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May 10, 2024

Philadelphia Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 749 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

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B. M. from Brooklyn, NY (11/21/2012) "Great course, disappointing organization" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and from what I experienced, if you are committed to training hard, this is the type of course where you can obliterate your expected time- Fast and flat and taking place at the right time of year. While I hadn't completed 26.2 before, I've run plenty of organized races. I was hugely disappointed with the lack of water available before the race, and the laughable post race food options for runners. Every race I've run has had water available for runners before the start (including the just as popular Broad St run in Philly). The only way for me to get water was to pay for it. A few race volunteers told me there was free water in different places at the start, but they were all misguided. I hate to sound picky and selective in regard to post-race eating/recovery, but all I could think about was chocolate milk and yogurt once crossing the finish. I had to get into an obscene line in order to get to food/gatorade/water (and I finished in the top 10% of participants, so I can only imagine what others went through later), and was greeted by elementary-school, cafeteria-style juice cups, a bag of pretzels, un-ripe bananas, and chicken broth. The race and fans were great. i loved the ability to run a big-city marathon without having to qualify or get lucky with a lottery, but I was disappointed in the organization.
D. B. from Texas (11/21/2012) "Can't wait for next year!!" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran Philly in '09 and came back this year after a horrible experience in San Antonio in '11. This race was such a positive experience I've already got it on my schedule for 2013. Pros: -Spectators!! While there were areas of the course where they were a little sparse, the people that came out meant business!! Especially for the last half mile or so, when your legs are screaming for you to quit, the spectators screaming your name and giving encouragement really push you to work even harder! The psychedelic dancers around mile 10 were crazy, uplifting, and strangely perfect! -The volunteers/aid stations. There were plenty of volunteers handing out water, Gatorade, and gels. They spaced out the gels by flavor and the Gatorade was properly mixed-not watery and barely resembling a sports drink like some races. The volunteers were friendly, always had a kind word, and were easy to get to. They worked hard to keep the stops fairly clear of cups and debris. -The course. This race takes you through the best parts of the city. I wasn't crazy about the turnaround after the bridge around mile 18, but the scenery was so pretty with the fall colors it ended up being rather nice. And Manayunk-a tough out and back but the screaming crowds make it very doable and give you the oomph for the final 10k! And the beer doesn't hurt, either! -The medal. Tastefully done, nicely sized with some heft-not a cheap piece of tin like some races. -Mayor Nutter. I got to high-five him at the start and I didn't realize until later he also hangs out at the finish giving high fives. A nice touch I think. -The city. Apart from Philly being the best city (and no, I don't live there), I thought it was classy of the city to open entry to New York marathoners. They also had a special corral for them and played 'New York, New York' at the start which I thought was really nice. -Post race food. Included Gatorade, water, OJ, apple juice, pretzels, and chicken broth (so good!). -The weather. Perfect, around 40 degrees, some clouds later in the race. The weather was also great when I ran it in '09. -Packet pickup was (again) very organized and took maybe 3-4 minutes. No complaints. -They put your first name on the race bibs. A small thing that can make a big difference during the race. Nothing quite like hearing strangers screaming your name and rooting for you. -Race shirt. A nice long sleeve tech tee. One for the marathoners and one for the half marathoners. I think it's nice they distinguished between the distances. -There are plenty of hotels within walking distance to the start and to train stations (which run directly to the airport). A very pedestrian city. Cons: -I felt like the expo was a little disappointing. There were less vendors than I remember. But it was spaced out nicely and the ones that were there were of a good variety. -Maybe a few more port-a-potties on the course...Even in the later miles of the race there was always a (albeit short) line. Maybe that was a good thing because it kept me from stopping; if I had I would have missed my time goal (and 15 minute PR-woohoo!). This race was awesome and I can't wait to start training for the next!
A. K. from New York City, USA (11/21/2012) "Great Race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I registered just to share how much I enjoyed this marathon. The course is great, going past Philly's top landmarks and out into the surrounding areas. The hills were mild and there was a good amount of shade. Spectators were everywhere, even far from the city, loudly cheering on the runners. There was plenty of water and Gatorade. I had space to move from the very beginning and never felt boxed in. Oh, and the race ends at the Rocky steps. This was a great experience.
L. T. from New England,USA (11/21/2012) "Must do marathon!" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this marathon!!! Who doesn't dream of running 26.2 starting and ending at the 'Rocky' steps...with Eye of the Tiger playing?!? Seeing all the monuments was fantastic...the out and back section of the course starting at mile 13 was the most mentally challenging part...but once you hit mile 18ish the crowd support picked up and was amazing. Loved the guys passing out beer at mile 19...loved even more that I saw some runners drinking it!! Crowd support was so cool, I didnt realize it was possible to laugh and smile at mile 24, but in Philly it is!!! Course is generally flat, but not pancake flat as some may suggest. A few hills thrown in are good for diff muscles to work, IMO. Great shirts and medals. Thank you Philly for giving out Marathon shirts to marathoners, and Half Marathon shirts to half marathoners!!! Pet peeve of mine when race directors try to save a buck and give everyone the same thing!! I def. recommend this marathon!!
C. W. from Pottstown, PA (11/20/2012) "Great course but watch out for spectators" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Philadelphia Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is my 2nd time running the course and I have run PDR and Broad Street several times. The race is fairly flat and there is very good support throught the race. The race has one of the best finish areas because there is plenty of room to spread out and stretch and truly lacking at most other races. The expo is pretty good and medal is okay. The biggest issue I have encountered with Philadelphia races is the spectators. You can say crazy, foolish or any other adjective. I have never encountered so many spectators who feel they can safely cross the course while thousands of runners are running down the streets. I have never had to dodge people running across the street but in pretty much every philadelphia race, there are people who believe they can cross without colliding. One person on South Street was not as fast as she thought and took down 3 or 4 runners.
A. S. from Richmond VA (11/20/2012) "Great weekend in Philly" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I bring my family with me when I travel for races. Philadelphia has more than enough fun family activities (especially if you like historical sites) to make a great weekend getaway. The course was very scenic and the fan support was fantastic. The Manayunk neighborhood deserves a special shout-out. The 20 mile turn toward the finish is there. The fans were out in force to give the runners the support (cookies, brownies, orange slices...) needed for the last 10K. No real complaints. Great race!
Knud Hermansen from Boulder, CO (11/19/2012) "Holds up well with other big-city marathons" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Expo & Packet Pick-up: We got to the expo late on Saturday, so we did not see it at its height. It was fairly average as far as expos go. Packet pick-up was easy. Start: There were a good number of porta-potties especially if you get there at 6 A.M. bag check was easy to figure out and use. The pre-race maps and information packets at the expo made the starting area set-up pretty clear. Course: This was a pretty well-designed course. It was essentially flat except for two hills around miles 8 and 9. The first half of the course went through down-town east of the river. Once you passed the river the course changed in flavor from downtown streets to more city park running. You hit the two long hills on the course, although these are both fairly gradual. Once you peel off from the half marathoners the course goes along the river and is fairly flat. The water and Gatorade stops are well spaced at a mile to a mile-and-a-half. Apparently, the lines for the early porta-potty stops got kinda long. My wife and a friend had to wait a bit at the first few. The crowd support was pretty good, but not a consistent as Boston or New York. Finish Area: Bag pick-up was easy. Getting food felt like more of a wait than other marathons. There are ample landmarks for meeting up with people. Transportation: The SEPTA works pretty well for getting around and if you are only in Philly for a day or two there is plenty that can be seen using the trains. It is easy to get from the airport to the expo and downtown. You definitely do not need a car for this race.
C. B. from Northern NJ (11/19/2012) "Missed Last Year; Great to Back in 2012 for #16" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Everything I love about Philly was the same: fast course, perfect weather, very good organization with really nice people, top-notch expo, intermittant but enthusiastic fans, excellent start/finish area, very nice shirts & medals, super convenient for family, and that out-and-back last 13 miles that are great if you're watching for your buddies ahead or behind but discouraging if you've crashed and are still headed away from the finish line. Could it be better? Sure; no one is perfect. But Philly tries hard to fix what can be improved and they LISTEN to what the runners say each year, without us having to get loud (hear that, NYC?). It's MUCH bigger than it was when I started running it in 1996 but it still has the same appeal. I passed up last year to make sure my recovery from Lyme disease was done but I plan to be back at Philly each Nov until I can't run marathons anymore (or 13.1: one of my daughters ran her first half there this year). I've done othersand there are some great onesbut this is my fave. One of the best places on the East Coast to PR (I BQ'd here).
J. F. from Boston, MA (11/19/2012) "The Spectators helped me Finish." (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I was hoping to finish under 4:20. I was on pace to run about 4:05 and I got terrible leg cramps at mile 21. I ended up finishing in 4:36. I would make it 100 yards and cramp up. The spectators were awesome. Without that support, I don't know if I could have finished. The hills weren't bad, but they do exist. The ones in Manayunk later in the race were a little tough. It was fun. I'm glad I did it.
m. m. from NYC (11/19/2012) "Fantastic raec!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I wasn't signed up for the marathon, but when NYC got cancelled Philly opened some spots for us. This was an amazingly sweet gesture. The organizers made us feel welcomed and like we were special guests. In addition to playing Philly themed music, they also played special NY selections including New York, New York at the start and finish. The course itself takes you by some of Phildalphia's best known attractions. I'm normally not a huge fan of loops, but this one wasn't so bad. A lot of people say that this course is flat. Do not beleive the Pharisees!!! This course does lack the dreaded 59th St Bridge, but you get a couple of real climbs miles 7-9, and I mean one thats are a lot steeper than the QB. There is also the last 7 miles which are all rolling hills with an uphill finish! I only say this because this course is no joke and deserves more respect than to be called flat!

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