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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 181 to 191]
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R. K. from Nashville TN
(11/25/2009)
"Fast Race" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The course was excellent! Great runs throughout the city, with spectators everywhere. The organization could use some work, but it worked. Overall, a great marathon with a very fast final 13. | |
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N. A. from Long Island, New York
(11/25/2009)
"Great race, beautiful city and unexpected hills..." (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really loved running in this beautiful, historical city. I felt that the course was too quiet for long stretches though. Some more music (bands or DJs) would have made this race perfect. I've run NY twice, so I'm used to the great bands and loud spectators that really help to keep you going. | |
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D. S. from Utah
(11/24/2009)
"Incredible marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Philadelphia Marathon, and I have to say that they got everything right. The course is incredible. You get the inner city, the historical district, Penn's Landing and the Delaware River. There's a rural feel along the Schuykill and then Manayunk, with crazy frat guys passing out beer. A very enjoyable and fast course. The organization was top-notch. The shirts are great and the medal is the best one I have ever received. This is a must-do marathon for any serious marathoner. I'll be back again next year. | |
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T. K. from Chicago, IL
(11/24/2009)
"Great city; organization needs work." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The course was nice and scenic, but the start was pretty unorganized and nobody knew where to start (everyone was in the wrong race corrals). Roads were too narrow in many places, water was placed in most narrow spots for the first three stops - that was frustrating - and the pace leaders weren't consistent and ahead of schedule at the half, making me feel like I was off-pace as they passed. Spectators were great, especially in the last half-mile. Right now, the times are still messed up and it sounds like they aren't addressing this issue. I know I didn't qualify for Boston - off by 10 minutes - but they seem to be giving me a time that says I'm qualified. That's just cruel. | |
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R. G. from Philadelphia
(11/24/2009)
"Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What an absolutely perfect day for a marathon this year. This is really a great course for several reasons: 1) It's moderately challenging, but still fast. 2) It really shows off the city in a positive way. 3) It offers a nice dichotomy of the big-city race, with large cheering crowds as well as some more subdued and quiet stretches. The start was much improved over 2008, with little congestion to speak of (the first five miles were bogged down last year). The goody bag included free gloves as well as a technical shirt - very nice. The post-race area was set up well. The food was typical. Nothing special, but adequate. All in all, a smooth operation and a memorable experience; just make sure you register early! | |
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r. s. from NJ
(11/24/2009)
"Fantastic" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my ninth Marathon and third Philadelphia (having done NYC, Boston, London, Chicago and Marine Corp). It's a great course, with some quirky hills but lots of variety - running by the the Liberty Bell, Society Hill, the park, and wild Manayunk. I'll be back. THE ONLY NEGATIVE IS THAT IT SELLS OUT TOO FAST. Get rid of the 8K race and half marathon. | |
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B. A. from Boston
(11/24/2009)
"Fun!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very impressed with this race - a few pro and cons: PRO: * Great course! Perhaps not as flat as advertised, but very fast, scenic and supportive. I BQed (apparently too late - ARGH!), and it definitely wasn't the best race day for me (recovering from a cold - yuck). * I have NEVER seen an expo less crowded. No pushing and shoving. Awesome. * Easy to find and get to the start. True, I didn't drive, but the city is very easy to navigate. * I didn't find the start crowded. I was a bit concerned that I saw others in my wave that didn't seem to belong there - volunteers did check bib colors, but still, it seemed a lot sneaked in there, or had their corral "corrected." Regardless, they all (well, most - there are always THOSE people) left at the same pace. * Great medical support. I got a bit sick when I crossed the finish line, and by the time I got off the ground (really, not that long), they had a stretcher behind me. Nice. I was able to decline it, but still, I like the immediate help. * Changing tent! Brilliant idea. Whey don't all marathons have these? * Massages! Well, the massages were a mile away, but that was an added bonus, because the line wasn't long. They did an awesome job. Cons: * 7:00 a.m.? Seriously? This is November. If NYC, London, and Boston can shut down their city for the day, so can Philly. * The shirt. Aw man! If races give out technical shirts, they need to provide women's sizes. Most men's shirts are too big for them, and so they can't wear them to train. And it's not like they can sleep in them. It's a technical shirt. Waste. * A biker hit me in Mile 5. Seriously. I was furious. A group of pedestrians tried to cross the race in the middle of a crowded field - the dude with the bike just walked right in front of me. I had some choice words for him. Perhaps not the race's fault, although there could have been better crowd control. NYC, I know, was very good about blocking off all pedestrians. * Most of the Gatorade offered was actually too concentrated. I think that is what made me sick at the end. * Another runner found that the porta-potties in mile 20 were still locked (ties still on them). Oops. All in all, though, a great race. And, FYI - my total Garmin time (GPS) was 26.65 miles. Almost half of a mile off. I didn't think I weaved that much, but errr.... Perhaps that's why I didn't reach my goal time. Next time! | |
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S. B. from New York, NY
(11/24/2009)
"Great weather and organization has improved" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The marathon organizers can't do anything about the weather, but this year they lucked out: Dry, 40s and low 50s, partly cloudy, and no real wind, which all combined to yield excellent running conditions, and I'm sure it helped get a lot of people out to the sidelines to cheer runners on. The course was as I expected - flat, with the exception of the hills in miles 10 and 14, which I knew to expect both from reading this forum and doing a little homework elsewhere. For me, this course was fast and fun. Compared with comments about past years, it looks like Philadelphia has improved its organization. The race started on time, the mile markers were clear (though not all of them had clocks that I could see), and the volunteers were numerous, well prepared and very enthusiastic. The crowd was great - maybe a little thinner than in other cities' marathons, but then again most of the race took place before 10 a.m. on a Sunday, and there were plenty of people out there at that early hour. Manayunk was a blast. If you're still reading, you can see that I have no complaints. My only other marathon was in New York, which was an absolutely amazing experience and one that was run with military precision - truly impressive. Philadelphia is on a much smaller scale, and I had lowered expectations, but I felt they did a satisfactory job. And anyone who thinks the course was "hillier than Boston" must have been running in a different Philadelphia from where I was. The course is not flat as a pancake, but most of the last 16 miles are along the banks of the Schuylkill River - pretty darn flat if you ask me. And it was easy to find my family in the "Family Reunion A-F" area, clearly marked on a sign overhead. | |
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S. L. from Kennett square, PA
(11/24/2009)
"Good, relatively flat course; well organized" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my second time running in the Philadelphia Marathon festival. I ran the 8K several years ago, and this time I did the marathon. I thought the expo was easy if you just wanted to get in and out, but there were also some good vendors if you wanted to stay and shop. The course itself was relatively flat. I only really felt the hills at miles 9 and when leaving the museum area to head out to Manayunk. The crowd support was sparse in some areas of the park and on the way out of the city on Kelly Drive. Running down Chestnut Street was awesome! There was lots of energy there and got to see the mayor cheering everyone on! Overall, very enjoyable. Post-race water was plentiful, but food was kind of lame. I had to search for a banana, but the stale pretzels were plentiful. Would suggest considering more vendors/donations for food and hydration afterward. I wasn't going to get a massage, but my brother, who also ran, wanted one - and they were several blocks away with no signage! Crazy! Don't they know how tired we were??? If I ever do another marathon, I would consider this one. | |
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S. C. from Northwest Jersey
(11/24/2009)
"Getting it right" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The course is great - mostly flat with some nice rollers to keep things interesting. Crowds were enthusiastic. The out-and-back along the river from 16-24 was a bit rough for me. The start was more organized than in previous years, and my (maroon) corral was not congested. The finish area was OK. Organizers listened to complaints, and runners had medals placed around their necks. I would certainly run again. |
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