As a fan of the Rocky movies, this race had been on my bucket list and worked out perfectly as it was the day before a nearby half marathon I … MORE
As a fan of the Rocky movies, this race had been on my bucket list and worked out perfectly as it was the day before a nearby half marathon I was planning on doing. The race is on Saturday. There is the option for pre-race packet pick-up or to pay for race day. Since I was driving in Saturday night I paid for race day packet pick-up so can’t comment on the expo. For the race I stayed in a hotel right outside Philadelphia. My mom also came and did the 5K. We drove in race day morning. I picked up the packets while my mom parked the car. Picking up the packets was easy and included the bibs and a white cotton shirt but with a really funny Rocky design so I didn’t dock a sneaker for it being a white cotton shirt. Parking however was not easy and it took my mom a while to find parking. You may want to consider taking an uber if you aren’t staying in walking distance. The race start area was well organized and is by the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For the race I did the Italian Stallion Challenge which is the 5K followed by the 10 miler. My only real complaint is that since this is 2 different races even though you technically run a half marathon distance it won’t count for any clubs. Though if you aren’t trying to level up in half fanatics and just doing this for bragging rights I think you can call it a half marathon. The start line and finish line are separate and about a 5 minute walk apart. The 5K starts first at 7:00am and the 10 miler at 7:55. They say you need to complete the 5K in 39 minutes to do the challenge. I knew I could do this but I would have loved for the 10 milers to be about 20 minutes later as I’d prefer to have sped walked the 5K instead of having to make it my 3 fastest miles of the weekend. The start was organized in corrals. It appears the slow Italian Stallion runners were all assigned B corrals even if on the slower side. This made sense so we wouldn’t be in the way of the really fast runners but would have time to get back for the 10 miler on time. The start is fun with music from the Rocky soundtrack blaring, volunteers with Rocky cutouts, participants in costume and even a recorded motivational speech from Rocky himself. My only issue is it started a few minutes late and it made me worried about making it to the 10 miler. The course is okay. It is a similar course to the Hot Chocolate 15K I did in Philadelphia a couple years ago. The 5K is an out and back and is flat. It is crowded but it is on a closed street so there is a lot of room. The scenery is kind of boring but everything is done to make the race as fun as possible with Rocky themed music, course decorations and very enthusiastic volunteers. I finished the 5K in about 37 minutes and headed straight back to the start. For people doing the challenge you get your 5K medal at the end so you don’t have to worry about carrying it during the 10 miler. I got in my corral right as the first runners were starting. It seems like it would be fine if you were over 39 minutes as it took a while for the last corral to get through but if you want to guarantee making it to your corral and seeing the start of the race you would need to finish in about 39 minutes. Probably anything under 45 minutes would be fine just expect to start the 10 miler in the last corrals. The 10 miler had the same first 1.5 miles as the 5K but continued to a park and was an out and back until around mile 4ish and then you take a detour and go back on the out and back. Again it was kind of a boring course and isn’t set up for a ton of spectators but it’s a pleasant run in a park and is flat until the detour. There were aid stations every 1-2 miles with water and gatorade and you basically hear the Rocky soundtrack the entire race. At first it was fun but then I got very sick of the soundtrack lol. The volunteers were great and a lot in theme and there was fun decorations and signs related to Rocky on the course. One minor complaint is there was no nutrition on the aid stations. Also porta potty lines were long. I didn’t have enough time to use one between the races and ended up losing about 5 minutes on the course waiting and missed my goal finish time by under 1 minute. Now to get to the detour. The detour was something called Mount Drago. It was a pretty brutal uphill but the Mount Drago theme made it so much fun. All throughout the uphill there were pictures of Drago with quotes from the movie he used to intimidate Rocky. It was really funny and made the slog uphill memorial. All races need to figure out how to make the worse part of their course the best part like this. For the 10 miler they said there was a time limit of a 15 minute/mile pace or 2:30. I finished a few minutes under but there were a lot of people behind me so I don’t think they were strict about it. My goal was to finish both races with a total time under 3 hours. I ended up under 1 minute over due to the bathroom line but I feel l can say I made my goal. The end is right by the Rocky Steps though the course doesn’t go up. You can run up them after if you’d like. You get the 10 mile medal at the end and then can go to a booth to pick up the 5K and challenge medals. Medals are really fun and Rocky themed. One slight disappoint was the post race food was mediocre with just bananas, granola bar and fruit snacks. I expected something more from such as large race. My mom also had fun walking the 5K. There were a ton of walkers for the 5K as well. Overall I thought this was a really fun race and it is a must do for fans of the Rocky movies. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the movies it’s still a fun race environment. I’m really glad I did this race once. However I’m not sure I’d do it again since it is not technically a half marathon and I’d rather do races that count for my club. If they do make it a true half marathon however I will definitely return
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Eye of the Tiger
As a fan of the Rocky movies, this race had been on my bucket list and worked out perfectly as it was the day before a nearby half marathon I … MORE
As a fan of the Rocky movies, this race had been on my bucket list and worked out perfectly as it was the day before a nearby half marathon I was planning on doing. The race is on Saturday. There is the option for pre-race packet pick-up or to pay for race day. Since I was driving in Saturday night I paid for race day packet pick-up so can’t comment on the expo. For the race I stayed in a hotel right outside Philadelphia. My mom also came and did the 5K. We drove in race day morning. I picked up the packets while my mom parked the car. Picking up the packets was easy and included the bibs and a white cotton shirt but with a really funny Rocky design so I didn’t dock a sneaker for it being a white cotton shirt. Parking however was not easy and it took my mom a while to find parking. You may want to consider taking an uber if you aren’t staying in walking distance. The race start area was well organized and is by the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For the race I did the Italian Stallion Challenge which is the 5K followed by the 10 miler. My only real complaint is that since this is 2 different races even though you technically run a half marathon distance it won’t count for any clubs. Though if you aren’t trying to level up in half fanatics and just doing this for bragging rights I think you can call it a half marathon. The start line and finish line are separate and about a 5 minute walk apart. The 5K starts first at 7:00am and the 10 miler at 7:55. They say you need to complete the 5K in 39 minutes to do the challenge. I knew I could do this but I would have loved for the 10 milers to be about 20 minutes later as I’d prefer to have sped walked the 5K instead of having to make it my 3 fastest miles of the weekend. The start was organized in corrals. It appears the slow Italian Stallion runners were all assigned B corrals even if on the slower side. This made sense so we wouldn’t be in the way of the really fast runners but would have time to get back for the 10 miler on time. The start is fun with music from the Rocky soundtrack blaring, volunteers with Rocky cutouts, participants in costume and even a recorded motivational speech from Rocky himself. My only issue is it started a few minutes late and it made me worried about making it to the 10 miler. The course is okay. It is a similar course to the Hot Chocolate 15K I did in Philadelphia a couple years ago. The 5K is an out and back and is flat. It is crowded but it is on a closed street so there is a lot of room. The scenery is kind of boring but everything is done to make the race as fun as possible with Rocky themed music, course decorations and very enthusiastic volunteers. I finished the 5K in about 37 minutes and headed straight back to the start. For people doing the challenge you get your 5K medal at the end so you don’t have to worry about carrying it during the 10 miler. I got in my corral right as the first runners were starting. It seems like it would be fine if you were over 39 minutes as it took a while for the last corral to get through but if you want to guarantee making it to your corral and seeing the start of the race you would need to finish in about 39 minutes. Probably anything under 45 minutes would be fine just expect to start the 10 miler in the last corrals. The 10 miler had the same first 1.5 miles as the 5K but continued to a park and was an out and back until around mile 4ish and then you take a detour and go back on the out and back. Again it was kind of a boring course and isn’t set up for a ton of spectators but it’s a pleasant run in a park and is flat until the detour. There were aid stations every 1-2 miles with water and gatorade and you basically hear the Rocky soundtrack the entire race. At first it was fun but then I got very sick of the soundtrack lol. The volunteers were great and a lot in theme and there was fun decorations and signs related to Rocky on the course. One minor complaint is there was no nutrition on the aid stations. Also porta potty lines were long. I didn’t have enough time to use one between the races and ended up losing about 5 minutes on the course waiting and missed my goal finish time by under 1 minute. Now to get to the detour. The detour was something called Mount Drago. It was a pretty brutal uphill but the Mount Drago theme made it so much fun. All throughout the uphill there were pictures of Drago with quotes from the movie he used to intimidate Rocky. It was really funny and made the slog uphill memorial. All races need to figure out how to make the worse part of their course the best part like this. For the 10 miler they said there was a time limit of a 15 minute/mile pace or 2:30. I finished a few minutes under but there were a lot of people behind me so I don’t think they were strict about it. My goal was to finish both races with a total time under 3 hours. I ended up under 1 minute over due to the bathroom line but I feel l can say I made my goal. The end is right by the Rocky Steps though the course doesn’t go up. You can run up them after if you’d like. You get the 10 mile medal at the end and then can go to a booth to pick up the 5K and challenge medals. Medals are really fun and Rocky themed. One slight disappoint was the post race food was mediocre with just bananas, granola bar and fruit snacks. I expected something more from such as large race. My mom also had fun walking the 5K. There were a ton of walkers for the 5K as well. Overall I thought this was a really fun race and it is a must do for fans of the Rocky movies. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the movies it’s still a fun race environment. I’m really glad I did this race once. However I’m not sure I’d do it again since it is not technically a half marathon and I’d rather do races that count for my club. If they do make it a true half marathon however I will definitely return
Philly Fun with Rocky!
Loved these two events. A team (18) of us runners, "The San Diego Knockouts," flew to Philly to run these races. The races were well-organized, fun/funny, full of great energy. … MORE
Loved these two events. A team (18) of us runners, “The San Diego Knockouts,” flew to Philly to run these races. The races were well-organized, fun/funny, full of great energy. The courses were pretty, with colorful autumn leaves overhead, along the beautiful Schuylkill River where many crew teams were out practicing as you ran by them. It was a bit chilly at the start, something we aren’t used to here in So. Cali, but we all had a blast enjoying the spirited folks who dressed up as Rocky, Adrian, Paulie, Drago, Creed, etc. The race organizers are completely lovely and extremely responsive to email inquiries. The race is run with a sense of humor that was appreciated by all of us from out of state. After the race, you’ll have the theme/songs from “Rocky” burned into your brain for about two days. LOL! Mt. Drago was fun, too. It’s nothing to be afraid of and you get a separate time on your race results for the climb and descent. We even stopped to take our picture at the “Welcome to Mt. Drago” sign. (Here in San Diego, we have the La Jolla Half Marathon every spring which goes through Torrey Pines State Park and you climb Torrey Pines hill; Mt. Drago was child’s play compared to Torrey Pines hill. Just sayin’ :)). If you’re running both races, you do need to pay attention to the timing requirements, but they weren’t insurmountable. When you sign up, you’ll get the chance to purchase a red Rocky headband and grey Rocky sweats; many of us did and they are nice quality sweats. Be sure to upgrade to the tech shirt, too. Where else can you get some cool & meaningful Rocky garb and be the envy of your non-running friends? The (3) medals you receive are high quality and gorgeous. After the race, take the time to walk over and get your picture with the Rocky Statue AND at the top of the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (which has fantastic works of art and is a must-see in its own right). All in all, a wonderful experience!! Thank you Rocky Run organizers for such a memorable event!
Fun time even for a non-boxing fan
I waited almost a year for this event after coming across it last year after it was run. I was so excited for this race and it did not disappoint. … MORE
I waited almost a year for this event after coming across it last year after it was run. I was so excited for this race and it did not disappoint. I am a 2 hr drive from Philly, so that was awesome. I paid $10 for same day packet pickup. I suggest using Spot Hero for parking. The race is held in front of the Philadelphia museum, AKA the Rocky steps. I did not run them as I planned only because I would have had to go back across the finish area after the race and I just wasn’t up to it. People really get into the spirit of Rocky, I even wore Rocky/Italian Stallion shorts over my leggings. It was COLD! There were plenty of porta potty’s at the start. The race went off on time and the announcer was great. I ran the 5k, then immediately lined up for the 10 miler. They had wave start and tried to manage everyone, but it was tight at the beginning. There were lots of runners, I am not sure how many. Walkers as well. The course was mostly through a park with lovely scenery even though it was cold. The volunteers were wonderful, most of them cheery and dancing to the Rocky theme/music. There were enough water and Gatorade stops, but it would have been nice to have a couple extra porta potties at each stop. The 5k was not bad at all. I felt pretty good. I am a back of the packer, so my goal was to take it easy and have fun and just make it in time for the 10 miler. I had run 4 half marathons in the last 6 weeks so I just wanted to have some fun. There is a 15 min pace for the 10 miler. There is one huge hill around miles 3-4. I walked it as did many others around me. I have a bad knee and did not want to aggravate it by exerting on a hill that early in the run. It was called Mount Drago. It goes up and then you make a turn and it goes some more. There are no crowds, so if you need that, this would not be for you. The finish party was nice. Sobe water, bananas, some kind of nutrition bar (yuck), Welch’s tropical fruit chews (love). Shirt is ok, but the medals are awesome. The 5k medal is even large and heavy. If you do both races you get a 3rd Italian Stallion medal. I really enjoyed this. Might do it again if it does not cross anything else I want to run, probably just 10 miler though. If you want a fun race with a fun vibe, this is the one.
Only one long hill
The temperature was 32 degrees and it was a little windy, but 10,000 brave souls showed up for the annual Rocky Run. I participated in the Italian Stallion Challenge which … MORE
The temperature was 32 degrees and it was a little windy, but 10,000 brave souls showed up for the annual Rocky Run. I participated in the Italian Stallion Challenge which is a 5K followed immediatley by a 10 mile run. I ran with a group and we took it easy on the course and just enjoyed ourselves. There were hundreds of runners in Rocky’s traditional grey sweatsuits and many others running in boxing robes and gloves.
The course starts at the Art Museum near the Rocky steps, and traverses Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. The run is all on a paved roadway and the roads were closed to facilitate the runners. There were sufficient water/gatorade stops and plenty of snacks at the end. The Italian Stallion challenge finishers get three medals and they are big and heavy! I would definately do this race again.