In Philadelphia, we redefine the experience of what a marathon should be. A beautiful course, an engaging atmosphere — it’s no wonder we’re consistently listed among the top ten courses in the country, recognized for our flat terrain, mellow weather and spirited fans. Expect beautiful views through Fairmount Park and …
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In Philadelphia, we redefine the experience of what a marathon should be. A beautiful course, an engaging atmosphere — it’s no wonder we’re consistently listed among the top ten courses in the country, recognized for our flat terrain, mellow weather and spirited fans.
Expect beautiful views through Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill River and neighborhood crowds gathering on sidewalks in University City and Manayunk. Weave through the well-traveled streets of our historic district, passing sights familiar to Franklin, Washington and the rest of the gang, and end your race speeding towards the steps of the majestic Art Museum.
Digital splits are provided at the 10K, 13.1 mile and 30K marks along the course, and fluid stations and spectator overlooks are set up throughout the course.
Oh, that’s another thing: the fans. You’d better get ready for the crowds, because each year, thousands of spectators line the course eager to cheer on runners. There’s nothing we love more in this town than a champion… all 30,000 of them.
In 2017 the Philadelphia Marathon Team created a new course for the Dietz & Watson Half Marathon with almost ten miles in the city. This new course takes runners through most of the same historic areas and iconic neighborhoods that Philadelphia has to offer.
From the history-steeped streets of Old City, through one of the liveliest stretches of Center City, across the Schuylkill, up through the bucolic trails of Fairmount Park, and back down to canvas the banks of the river. The course is also sanctioned by USA Track & Field.
The Half Marathon was added to Race Weekend in 2006 and has seen an increase in runners every year since. Whether as a test-run for first-time marathoners or as a challenging race along a scenic course, the Dietz & Watson Half Marathon has given thousands of runners the opportunity to take on the AACR Philadelphia Marathon on their own terms.
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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.
The Philly half to run!
This race is the race to run in Philadelphia. The expo was easy to navigate and all the info you needed was right there. I liked the long sleeve shirts. … MORE
This race is the race to run in Philadelphia. The expo was easy to navigate and all the info you needed was right there. I liked the long sleeve shirts. The only bad thing about the race was the very long and slow security lines to get into the race corrals, it was very disorganized. The course is really good, with some inclines starting at around mile 8. The crowd support was excellent and water stations were well placed and staffed. The finish line food was ok and the medal was really nice and well designed. As far as I am concerned this race blows away the Rock n Roll half in September.
Nice course, nice people, great temps...
Easy packet pickup, there is a 0.5-1+ mile walk from hotels to start/finish. Show up early as security was not well orchestrated. There were no volunteers to tell you what … MORE
Easy packet pickup, there is a 0.5-1+ mile walk from hotels to start/finish. Show up early as security was not well orchestrated. There were no volunteers to tell you what line to get into (bag or no bag) I was in line an hour before i got to a volunteer who provided directions, make it to my corral with <5 minutes to spare. Course was scenic, mostly flat and no traffic to deal with. My GPS showed 13.54 miles… looked at others, they were 13.4+ miles… so that was odd. Great city to spend a weekend in,
A great time
This was my first year running the half marathon. I ran the full marathon back in 2016. The race expo is relatively large, with speakers like Meb and Des Linden … MORE
This was my first year running the half marathon. I ran the full marathon back in 2016.
The race expo is relatively large, with speakers like Meb and Des Linden being presented by Bart Yasso. There was also a meet and greet with Meb and Des, but you had to pick one (though you could get on line to meet the other after). I chose to meet Meb and, despite being told it was either a photo or an autograph, Meb both signed my bib and took a photo with me. The race shirts are tech long sleeves and are pretty nice, the marathon ones being light blue and half marathon being Navy.
The weather for the half was gorgeous and the crowds definitely came out because of it. Course support was awesome. The race is not flat, but the hills on the course are more inclines (and some long inclines) than steep and short. I’m convinced that mile 11 was just about all uphill.
After the race, the food options included juice (apple and orange), water, chips, Nature’s Valley granola bars, and my personal favorite street pretzels. We also got pretty awesome medals (silver in color for the half, gold for the full, otherwise identical) that include the Liberty Bell (which rings!).
Definitely a more enjoyable race and course than Rock n Roll in September, especially because it was not hot and humid.
Excellent
Was very impressed with this event. Check in was quick and painless. Shirts for marathon were excellent quality and design (cannot say the same for what I saw on the … MORE
Was very impressed with this event. Check in was quick and painless. Shirts for marathon were excellent quality and design (cannot say the same for what I saw on the 8k). Medal was very cool (and I am not big on medals). Their e-mail and Facebook posting were extremely helpful. Particularly liked the daily videos of 26 days to 26.2 miles. The course has some hills, but is still mostly flat-challenging for a runner like myself (only my second full marathon) but more than fair. A great route as you get to see a lot of the city; fan participation was fairly sizable despite the rain. A treat getting to hear Bill Rodgers and Bart Yasso speak at the expo. Also, how many races do you get to high five someone lie Kefleghizi on route or have him place the medal on you after you cross the finish line? A lot of nice little touches to this event-spend at least three nights so that you get to do the expo, see some of the city, do the race, and still relax. I won’t do this next year because I am already gunning for the Marine Corps Marathon, but I will do this one again in a couple of years.
Awesome course
The course was nice and flat. Only a few hills. The medal is amazing. Its huge. The water stations were good for the most part maybe the 10 miles one … MORE
The course was nice and flat. Only a few hills. The medal is amazing. Its huge. The water stations were good for the most part maybe the 10 miles one should be moved to mile 9. Other than that, I loved it. I had my race bib mailed to me so I didnt have to go to the expo, which was nice.
Terrible
Really disappointing this is my hometown race. Logistics sucked, gear check, security, organisation, all very bad. I've run in a few large cities, NYC, Chicago, DC, Baltimore, and no one … MORE
Really disappointing this is my hometown race. Logistics sucked, gear check, security, organisation, all very bad. I’ve run in a few large cities, NYC, Chicago, DC, Baltimore, and no one is as inempt as Philadelphia. The only bright spot were the aid station volunteers.
Fun "big city" marathon
Course was fun, logistics were smooth. When I ran this, in 2015, lines for security checks were long, but other security gates were almost empty. Race officials could have smoothed … MORE
Course was fun, logistics were smooth. When I ran this, in 2015, lines for security checks were long, but other security gates were almost empty. Race officials could have smoothed this bottleneck (maybe they have in recent years!). That said, I don’t have any other negative memories of this event. The liberty bell medal remains a favorite. Weather was great. I still remember this race very fondly.
Finish near the Rocky steps!
Pros: -Pretty flat course, with only one section with incline (even that wasn't too bad) -Easy access to start line and easy navigation to the front of the pack at … MORE
Pros:
-Pretty flat course, with only one section with incline (even that wasn’t too bad)
-Easy access to start line and easy navigation to the front of the pack at the start line
-TONS of crowd support near the finish and throughout the course
-Lots of history surrounding the course – so cool!
-Finisher medal and gear is great!
Cons:
-No corrals (at least the year I ran it), which might be irritating for some
-Food at the finish could have had more substance/variety
-Bag check/metal detector is far from the race start, so if you need to leave warmer clothes in your bag, you have to walk awhile without them (i.e., in the cold) to the start line and deal with being cold until the race starts
Overall, I’d absolutely recommend this race. The course is interesting, with the exception of a few monotonous park-like areas, and the swag/support is fantastic. Plenty of hydration throughout the course, and the chance to visit a cool city in the U.S. Will be back!
First marathon and one of my favorites
This is a great race! The course is pretty flat and the weather is usually perfect for running. There is one big hill by the zoo but other than that … MORE
This is a great race! The course is pretty flat and the weather is usually perfect for running. There is one big hill by the zoo but other than that it is pretty flat. It is awesome running through Center City around the college campuses and down broad street. Love this race!
Brotherly Run
This was my first time running Philly. I toured the city before the race. It was the only race I remember where I had to go, and found a port … MORE
This was my first time running Philly. I toured the city before the race. It was the only race I remember where I had to go, and found a port o potty at mile 10. Manayunk was a nice little town at the out and back turnaround, and I turned on a fast final mile.
Brotherly Run
Philly was hillier than expected. This was my second time running it. Looking back, I compare my performances to pre BQ days and post BQ days. My second time through … MORE
Philly was hillier than expected. This was my second time running it. Looking back, I compare my performances to pre BQ days and post BQ days. My second time through Philly was pre BQ. The course is nice and the race is well organized. Take my advice and hire a coach and run as many miles as you can fit into your schedule.
Historical and Scenic
Philly is a good time! Ran the Philly half marathon for the first time. The expo was easy to navigate, the course hit great historical locations and the pre and … MORE
Philly is a good time! Ran the Philly half marathon for the first time. The expo was easy to navigate, the course hit great historical locations and the pre and post race events were well run. I stayed in Center City and had no difficulties getting around.
Crowd support was great and energizing. The medal is a classic (the bell rings!) and the race shirt was well designed – really liked that it outlined the course on the back by highlighting all the historical stops. In short, I would run this race again!
Marathon in the city of Brotherly Love!
I would highly recommend this race, especially for those going for the 50 states. The course was so fun, seeing all the historical sights. But it was hilly. I had … MORE
I would highly recommend this race, especially for those going for the 50 states. The course was so fun, seeing all the historical sights. But it was hilly. I had hamstring issues so I struggled pretty much throughout the race and I tried not to let that influence how I felt about the race itself because the volunteers were so cheerful and had so much energy, as did the spectators. It was like I had my own cheering squad for 26.2 miles! Since I had to run slower due to injury I was able to take more of it in. I stayed at the Hampton and was able to walk to the expo and the start line. Although I don’t recommend walking to the start line, I had 6,000 steps before I even started the race!
Philadelphia fun run!
After a difficult training period where I had to deal with several nagging injuries, the Philadelphia Marathon turned into a wonderful experience. I stayed at the Sheraton on 2nd Street … MORE
After a difficult training period where I had to deal with several nagging injuries, the Philadelphia Marathon turned into a wonderful experience. I stayed at the Sheraton on 2nd Street and had walking access to the expo and start/finish line. The Rocky statue and museum steps were about a 15 minute walk away as well.
The expo was good, although smaller than I would have expected for a large race. They had everything covered, though, and there was plenty of branded merchandise for sale. Being someone who enjoys a good expo, this one was fine and had good information about the course available.
Philadelphia runs their half marathon on the Saturday before the marathon instead of running it with the marathon. It was fun to go down and cheer on the half marathoners, something I have rarely had the opportunity to do in the past. I was concerned that this format would mean the marathon wouldn’t have much support because people wouldn’t want to come out two days in a row. Thankfully, this was not the case at all.
The weather in the days leading up to the marathon included snow, drizzle, and lots of cold. Sunday morning started at 34 degrees with no precipitation and virtually no wind, perfect conditions. The sun peaked out a few times but otherwise the clouds kept the sun away. I think this contributed to overwhelming support from the people of Philadelphia. There were plenty of “dead” areas of course, but everywhere supporters gathered they were loud and fun and gave the runners the needed burst of energy to keep going.
The course itself was good, the first half was the same as 95% of the half marathon and passed by plenty of landmarks and interesting sights. The biggest pain in the first half is that you pass the start/finish area around mile 13, not something I wanted to see at that part of the race!
The second half of the marathon was a huge out and back along the Schuylkill River. This was a fairly quiet section of the race, the spectators were widely spread out but again they were loud and fun. With the turn around being at Mile 20, this actually proved to be a nice boost for me at a time I really needed one. As long as you’re OK running 12 miles passing people going the other way, the out and back won’t be a big deal.
The finisher area was great, plenty of food and various drinks of all kinds. This was the first race I have run that had a warming tent and I spent about 20 minutes there after my finish. I never got really cold during the run, but felt the chill big time after the run. The medal is awesome, the bell actually rings which made the finisher area sound like a million little Salvation Army bell ringers randomly ringing their bells.
This race was a lot of fun and after having the injury issues over the summer and early fall, this was a finish that 2 months ago was seriously in doubt. The people of Philadelphia were warm and welcoming and the race was given a ton of attention around the city. I highly recommend this race!
Great race!
I’d signed up to do the Philly Love Half in March 2018 but the freak snowstorm canceled my plans. So this was my makeup Philly race and it was great! … MORE
I’d signed up to do the Philly Love Half in March 2018 but the freak snowstorm canceled my plans. So this was my makeup Philly race and it was great! It snowed a few days before the race but it was mostly all melted by the time we ran. Based on the elevation chart, I had expected it to be hillier, but it didn’t feel hilly at all! (Maybe I have the San Francisco hills to thank for that?) The weather was chilly (about 39F at the start), but once we started running, it was perfect. The race starts at 7:30 am, but if you’re in a corral that’s further down the line, it might be 8 am or later before you actually start. That’s a lot of standing around and waiting, esp when it’s cold, so that’s my only complaint. The course goes all through Philly, and since it was my first time visiting the city, it was always new and interesting to me. I have to say, the support along the course is awesome! Despite the cold weather, there were TONS of people out cheering for the runners. Philly really turns out! I don’t think there was a stretch of the course more than 1/4 mile or so without cheering people on it. The post-race refreshments were standard carb-y fare – bananas and pretzels (Philly is very proud of their pretzels!) and fruit cups, but I don’t eat carbs so I couldn’t partake. The medal is a small replica of the Liberty Bell. I’m not one of those who really gets excited about medals (I don’t even know what to do with all of them!) but apparently it was a cooler medal than last year’s. I think there were about 15,000 runners in the half – that’s A LOT of people. The course was pretty crowded with people the whole time but there were only a couple of times when I wanted to pass someone but couldn’t get through, so it’s definitely manageable. The 8k starts after the half and runs some of the same course. The expo was pretty standard but nothing super exciting. I just received the email with the link to the race photos – they’re pretty standard too, nothing great and they’re expensive – living in the Bay Area, I have gotten spoiled by races that offer free race photos. And the watermark on the photos makes it hard to even see if it’s a good photo. So I’ll be skipping those mementos unfortunately. All in all though, definitely a race worth doing!