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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 241 to 251]
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C. D. from Brooklyn, NY
(12/1/2008)
"Excellent marathon for a first-timer!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, so I'm no expert, but I had a near-ideal experience in Philly. The start was nice and early, the crowds and volunteers were fantastic (especially at the 20-mile mark: whoever was blasting Whitney Houston and handing out brownies rescued me from the wall), and the course provided a great way to see the beautiful city! I even managed to qualify for Boston! I will definitely run Philly again. | |
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Y. D. from New York
(11/30/2008)
"Would run it again, but amateur in organization." (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Overall I had a good experience in Philly and got the BQ time I was hoping for, but some elements were shockingly unprofessional. Bad Points: Website lacked information. Race started about 10 minutes late. First 5 or 6 mile markers were inaccurate - this one is truly inexcusable. Marathoners were forced to jump over a median to take the right turn a few hundred yards into the race - through a wall of spectators, which was odd, and a little dangerous. Corrals were not strictly (at all) enforced - hence mine was cramped with people who should have started farther back. Skating rink water stations - should have had sand/salt prepared. The half-marathon adds crowds and detracts from the "special" nature of your marathon day. Good Points: No wait time at the start (fab if you're used to the long wait before NY/Boston). Great time of year for cool temps (if like me, you prefer that to risking a hot day). Number pick up and baggage drop off/pick up super easy. Course was flat(ish) and attractive. Great post-race food. Lovely medal and technical t-shirt Long stretches with no spectators, which suited me well (but may not please a first-timer). Friendly spectators. Out-and-back last half (I like to see the leaders, and get a kick from seeing how many folks I'm ahead of coming back - but I understand this element does not please many). | |
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P. D. from Long Island, NY
(11/30/2008)
"Well organized and a solid run" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 13th marathon and overall was a wonderful experience. As someone from the Northeast, here is my feedback. 1) I loved that the race is in mid to late November. This gives you a chance to train in cooler weather and get some of those long runs in during October and November. The weather this year was about 20 degrees below normal. 2) I also loved the 7 a.m. (or a few minutes later because of the wave start) start time; yes, it was cold at the start, but this gives you a chance to finish at a good hour and enjoy the city, or head home or whatever. 3) Very organized at the start. They had bathrooms, and the baggage check was done smoothly. Expo was fine also. 4) The "rocky steps" and the theme song, appropriate here. 5) I enjoyed the course, though if you are a beginner, you may find the out-and-back to be tough for the second half. It did not bother me though. Overall, a very well organized and positive race, and should the opportunity present itself, I would run this race again. | |
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Byron Doty from Dewitt, Michigan
(11/30/2008)
"Great race in a great city" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was cold/windy and hillier than I expected, but I loved it. Once I realized it wasn't going to be a PR day, I just settled in and loved the scenery/spectators and the whole ambiance. The icy water stations made for an exciting diversion and the volunteers were wonderful. I would recommend this race to anyone wanting a convenient, well organized mid-to-large-sized marathon/half-marathon. And the city is a great destination by itself. The medal and the shirt are great and rank up there with some of the best in the world. | |
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M. W. from Boston, MA
(11/30/2008)
"Fun but cold run; a great city; still needs work" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first Philly Marathon, and my third overall. Despite the cold and early start, it resulted in a PR! Philly is a great and fun city, with so much to do and so many awesome places to eat (going to the Naked Chocolate Cafe the day before the run was such a good idea!). I really love this town. On the marathon... good stuff first: Pretty well organized and well marked course with lots of volunteers. It's easy to stash personal items and there was not too bad of a wait at the porta-johns before the race. Highlights included: passing the Liberty Bell, Fairmont Park and the Philly Zoo; running towards the city skyline several times; and the beer, donuts, and huge cheering crowds in Manayunk (miles 19-21) that really added a much needed mental boost (I skipped the beer, though!) Also, I really appreciated the pace runners with balloons who kept egging everyone onward. Plus hot chicken soup at the end! Complaints: Too early of a start for late November; lack of de-icing salt at water stands, causing treacherous conditions every mile; thin crowds during most of the race; having to dodge road construction at Mile 3-4; not being able to get into my corral (where was the bloody entrance?); running with half marathoners at the same time; and the worst part: the out-and-back course (Miles 14-26) - HUGE YUCK! Can't understand why a city as big as Philly can't come up with a course without that. | |
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Jay Harman from Takoma Park, MD
(11/30/2008)
"Good, flat, late-fall marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A great, flat, late-fall race. The course starts at the city's art museum and the first half of the course runs through downtown Philly and various neighborhoods and parks before passing back past the art museum at the halfway point, the end of the half-marathon. The second half is mostly a flat, extended out-and-back along the Schuylkill River, with small hills at miles 14 and 18 and 22. Overall, the course, especially the second half, is flat and forgiving. It is almost as flat as Chicago. Staging the race the weekend before Thanksgiving increases the chance for cold weather and a faster time. I finally qualified for Boston on this course in 2008 after 12 other attempts on eight different courses - New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Marine Corps, Richmond, Frederick, Charlottesville, and Pittsburgh. The race start temperature was about thirty degrees, great for cold runners and for keeping hydrated with electrolytes. Overall, the race organizers have room for improvement if they truly wish to take this event to the next level. Some strengths and weaknesses include: - Getting to and parking at the pre-race expo, which is at the convention center in the midst of town, was unnecessarily difficult. While getting your number and goody bag at the expo was very easy, the expo was very small, very cramped, and not well-organized overall. Race organizers will need to improve this if they intend to expand the field. - Post-race organization and bag check were well done. You cross the finish line. You get a finisher's blanket and medal. You move through the food tent. You proceed to bag check. I heard some complaints about no bananas, but on the plus side, organizers were handing out warm broth in the food tent after the race. - The beginning of the race started several minutes late - an issue when the race start temperature is 30 degrees and you have gotten rid of your throw-away clothing. - Different color cups for Gatorade and water would be a plus. Volunteers were yelling which was which, but I got mixed up on at least one occasion and did not get liquid at a race stop because of it. - There were long stretches without people. Keep this in mind if you are someone that needs encouragement from spectators throughout an entire race. If so, run Chicago or New York. In summary, the course, cold weather, and race days set up were really good. I really enjoyed the course and would do it again in a heartbeat. Race organizers will improve on the small things and make the experience even more enjoyable in the future. | |
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B. S. from Washington, DC
(11/29/2008)
"Great race in a great city" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Too many people are complaining about cold weather. You knew it was going to be cold in the end of November in Philly. The organizers can't do anything about the weather. Give the organizers a break. I have run several marathons, and this rates as one of the best. The expo was very large and centrally located. The shirt is excellent. The course is very scenic. The fact that spectators came out in this weather to cheer on the runners was quite something. They even put a Philly Marathon shirt on the Rocky statue. In addition to all of this, they had real-time runner tracking via emails and text messaging. | |
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m. c. from Charlotte, NC
(11/29/2008)
"Great city, but not my favorite race" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Came to Philly in hopes of getting my BQ, especially in light of all of the positive comments on the race by Runner's World. The mixing of the 1/2-marathoners and marathoners was not a good idea. The out-and-back to Manayunk was not fun. Water/Gatorade stations were slick with ice. The lack of porta-potties on the way out to Manayunk had many runners stopping on the side of the road. I love the city; I got my BQ and will be back to visit, but I won't repeat this race venue. | |
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R. G. from Philadelphia,PA
(11/29/2008)
"Still needs improvement." (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my 3rd Philly Marathon. Let me start with some positives. * The expo location was much improved over last year. * Baggage check was well organized again this year. * I loved the 5K splits throughout the entire race. Some negatives: * The wave system seemed like a good idea. But for those of us in the 3rd wave, we were standing around for 20-25 minutes before we started running, which, on a very cold day, is not good. * What was the deal with all of those walkers? People who are walking the half-marathon should not be starting ahead of the marathoners. What's the point in having a wave system if the marathoners have to dodge walkers for the first 3 miles? Why can't they just have the half-marathoners start 30 minutes after the marathoners? As long as they continue to insist on having the half-marathon start at the same time as the marathon, these problems are going to continue, wave system or not. * Giving us our medals still wrapped in plastic was a little lame. * The food tent only had very cold, soft pretzels and some bananas. A step down from last year. This race has lots of potential, but they need to fix some of these problems or it will just be a mediocre event. THat would be a shame because I think it could be so much more. | |
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R. D. from New Haven, CT
(11/29/2008)
"fun marathon!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first time running the Philadelphia Marathon and had a terrific time! Yes, it was cold, but everyone was in great spirits! The scenery was beautiful. The volunteers were supportive. Crowds were plentiful in spots. Agree with other comments: it could definitely have used music (DJ's, bands, etc.) along course - especially Kelly Drive, which headed out to Manayunk and back! This would be a great addition!! Icy spots by water station were a little tricky. The expo was quick and simple. Overall, this race was fun, and I would recommend it to other runners who want to run a mid-size marathon! |
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