahickon River, with almost no turns. It’s 10 am by now, so the sun beats down. From miles 19-21, we enter the northwest Philly neighborhood of Manayunk, with some tough hills. Thankfully, miles 23-26 are mostly downhill, and I dragged my exhausted legs to the finish line next to the Museum of Art.
More fans than I had ever seen before, which is great. The fall leaves on the east side of the Wissahickon River are pretty, but I wish we could change the four-mile out and back. A security checkpoint with a metal detector is understandable for spectators, but *why* do we need to do it on runners? It created such a massive choke point into the race corrals, and I’m sure it made some runners late and unhappy.
Brotherly Love Indeed
I stayed less than a mile from the venue so logistics on race day were a breeze. The weather was ideal, and the city was awesome, with enthusiastic spectators just … MORE
I stayed less than a mile from the venue so logistics on race day were a breeze. The weather was ideal, and the city was awesome, with enthusiastic spectators just about everywhere. Nice enough expo, but the experience not to miss is the Reading Terminal market across the street. Cheesesteaks and pretzels galore.
Great city and race
Easy taking train from and to the airport. Expo is well organized and there are a lot of places to eat. The start and finish area was very well organized … MORE
Easy taking train from and to the airport. Expo is well organized and there are a lot of places to eat. The start and finish area was very well organized including warming tents for before the race. A few more portapots would be nice especially for the last second got to goes.
Second Half of the Patriot Challenge
I ran this one as the second piece of the Patriot Challenge. I must say that my performance was better than years past having run 13.1 miles beforehand. We got … MORE
I ran this one as the second piece of the Patriot Challenge. I must say that my performance was better than years past having run 13.1 miles beforehand. We got beautiful weather for our run along the Schuykill River. I wouldn’t call the course challenging, but it’s a big loop so you will retrace most of your steps. That being said, it’s a fun time, with people dressing up and plenty of spectators along parts of the course to keep you motivated. This year, the shirts were tech long sleeve which was a nice change. If I had one critique it’s that there was less variety of food than last year, but there was still plenty.
Thumbs down from the Back of the Pack
Course limit = 7 hours, My Finish = 6:08:21 What I liked: The Marathon is a stand alone event. This makes a big difference on the later miles. I loved … MORE
Course limit = 7 hours, My Finish = 6:08:21
What I liked:
The Marathon is a stand alone event. This makes a big difference on the later miles. I loved that Philly had the Marathon as it’s own event it meant for more support because everyone was completing the same race. The start/finish line being at the Art Museum was really cool. I loved the medals. All the workers/volunteers I interacted with were wonderful.
What I didn’t:
It felt like there weren’t enough water stops. Also, buy the end some of the water stops ran out of cups, and were only helpful to people who had water bottles. The post race offerings were skimpy by the 6hr mark.
The city of Philly was supportive though, that was a very nice part of the race. The last out and back (~17 mi – ~23 mi) was along the river and into Manayunk – Manayunk showed up!!
Big City Race, But Not Too Big
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 … MORE
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.
Love, love , love this event!
This was my 11th consecutive marathon weekend in 11 different states. Philly Marathon, state #46, 69th marathon, 23 degrees and extreme gale alert in place! It was so cold but … MORE
This was my 11th consecutive marathon weekend in 11 different states.
Philly Marathon, state #46, 69th marathon, 23 degrees and extreme gale alert in place! It was so cold but those warming tents at the start and finish were amazing life savers! Finish time 3:37 and another Boston Qualifying Time!
20+ mph winds that made it extremely difficult to run straight and not trip over your own feet. Loved running through the city with the energetic crowd! I felt strong, pushing pace through that wind, but made the rookie mistake of forgetting my training fuel at home. Tried taking one of their provide Gatorade gels only to throw it completely up a few miles later, knowing this was not good as my body would be depleted from the needed nutrients to power to the finish! 20 miles in and it was a crash and burn and suffer-fest and I relied heavily on my mind to just keep pushing. The crowd support truly carried me, as they were so excited!! The course was beautiful and the fans were spectacular braving those conditions to cheer us on! Also the medal we received was amongst one of my ultimate favorites! Definitely will be back to run Philly again! ❤️
The only con: the hotel that was recommended on their site did not have a shuttle and several runners, including me, had to pay for transportation to the start line, on the website it had information that the shuttle would pick us up, but the one we stayed in said no upon our check in. Be sure to check with the front desk and not be caught waiting for a shuttle that will not come.
Philly Has Great Spirit
This is a great race and was my first ever marathon. Philadelphia has great spirit and found a lot of great cheering, a full gospel choir, DJs, random singers and … MORE
This is a great race and was my first ever marathon. Philadelphia has great spirit and found a lot of great cheering, a full gospel choir, DJs, random singers and drummers and lots of spectators offering candy, beer, even shots!
The shuttles from the hotels were well organized as was the bag check. Race production was good even if there was some more lonely parts of the course everything was really well marked. I found the course also great to look at – lots of different views through the city central, different neighborhoods and through the botanical garden along the water. It was pretty cold and towards the end couple of the aid stations were packed up by the time I got to them even though there seemed to be a good amount of people behind me.
I had a mishap around the mile 8 porto-potties. I am pretty slow but even so the line for the bathrooms was around 10 minutes and by the time I hit them they were pretty decimated and there was no toilet paper to be found which cost me several more minutes as I scrounged. Some amazing person spared me a few tissues (Thank you person!!) but definitely something i need to remember for the future. Unless you are lightning fast byotp!
Provisions at the finish line included broth, bananas, and granola bars and thankfully the race blankets that shielded us from the crazy cold winds that kept blowing throughout the whole race. I also really like the long-sleeved tech shirt – definitely the women’s sizes run bigger than other tech shirts I’ve gotten so maybe size down? The medal is also very cool and has a fully functional bell! I also thought it was funny when I was getting lunch around town I kept hearing bells ringing :).
A Yearly Staple
I have very few criticisms of this race. Again the weather was perfect, a little nippy, but perfect running weather. The expo could have more to offer, but I got … MORE
I have very few criticisms of this race. Again the weather was perfect, a little nippy, but perfect running weather.
The expo could have more to offer, but I got to meet Bill Rogers and Bart Yasso so I can’t entirely complain.
The race started on time this year, despite the security lines being insane. They could use some policing on those lines as far too many people were just cutting in at the front, slowing down the whole process. The checkpoint I was on line for ended up with two lines that had to merge. It was frustrating to say the least.
Once again, the medal is awesome. I did the Patriot Challenge (13.1 and 8k) and all three medals are quality, the half medal and challenge medal more so, but the 8k medal is solid.
Staying on 19th st, I was able to walk everywhere. To and from the train station, to the expo, and to the race start/finish. If you stay in city center you’ll be able to walk everywhere, but the race does offer shuttle buses to the start/from the finish to hotels that are farther out.
Highly Recommend Philadelphia!
First half through the city goes fast, lots of spectators and amazing architecture. Near halfway there's a good test of a hill going into the park. Second half out and … MORE
First half through the city goes fast, lots of spectators and amazing architecture. Near halfway there’s a good test of a hill going into the park. Second half out and back Kelly Drive is much prettier than I expected and still had some good crowd support spread out in key places. Mayanuk was a highlight. The crowd rocked it out there. There is definitely some of that famous Philly grit and sports fanaticism evident in the cheers of the crowd, even calling you by name as they read your race bib as you run by.
The race was well run, there was a nice big warming tent. Only complaint would be portapotties… the lines were so long before the race and many stops throughout the race for them included people waiting in lines of 7-10 people. Food afterward is not as good as some but you can get yourself a cheesesteak so that’s a plus!
Overall, awesome city and great event. Really interesting course that went by quickly and a good test of will in the last 10 miles. Start and finish being in the same spot is a plus logistically. The vibrancy of Philly is noticeable, the city is alive and welcoming. Took the family and made a weekend out of it and they all enjoyed it.
Even on one of the coldest marathon days on record for Philly and with wind constantly in the 15mph range it was a blast! If you’re considering the Philadelphia Marathon, don’t hesitate. Do it!
Grateful but could use some improvements
Race day was bitter cold, low 30’s and gusts of wind went right through you -hand warmers weren’t enough for me. Medal is always solid for this race , large … MORE
Race day was bitter cold, low 30’s and gusts of wind went right through you -hand warmers weren’t enough for me.
Medal is always solid for this race , large size of race participants, big city, scheduled later in season so training of long runs avoid summer heat, and could drive there are all the reasons I chose this race.
Morning of race I was happy to learn there were shuttles – spot on and post race too.
Pre race energy was lacking for me.
No announcers or direction other than to get through security making it very uneventful.
Heating tent was appreciated.
Bathrooms were ok… some were so far away – why not just line them all up in one row and not on top of the warming tent where it blocked those trying to leave tent .
Start time and line was confusing to me. I was last wave of 11, very UNMOTIVATING and learned the start line was much further down than a ton of us realized . Our wave was small , I wish I lied to get another wave ..horrible feeling with small crowd .
I do believe the gear check process was nice but confused to why we had a tag on our bib …and no signs directing or in general no volunteers helping to direct runners on where it was.
On course review-water stations were good.
Bathrooms on course I don’t usually use but needed one and it was so disgusting and standing solo so I had to keep running but found some later (not sure what is normal for marathon).
Scenery was decent , manyunk was cool.
Fairly flat course but few times I felt I was going in wrong direction and nervous I missed a turn but had to trust I was in right lane. As a slower runner it was motivating seeing other runners ahead of me until it wasn’t after 2nd , 3rd, 4th time and was never ending for turn around . Didn’t realize this was how this course was and in several areas of the course.
Post race – banana and juice ..granola .. that’s it? No volunteers anywhere .. heard there was broth but I didn’t see any.
Photo people were plenty and stayed out there for all of us slower runners. I appreciate that.
Announcer of my name coming in was nice.
I’m grateful for this race but wish they had little more energy /management of process.
I appreciate late expo hours and decent merchandise and being close to hotel ..
lastly I didn’t like that we didn’t get to start or finish by Rocky statue… or the steps.
Great race, poor organizing
Overall, great scenery and great crowds but there were a few things that weren’t planned out very well. I arrived an hour before start time and waited for close to … MORE
Overall, great scenery and great crowds but there were a few things that weren’t planned out very well. I arrived an hour before start time and waited for close to an hour to get thru security which was a “free for all.” Not organized at all with 1-2 security guards manning the entrance for thousands of runners. There also wasn’t any signage letting runners know where to go which was frustrating. Another frustrating aspect as a runner was the lack of bathrooms from mile 15-20. There were ZERO (there were some on the other side of the road but you couldn’t cross or you’d run into oncoming runners/traffic). That made it hard as a lot of other runners were struggling that late into the race as well. Great volunteers and energy though! Medal was creative and nice too! Hope the organizing gets a little better and I’ll be back!
My review
Spectacular views of the views of the city and West Philadelphia, and even got to pass by the zoo. The medal is super cool, and I would definitely come back … MORE
Spectacular views of the views of the city and West Philadelphia, and even got to pass by the zoo. The medal is super cool, and I would definitely come back and do it again
Beautiful Tour of Philadelphia
I signed up for this race without doing much research, as a friend lived in Philly and I needed a Pennsylvania race for my 50 states goal. I did NOT … MORE
I signed up for this race without doing much research, as a friend lived in Philly and I needed a Pennsylvania race for my 50 states goal. I did NOT realize this was a MASSIVE race with nearly 30,000 participants. That meant very long lines with COVID checks at the expo, and security lines to enter the race corrals (we barely made it in before the National Anthem and we got there early). Other than that, the race was gorgeous! Around freezing for the start, but warmed a bit when the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day. Seeing all the big sights of Philly, running past the Liberty Bell, through some hills in a local park. And one of my favorite medals to date! I would definitely run again, and it’s on my marathon to-do list when I wrap up 50 Halfs!
Patriot Challenge
I was thankfully also running the half marathon, or else the line to get into the expo would've been entirely ridiculous. My performance also would've been better if this race … MORE
I was thankfully also running the half marathon, or else the line to get into the expo would’ve been entirely ridiculous.
My performance also would’ve been better if this race wasn’t what amounts to the last 5 miles of an 18 mile run. The course is an out and back adjacent to the Schuykill River trail, so it’s definitely beautiful. It’s also the opposite direction from the finish of the half marathon, so you can get some energy off of the back of the pack finishers from the half and cheer them on as well. Race weather was also perfect this year and the crowds from the start until Logan Circle were nuts…but then there are no spectators really until you’re coming into the finish.
The medal for the 8k is nice, not too small, but definitely not large. That being said, there are few 8k’s out there that give finisher medals at all.
I was pleasantly surprised that the race provided enough food at the finish for the 8k finishers, even those of us at the back of the 8k pack, since the half marathon is the same morning, and just about all of the food choices were vegetarian or vegan which I appreciated greatly.
Awful Logistics - Great race!
The Good - Philly is always a great *race*. The actual course and support is top notch. A bit of a quiet area during some critical areas (22-24) but the … MORE
The Good – Philly is always a great *race*. The actual course and support is top notch. A bit of a quiet area during some critical areas (22-24) but the scenery along the river is great. Once you hit mile 25, the crowd definitely brings it.
The bad – On the course, aid stations were very inconsistent. Some had Gatorade up front, others had Gatorade after water. Some aid stations had porta-lavs – others didn’t. Not a deal breaker but something that could be fixed very easily with a little better co-ordination. It did cause a lot of confusion with runners at times.
The ugly — The start village! UGH!!! And not the first time – I remember similar issues in 2017 when I ran. There are three major things they can improve. Getting there is awesome – 100% great experience. The race has busses that pick up runners from affiliated hotels and drop you off outside the village.
Then, you get to stand in line for security. We waited almost 25 minutes (being dropped off at 5:45am for 7:00am start). I get the need for security and 100% support it – it’s just the backup sets in motion a whole downward spiral of problems once inside.
Porta-a-Johns — This! The lines for the porta-johns are ridiculous. The humorous thing is that there are dozens outside the secure area (for those waiting to come inside) that aren’t being used. Meanwhile, inside, the average wait for a porta-john is 30 minutes or more. Any experienced marathoner knows that there is a “timing” required – go too early, and you’ll be looking to get in line again which is futile. At the race start, each line was a minimum of 20 racers long.
Bag drop-off — Philly implemented a new system of bag drop off that requires each bag to be re-tagged. This, also, resulted in lines for 25+ minutes to drop off a bag. The re-tagging is done for no good reason since each bib comes with a race number tag to affix to the bag. Combine this with the impossible lines for the porta-johns and you can see the issue.
Post-race – Race finish was fantastic; at least when I got there. A runner that finished about an hour later complained of backups getting through the food tent. However, I had no problems other than trying to claim my bag (since I had to give it to another runner as my corral was under 5 minutes from starting).