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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 311 to 321]
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S. W. from Adamstown, PA
(9/16/2008)
"Nice course - crowded expo" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 When I ran the race, I had nothing to compare it too, so I waited to comment. I picked up my number at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, and there was absolutely no parking available. The expo felt crowded. I really liked the course. It was scenic most the time (some dull spots during the out and back loop during second half). Fan support in Manajank was great. It was not as flat as advertised, but the smaller hills in the middle made it more interesting and were very manageable. I believe Philly has good PR potential. I'm not sure if I missed the 26-mile marker or if they didn't have one. I think that mile marker is important to have. The finish line was well organized. They took care of you quickly. The start was late, which on a cold November morning is definitely not a good thing. The combined start of the full and the half made it quite crowded, and you were running through traffic for miles. I think it especially important in a big race to make sure everybody understands where to line up. I was running a decent pace, and was passing walkers 2 miles into the race. I will run Philly again this year because it is my hometown marathon, so I don't need to spend money on a hotel and travel and I also registered early enough to qualify for the lower fee. But if you are from out of town, and you are still looking for a fall marathon in this area, you might get into a better race for less money (Philly is $125 after September 4th). | |
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J. A. from New Jersey
(9/2/2008)
"Excellent course for fast time" (about: 2003)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The qualities I look for in a marathon are what your get at the Philly Marathon. Registration is guaranteed; there is no lottery. I arrived minutes before the race, not hours, so there was no waiting and waiting. Course: rolling hills in the first half, smaller hills in the second. Enough crowd support to motivate but not distract you from your splits. This race was my Boston qualifier, after failing seven weeks earlier in a downhill marathon (quad-killer). The weather was great the three times I did Philly, as it should not be too warm towards the end of November. I have completed large and small marathons and found Philly to be my favorite. | |
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M. M. from Downingtown, USA
(7/28/2008)
"26 Miles and 385 Yards - First-Class All The Way" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I feel that it was a first-class event from start to finish. I went to the pre-race expo on Saturday (the busy day). Parking was interesting, but if you were willing to park on a side street, it was free and very close. There were literally thousands of people in line. Everyone was happy and the line moved surprisingly quickly. The expo floor was overwhelming and provided a chance to get any last-minute race item you might need. You also got a very nice technical shirt. On Sunday, I arrived at about 5:30 a.m. and parking was sparse, but again, if you were creative, side street parking was once again available, nearby, and free. Even at that early hour, most of the cars had been removed from the course and those that were still present were prepped to be towed. Parked cars on the race course were not a problem. You could not ask for a better start to the race, unless your watch uncontrollably started at the planned start time, and you would be injured if you tried to reset it. The weather obviously was not planned, but it was perfect. Just cold enough that you were cool, but you did not need to wear extra layers to discard later in the course. And you could not have a better backdrop for a race, with the art museum behind you and Center City shaping the start of the course. Fan support was great, especially in the city and your own fans had ample opportunities to see you without traveling too far. Aid stations were well placed and though it was cramped on South Street, you really do not need to stop and drink at every table, so it was probably better to just run by that one. The crowds and electricity in the first half of the race are well balanced by a fair amount of solitude in the second half of the race - the exception being Manayunk. Those crazies were probably drinking all night and offering you what was left as you ran by. The last thing I wanted was beer, but if you had a craving, it was easy to satisfy! There were tons of people at the finish line and everyone got a hero's welcome, especially if you finished near someone from TNT. The post-race refreshments were perfect, and if you really NEED a Mylar blanket, bring your own, just in case! Overall, the course, described as "fast and flat," was "fast and flat with rolling hills," but you definitely can fly through the first half, especially with the support of thousands of people alongside you. The items you don't necessarily "see" were planned just right as well: more than enough porta-potties, buses to drop off your gear, a post-race changing area, and plenty of support from the race staff. This is a race that should be on your calendar every year and I guarantee will live up to the promise of a first-class event. | |
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H. U. from Jersey Shore
(7/13/2008)
"Loved this marathon - will do it again" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon (did NYC in '06), and I have done one since. This is a great run for a first-timer. I loved the course and the fans. When you get up to Manayunk at about mile 21, those people are hardcore. I don't understand the previous complaint about the lack of Mylar blankets; I got one. The chicken soup at the finish was manna from heaven. I'm a New York guy, but the City of Philadelphia, its people, and its marathon were wonderful. I'll be back in '08. | |
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M. H. from New York, NY
(5/12/2008)
"Too bad they added the half" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Philly was my first marathon in 2004 and it was an amazing race - beautiful course, great crowd support, well organized, and a manageable field (about 6,000) for a city of its size. But what a huge mistake to add the half marathon to marathon day. I get it that a full marathon is not for everyone, and it's nice to be able to participate. But it is completely unfair and dilutes the marathon experience for those who have trained hard to achieve a really admirable goal. It's not right to have 10,000 half marathoners line up right alongside 6,000 marathoners, take off with the same gun, run the same course, only to finish the race at what is the halfway point for the marathoners! It is a huge mental discouragement for the marathoners. It gives the half marathon runners the same glory that the full marathoners get - they get cheered on by the crowds as if they are running the full marathon but they are not!... And all without having to work as hard for it. This is not fair. It does a disservice to the marathon. I ran the race before the half was added, and I highly recommended it to all my friends. Now, having heard from friends who've run it since they added the half in 2006, I have heard only complaints. Bad choice, Philadelphia. I'm avoiding this one from now on, and now urge friends who want the real marathon experience to go elsewhere - NYC, Marine Corps, Chicago, even if it's harder to get in to those other races. It's worth it. | |
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M. C. from Philadelphia, PA
(5/12/2008)
"Don't really understand some complaints" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon was great! Here's my take: The expo. I went at one of the more popular times (2 p.m. on Saturday) and drove in. I was able to find plenty of metered spots 2 blocks behind the expo, for which I paid $1.75 in quarters. Yes, the line was long, but it moved OK. Getting from the packet pick-up to the shirt pick-up wasn't the most well-marked, but I lived. The location of the expo was one of the more central choices, since you can get there by car, subway, or regional rail. The race. I took the first regional rail in from the north suburbs, and got my bag checked and got to the start on time. If the hotels downtown aren't to your liking, consider doing this. Smooth process checking and getting bags. If there's one comment I agree with, it's the mob scene right at the start. The streets are just too narrow in the beginning not to consider a wave start, and it's too easy to miss the first couple of water stops. This is the race you want if you've never done a big-city race and aren't sure how you'll like it. Some parts - like South Street - are packed, while there are parts of Kelly Drive where you'll see barely a soul. Easy for people to find you, too; my parents saw me on South Street, then did a walking tour of the city, before finding me at the finish with no problems. The chicken broth at the finish was genius. I'd certainly do this race again. | |
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B. K. from Boston, MA
(4/30/2008)
"Nice race with some organizational issues" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Let me start by saying that I will run Philly again. I had a good time. But... several negatives stand out. 1. The temperature dropped throughout the race. We had cold rain/snow at the end. As a result I was under-dressed and freezing when I crossed the finish line. This is my fault. But not having a mylar blanket available is Philly's fault. I asked around and the volunteers said they had run out. I guess later they found some because I saw later finishers wearing blankets. But I was out of luck. 2. Post-race food included chicken soup, which is brilliant when we have raw, cold weather like we had that day. But what if you are vegetarian? How hard would it be to put up some coffee or tea or (even better) hot chocolate on cold days? Combined with the lack of a blanket, I had a really miserable finish experience and couldn't get out of there and back to my hotel fast enough. 3. The RFID timing didn't work. I reported my missing time. The next day, my results showed up, but they were wrong. After I saw the finish line photo, I wrote again and noted the discrepancy between the "chip time" and the photo. They adjusted my time again so it is closer to the photo, but it still doesn't seem quite right. | |
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S. M. from Montreal, Qc, Canada
(4/25/2008)
"Excellent!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon but not my first running event. I loved the hills and the course that takes you to different parts of the city. People were friendly, everything was well organized and I did not mind the little delay at the start. I had the best time and recommend this marathon to first-timers! | |
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e. s. from NY, NY
(4/24/2008)
"Ugh. NEVER again." (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran Chicago twice (including 2007's sauna) and then ran Philly. I've also run the course for New York, and volunteered at many other marathons around the country. My main issues are these: 1. Expo was crowded and poorly organized. Waited in a long line only to find out that I was in the wrong line. Very confusing. 2. Race did not start on time. And it was cold! Why wait? Maybe the fact that they had too many people in line for the bathroom. 3. The first half of the course was fine. Some spectators, but at least interesting enough. But I agree with everyone else that basically crossing the finish line and knowing that I was only half done was mentally exhausting. In addition, that area was so crowded, people were crossing our path while we tried to make hairpin turns. 4. The out-and-back 13.1 miles was more effort than any other run I have ever done. The hills were surprising, there were NO spectators, and I knew exactly how much farther I had to go. I have told many people to run the 1/2 but not the full in Philly. What a disappointing race! | |
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M. K. from Florida
(4/15/2008)
"Excellent marathon overall" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 2nd marathon (I ran MCM the prior year). Great organization, nice course, and nice, long-sleeve tech shirt. Shaved 16 minutes off of my prior time. Expo was small and a bit hard to get to from downtown. Some runners said the course was hillier than expected. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this one. |
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