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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 361 to 371]
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M. S. from Minnesota
(11/21/2007)
"Diminishing a good marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Took a good marathon and really diminished it. Half marathoners really clogged up the narrow streets. People were walking after 6 miles. Timing system was likely off. Hill at mile 11 did not add any scenery just difficulty. Expo at Temple was too crowded, and parking was difficult | |
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T. B. from Almaty, Kazakhstan
(11/21/2007)
"Just loved it!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was my first-ever marathon and I just have to say: It was terrific. Volunteers did a great job, fan support was fantastic (I didn't have any of my friends in the crowd), and the distributed Gu-gel tasted great. :D I got a pretty good time for a first-timer (3:43) and am looking forward to doing it again in the future. Thanks, Philly! | |
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D. C. from Washington, DC
(11/21/2007)
"Great Experience on a Cold Day" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was a tremendous experience. I was pleasantly surprised by what great crowds were on hand to cheer people on in spite of the cold and windy weather. Also, there were so many volunteers on hand for water, Gatorade and gel that I was truly overwhelmed. Great job, volunteers!! My only complaint was the location and layout of the expo. The line was long to pick up your number, but that was more because of the poor layout of the stadium. I think moved to another location, it would have been great. | |
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R. E. from Washington DC
(11/21/2007)
"Doesn't play Rocky music enough" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Besides my first observation and others that will be critical, let me say I love the city of Philadelphia and thought that overall the organization of this race was strong from an above-average expo, shirt, massage tent, course run by the river and terrific pacing groups. Here is what can be improved: providing an elevation chart because this race is not as flat as advertised and you don't want to learn that out when you're actually running the course. Also provide a better course map or shuttle trips of the course so runners can see it all. The race was delayed at the start and there was no wave, so everyone is jumbled together so I was even with the 3:10 pace group - and yet my first two miles were slow from zig-zagging (get seeded bibs). And the half-marathon people should be like 20 minutes after; as it was, there were too many people on the downtown streets.... Wake up the college students at Drexel and Penn to get them involved. And c'mon, we all want to hear the Rocky Music at a few key spots. I know several people that PR'd and the fans were good even though there was not a large crowd (as Philly wasn't one of the giant marathons but it isn't a super small... more like a big-sized medium one). | |
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B. L. from New York
(11/21/2007)
"Expected the worst; pleasantly surprised" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Because of a minor injury, I was forced to defer NYC and registered for Philly without reading the comments from the 2006 race. After reading those comments, I was second-guessing my decision to run there. But after completing the race (my 8th marathon), I was pleasantly surprised... but that's not to say there is not room for improvements.... The Good... * While not flat, the course offers just enough rolling hills that helps you stretch your legs. No killers like the 59th Street Bridge in NY or the Key Bridge in Marine Corps. The declines were surprisingly steep, with a few hairpin turns. *There were more crowds than I expected. While there are pockets of nothing but concrete or tumbleweeds, the support through the race is fine, and the crowd on the turn at 20 is amazing. * Finish line area was easy to access - food tent was crowded, but I got what I needed. * Bag check pre and post race was very easy. The Bad... * The Expo was a DISASTER. I arrived to pick up my number at 4 p.m. on Saturday and had to wait over an hour in line. Also, people kept cutting in front of other people. No signs for shirt pickup. * The goodie bags: nothing but a shirt and a brochure. * Pre-race porta-potties.... I got in line at 6:25 a.m. and by 6:50 I was still nowhere near getting in to go. Need many more. * Pre-race speeches: enough with the garbled announcements; just get the race going on time. * Water stations were extremely inconsistent - sometimes located within a mile of each other, other times 2.5 miles or more. The gap between 13+ and 16 was inexcusable. Overall, the good outweighed the bad. I'm not crazy about the out-and-back from 14 to 25, but I'm not familiar enough with the city to know if they could change that. But after making the turn on 20, it feels you're running downhill. Philly is not on the level of NYC or Marine Corps, but for me it beat the heck out of Columbus and Toronto. | |
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Antonio Morell from San José, Costa Rica
(11/21/2007)
"Recommended" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 On balance, considering both the positives and the negatives, this was an excellent experience. Positives: - The course is flat and pleasant. - Good support during the race. - Good organization at the start, and with regard to bag drop-off. - Good support at the end of the race. - Good number of porta-potties at the start of the race. Negatives: - They need more porta-potties along the course. - The first few miles were very slow, and the course was very narrow between miles 13 and 15. They should think about separating the marathoners from the half-marathoners. - It got lonely during the second half of the run. Other stuff: Even though there weren't many fans, those who were out braved the cold and the rain, and as such, I'm particularly thankful to the people of Philadelphia for their support. I recommend this for runners who want a PR. | |
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C. B. from New Jersey, USA
(11/21/2007)
"Organizers Listened & Responded: Great Recovery!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very critical of 2006's mistakes and also of the initial impression that the organizers wouldn't even acknowledge them. But the website addressed them head on and the results matched. There were some glitches but the great Philly race I ran 10 times in a row before last year's mess is back! Based on the amazing recovery this year, I'm confident the remaining small glitches will be fixed next time. Almost everything is a plus. Good course, great baggage check/pick up, post-race food, water/fluid stops, gel stops (one more than advertised), marshaling, crowds (given the logistics of the course, that is; this isn't New York), organization, medals, start/finish areas, etc. - Many entrants didn't get confirms until Monday night before the race. Apparently this was caused by the influx of Chicago runners (offered a special discount) that swamped the organizers. Great idea, poor execution, but it probably won't happen again. I give them a "pass" on this one. Those who entered before it sold out and tapered on faith were rewarded. - Expo delays. I, too, stood in line for 30 min. to get my number. And it was unclear when you arrived that you had to look up your number first and then get in line (because unlike previous years, we couldn't actually see the tables organized by number; the line was too long). But the line moved quickly and I picked up everything I needed. Nice expo. I'm not sure this is the perfect location - the traffic was almost as bad as at the old Fairmount Park location - but if I hadn't waited until the last 3 hours, I'd probably have been OK. - Half and full marathon go off together. I guess this is just a fact of life but it makes the course more crowded, though the separate starts this year helped a lot and I didn't have any close calls. - The new course has an extra hill. Philly never was flat; now it's less so. Still a great course, though, and they did a good job of addressing the issues of separate half and full sections at the finish. I had no trouble following the signs/PA system directing marathoners to the right, half marathoners to the left. - New flexible timing strips had everyone nervous and MAY have caused some problems. Most early missing chip times were quickly corrected. Time will tell if these work as well as the old chips but at least there's nothing to clip off post finish, which frees up a bunch of volunteers for other duty. Some knock Philly because it doesn't compare with New York. Well, I ran NY this year and literally feared for my life at the giant SNAFU at the baggage check-in where thousands of runners jammed up tightly waited for over an hour. And we waited again for a long time to pick up our bags after the finish. And endured crowds on the course that dwarfed anything I experienced at Philly. My point isn't to slam NYC (I've commented on that race already), but to point out that no race is perfect. Stuff happens. The unexpected occurs. Mistakes are made. It's how the race responds that counts. The folks at Philly heard us loud and clear last year and responded beautifully. Thanks! I'll be back next year for #13 in a row. | |
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J. S. from Belleville, NJ
(11/21/2007)
"Good overall" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The expo could've been better handled. I got there at 12:30 on Friday and had to wait at least 45 minutes to get my bib. I only have 2 complaints about the race: 1. Stop advertising it as FLAT. There was definitely some elevation - nothing I couldn't handle, but it wasn't flat. 2. Don't put a water stop around a street corner. My specific complaint with the water stop was that there was a water stop around a corner so you couldn't even see it coming and people ran into each other. The only other things are complaints that would come from any race: slow people lining up at the front of the pack and people coming to a complete stop in the water stop lanes. I ran with the CLIFF pace team until mile 16 and then fell back. I finished in 3:44:45 instead of my goal 3:40, but this was only my second marathon, so I'm very happy overall. | |
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c. a. from Tulsa, OK
(11/21/2007)
"first marathon and loved it" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Philly was my first marathon and I thought the whole thing was awesome. I went to the expo on Friday, and as such, my experience was that it was fast and organized. I can see how it would be a madhouse on Saturday though. The actual course was really great. I knew that the first few miles were going to be tight, and it didn't really bother me. The water stop at about 4.5 could have been better situated. As for the hills, I would say it is all relative to what you are used to. There were several hills on the course, but I didn't think that any of them were will-breakers. In fact, I thought it was a nice change of pace for my legs. The course is not pancake flat, but don't let the comments about the hills fool you. I thought that the spectators were awesome. The weather was cold and wet, but they were still out there. I give all of them a huge round of applause. The finish was fantastic. Very well organized finish area and food tent. I only have one complaint about the entire experience. The post-race family reunion area... needs drastic improvement. I was expecting a tent or at least a big sign. They had balloons with letters on them stuck into the ground. Not good enough. However, that can easily be improved and I'm sure the organizers will do that. Overall I loved the experience and I will definitely fly 1200 miles to run 26.2 again! | |
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David Potts from New York, NY
(11/21/2007)
"Very positive marathon experience" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first Philadelphia Marathon, and after reading some of the criticism of last year's race, I wasn't sure of what to expect from 2007. Fortunately it seems like the race directors attended to many of the issues of the 2006 race. The volunteers were great and there were plenty of them, with lots of water stations throughout the course. The fan support was much better than I expected; it may not be NYC but I really appreciated the people who came out to watch. They were supportive, encouraging, and knowledgeable. Post-race food, medals, and massage were all readily available. The course had a few hills in the first half but nothing serious; the latter part of the course was nice and flat. The city itself is well worth visiting; spectacular architecture and museums, and great restaurants too. A couple of suggestions I have are: more toilets around the starting area - there weren't nearly enough and the lines were ridiculous. Also at the expo they should give you your t-shirt with your bib - it was inconvenient, crowded and time-consuming to have to wait in a separate line for the t-shirt. |
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