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 :).
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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).
Set my personal best in Philly
Was very well organized, security gates, gear check, toilets, corrals, volunteers - everything was perfect. Finisher medal is amazing! worth the effort! MORE
Was very well organized, security gates, gear check, toilets, corrals, volunteers – everything was perfect.
Finisher medal is amazing! worth the effort!
Great Race,Course and Crowd .Don't miss
Best organized ..Easy corals, bag drop, expo and everything Aid stations almost every 1.5 mile Course is beautiful Awesome medal Definitely will come back awesome race MORE
Best organized ..Easy corals, bag drop, expo and everything
Aid stations almost every 1.5 mile
Course is beautiful
Awesome medal
Definitely will come back awesome race
Running tour of a historical city
This was my second time running the half marathon during marathon weekend in Philly. Because of COVID, all runners had to be fully vaccinated in order to participate this year. … MORE
This was my second time running the half marathon during marathon weekend in Philly. Because of COVID, all runners had to be fully vaccinated in order to participate this year. That meant that there was an insane line to get into the expo since they had to verify vaccination status. Thankfully, I only had to wait about a half hour when I went, but I heard the wait got up to over 2 hours at times. The expo was also a bit smaller this year.
Security on race morning was very efficient and the race even set up a warming tent for runners by the starting corrals.
Race day was perfect weather and the course was a running tour of the city, passing by various historical landmarks and neighborhoods. That being said, the race was supposed to start at 7am to accommodate the new Patriot Challenge (running the half marathon followed directly by the 8k). Unfortunately, it didn’t start until about 7:20. Luckily, challenge bibs let you hop into any corral you want. I’d rather not start with much speedier runners, but time constraints necessitated it.
The medal was awesome as usual, complete with a ringing Liberty Bell and the Patriot Challenge medal is equally awesome, not to mention rather huge.
Great Run in Philly
I loved seeing 13.1 miles of Philadelphia - course had a few small inclines in the second half, but it wasn't bad at all. There were great crowds of folks … MORE
I loved seeing 13.1 miles of Philadelphia – course had a few small inclines in the second half, but it wasn’t bad at all. There were great crowds of folks cheering, and there was a fun medal at the finish!
There were a few snags with COVID – long lines at the expo and to get into the race on Saturday morning – but given the circumstances, understandable.
Love the run scenery
This is by far the best half marathon I have run as far as scenery. You run all throughout Philly and the streets are shut down for you. It's amazing- … MORE
This is by far the best half marathon I have run as far as scenery. You run all throughout Philly and the streets are shut down for you. It’s amazing- if you do any running events- you cannot miss this one!!
Awesome course
I did the Marathon to complete the freedom challenge. The first half the course goes around downtown then the second half is an out and back Manayunk. I was working … MORE
I did the Marathon to complete the freedom challenge. The first half the course goes around downtown then the second half is an out and back Manayunk. I was working on getting a PR, but the weather did not cooperate, we had all 4 seasons during the race so I missed out on my PR. But the race medals were awesome. The Freedom challenge medal is huge. I had my bib shipped to me, but from what I saw the expo was well organized.
Improve the second half portion
Not so luck on my day, as it was very cold and raining throughout the race. One big positive item is the abundance of bathrooms along the course, I would … MORE
Not so luck on my day, as it was very cold and raining throughout the race. One big positive item is the abundance of bathrooms along the course, I would say that every 3-4 miles there was something. They should change the course on the second half, as it is very boring to run down and up the same street for 10-12 miles, it also plays a big mind game on the runner. After party is not so good, either.
Great crowd support.
Pros: Great crowd support. Very nice finisher's medal. Huge expo. Scenic course. Cons: Long lines at the security checkpoints. Horrible port-a-potties. Many of them were unbalanced, so when you walked … MORE
Pros: Great crowd support. Very nice finisher’s medal. Huge expo. Scenic course.
Cons: Long lines at the security checkpoints. Horrible port-a-potties. Many of them were unbalanced, so when you walked in, the entire port-a-potty swayed violently. Gross and scary.
Philadelphia Marathon 2019 Review
The hills on the elevation map look severe, but are not that bad. Total elevation gain is about 640 feet. There are 3-4 decent hills and many small hills. A … MORE
The hills on the elevation map look severe, but are not that bad. Total elevation gain is about 640 feet. There are 3-4 decent hills and many small hills.
A late November race in The North can be cold and this one was. We had a high in the low 40s, some wind and some rain. It actually snowed on the way back to the hotel!
We took the train from Boston. Much more comfortable than a flight and we were 5 minutes from City Hall which was next to our hotel. It’s also a 5 minute walk from this area to the start/finish area.
Bag drop and porta potties were not very convenient. They ran out of food and I was in the middle of the pack! Plenty of water stops and porta potties. Handed out gel at 3 locations.
They used a virtual swag bag which I am all for, but there was nothing worthwhile in it.
The Expo had many empty tables/booths but I saw Med and Dessy speak!
Better than most World Majors
Meb and Des launched the marathon after imparting their words of wisdom and well-wishes. Then, they high-fived runners at mile 14. To be cheered on by elites is an incredible … MORE
Meb and Des launched the marathon after imparting their words of wisdom and well-wishes. Then, they high-fived runners at mile 14. To be cheered on by elites is an incredible feeling.
Packet pickup was mayhem. You had to stand in a different line to get your corral sticker. I’m used to being assigned to a corral prior to race day. Also, you don’t get assigned to a corral at all if you’re in a challenge. I was in a challenge so this added to the confusion. Do I get a corral? Do I not? To add, I was assigned to the wheelchair division, which was a mistake on their part. This meant I had to stand in their customer service line for a long time because only one person manned that station.
Good stuff about packet pickup: we were given the option of ordering merchandise prior to expo day and have our things waiting for us. This was meant to keep you out of those long checkout lines. This worked out well!!! I was in and out of the pickup line in minutes! Highly recommend!!! Plus, I didn’t overspend.
The starting line was a bit of a secret. Not well marked. I heard this was for safety after what happened in Boston years ago. There were also security lines to go through and we were advised to appear an hour and a half prior to race start. It was not difficult nor slow though.
The first half of the course is hilly. Not enormous but not small either. Nice sized. The aid stations were about 2 miles apart, well-manned, and enthusiastic. Each one had water and Gatorade. Some had gels. The spectator aid stations were awesome. Jim Beam and chocolates! The scenery was gorgeous throughout. Monuments and sights. Or Schuykill River. Just beautiful.
The second half of the course is an out and back to Mayanuk, which is a world all its own. This was mentally tough. When you enter this, you know you are seeing 12 miles of runners ahead of you. Talk about mind-blowing. But the crowd support is amazing.
Portopots: they are especially disgusting and scarce here. Bring your own tissues. I’ve not seen it this bad at a marathon.
Swag: the medals are AMAZING! Shirts are okay.
Overall, a wonderful marathon. Truly loved it. It’s quite an experience and the course is amazing. The people of Philly are especially nice.
Long way down and back
It was a cold rainy day which didn't help. There're some hills, not steep, but long. There's also a very long part of the race where you go down, down, … MORE
It was a cold rainy day which didn’t help. There’re some hills, not steep, but long. There’s also a very long part of the race where you go down, down, down while you see the early finishers going up, up, up. Then, obviously, you have to go back up, up, up. It’s a very long straight line besides the river. If it was a beautiful sunny day, I wouldn’t have felt so bad. But it was cold and rainy which made it hard and kinda depressing.