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Philadelphia Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Philadelphia Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.8
Number of comments: 749 [displaying comments 711 to 721]
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A Runner from New Jersey
(11/26/2001)
 "good course, great time, great fans" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 3rd marathon (first was marine corps, 2nd was pittsburgh) and the course was fast, the organization was great,and the fans were great. The host hotel was horrible--there was nothing special for the marathon (except the lousy pasta dinner) at the hotel. The out and back portion of the marathon would be better if it was not as long-- but still, it was a great marathon experience AND I qualified for Boston--my goal! | |
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A Runner from Chappaqua, New York
(11/25/2001)
 "A scenic course and an overall fantastic marathon" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I found having read many of the comments on this website prior to running the race very helpful. For instance, I was prepared for the cobblestone at mile 5 and was not thrown off track as many runners were cursing and complaining. I would just like to point out that I was slightly mislead, as this marathon was NOT nearly AS FLAT as I thought it would be. Although I ran my PR, I thought that I would have done better as the last two miles were brutal because the hills had worn me out. There is a large hill at mile 7 and a lot of uphill at mile 11. It is a joke how few port-o- toilets are at the start. Otherwise, the race is very well run and satisfying. | |
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A Runner from Wilmington, DE
(11/23/2001)
"Don't tell anyone how great this marathon is!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I loved this race, my second marathon. The course is impressive. It really shows off the city well. I especially enjoyed the out-and-back along the Schuylkill, which gave me (running a 3:49) the chance to meet the leaders on their approach to the finish line. That was cool. I thought the crowds were pretty good at start/finish (which is also mile 14), and in Manayunk (mile 20). They were light in other places, but honestly, I kind of enjoyed the peace and quiet for a little while. Organization was good. Two minor points others have already mentioned: Need more portable toilets at start/finish. Not a problem for me, but it could've been! Secondly, the expo was kind of a mess. Too many vendors, not enough space. Getting my chip, shirt and number was a friggin' scavenger hunt! But hey, I had such a great time, I'll overlook those minor inconveniences, and I'll definitely run this race again. Good job, Philly! | |
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A Runner from Detroit, Michigan
(11/23/2001)
 "Fantastic course but spotty organization" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Course was fantastic - scenic city, beautiful park and riverside views. The cobblestones at 5 were no hassle really - everyone was on the sidewalks. Early hill was OK, Hill at 20 was much shorter, but at that point much more tough. Complaints: H2O only every 2.5 miles, and NO FOOD? Course map was worst I've ever seen - what they mailed was absolutely unreadable, and the official map was useless - took a lot of analysis to figure that vertical was 45 degrees off north. Running out of safety pins at registration, no pacing marks, etc. Disappointing for a Marathon of this size, etc. | |
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A Runner from Michigan
(11/21/2001)
"Great city, beautiful day!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I loved every minute of it (well almost every minute of it!). I thought the course was great-it incorporated many of Philadelphia's best sights. There were a few challenging sections but they were early in the race and in a beautiful setting. The spectators were fantastic especially near the art museum, on South Street and near miles 19-21, and more than made up for the times when there were few. I enjoyed the expo at Memorial Hall but wondered why it was so far from most of the hotels. It was a little difficult to find for us out-of towners. The aid stations were good although I could have used some vaseline and maybe a little Gu at the later stations. Also, some of them were a little cramped. All in all, I had a wonderful experience and definitely plan on returning again next year! I would definitely recommend this marathon to others. | |
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A Runner from Pat from Cleveland
(11/21/2001)
"A good choice for this first-timer" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course was interesting. The out and back on the second half was much more fun than I expected - it was great seeing all the fast runners heading home even though I had a long way to go. The hill was just the right size - a challenge but not a killer. Crowd support was sparse in parts but I enjoyed the response at the end - probably because I was still running strong. The expo being out of downtown was a drag, even more so because our cab driver couldn't find Memorial Hall. The T-shirt was a bilious yellow but it made it easy to spot fellow marathoners at the airport afterwards. I'd happily do Philly again and recommend it to 1st timers. Fall is a nice time to run. | |
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A Runner from Brooklyn, New York
(11/20/2001)
"Gotta like this course" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I had a great experience with the Philly marathon. The course is pretty fast, and it isn't clogged with 30,000 runners. So it had all the makings for a PR. In addition, the course is quite scenic. We had a beautiful day, and you would be hard pressed to find equally scenic routes in other major metropolitan marathons. It has been said that crowd support is thin relative to other major marathons. That is perhaps true, but, for whatever reason, I prefer quiet to jangling noise when I'm in excruciating pain :) I tend to agree that Philly could improve in a couple areas. They should have more johns in the beginning and certainly the water stations could be stationed closer together. If you fix those things, it would really be pretty perfect. | |
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A Runner from Philadelphia, PA
(11/20/2001)
"Show us more LOVE, Philly!!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I most certainly enjoyed every minute of it! Being from Philadelphia, I can appreciate the different views the course has to offer. I thought it was challenging but suitable for a first-timer. I personally feed off the energy from the crowds when running and would like to know where the LOVE is, Philly? Its the City of Brotherly Love, but I wasn't feeling as much as I should have been during this race. Where there were people cheering it helped quite a bit and they did an excellent job. Especially in Manayunk and into the finish near the Art Museum. But the lack of marketing and promoting for the marathon by its organization and the city shows that there isn't enough love for this event. The participation for this event gets bigger every year as should the fan support! All in all, it is a great course in a great city. We just need more fans! It makes a difference! | |
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A Runner from Southeastern US
(11/20/2001)
"Great Course, Organizational Help Needed!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The good news: once the race starts, this is a great experience! The course toured a number of cool and inspiring areas of Philly, including the downtown area, Fairmount Park, Boathouse Row, and Manayunk. The course layout is a modified 3-leaf clover, so you wind up going by the start/finish line multiple times -- good opportunities for families and friends to see you. This is definitely not a flat course, but the most challenging hills occur in miles 9-12. While there were only water stops every 2.5 miles for the first half, they seemed to be well-operated. If there was a 'gel' stop later in the race, they were out by the time I arrived. The bad news: don't let the lack of pre-race organization psych you out. The host hotel was 1 1/2 miles from the start and the expo was 5 miles from the host hotel. This means that you need to strongly consider logistics in your pre-race and race day plans. The expo was cramped and the layout poor. There was virtually no media coverage of the race in newspapers or on TV. The start was strange -- very few porta-johns, and no water. Fortunately this race saves its best for the course, and that makes it a very worthwhile event. The crowds are moderate, but the best support is between miles 19-21 -- right when it is needed. There does not appear to be a major title sponsor for this race ala LaSalle for Chicago, Compaq for Houston, Chase et. al. for NYC -- if someone sunk some dollars into this, it would be one of the top 7 races in the country. As is, it is a pretty darn good time and a great fall run. | |
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A Runner from Philadelphia
(11/19/2001)
"Great Day, Great Race in 2001" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 2nd marathon, after doing the Marine Corps in Washington last year. Philadelphia is definitely a more intimate scene, with the camaraderie of the runners being as important as the crowds. There are lots of spectators at the 20 mile mark in Manayunk, but just as cool are the less-crowded areas with a few people leaning out of apartment buildings or sitting on stoops of row houses to cheer you on. Near Drexel University, one guy had a boom box playing the theme from Rocky. There were bike riders in Fairmount park encouraging the runners. Even some of the cops on corners clapped for the participants. Miles 14 to 26.2 run from the Art Museum to Manayunk and back, and if you're a mid-pack runner you get to see the elite racers heading the other way to the finish line. Very inspiring. The race is much like Philadelphia-- a little gritty in spots, beautiful in others, and full of heart. |
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