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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 421 to 431]
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S. B. from New Jersey
(11/19/2007)
"Big improvement" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 What a difference a year makes! The race committee really seemed to listen to last year's negative comments. Bag check was well-organized, food tent was great, and someone put my medal around my neck, whereas last year I had to search for a box holding them. Great job! The course changes were nice as well. I have 2 small suggestions. First, I believe it is around mile 4 where there is a water stop on pretty much the narrowest street in the whole race. Please try to move this. Runners were actually stopped all across the street and I had to push my way through - it is just too narrow! Second, please give a little more advance warning before the split for half-marathoners and marathoners takes place after mile 12 or so. I was way on the left and needed to get to the right and in my runner's zone almost missed the divide. Someone yelling directions, or even some signs 50 yards back would have helped. Thanks. All in all, a good race! Thanks to all volunteers, fans, and organizers. | |
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David Bartholomew from San Francisco, CA
(11/19/2007)
"Great Race!!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I flew in from the west coast just to run this marathon and I am glad I did..I truly enjoyed it. The crowds and the support teams were fantastic, the start and finish areas were well organized and well maintained, and the food was great...especially the hot chicken soup!! The day was overcast with occasional sprinkles...thankfully the rain that was forecast didn't show up until later in the afternoon. It was COLD and windy at times, especially near the finish line. I thought the course was fair and somewhat challenging...it was NOT flat as advertised. There are several long and gradual climbs that seemed to go on forever. The course was a bit crowded during the first few miles as thousands of runners made their way through the narrow streets of historic Philadelphia. As the course progressed and the half marathoners finished it thinned out. It was VERY scenic along the river. I am VERY glad that I did the tourist thing the day before the marathon...it made it much easier to recognize and appreciate the historic places that we passed during the race. BOTTOM LINE...you will enjoy this race..it is well worth your time and money!! | |
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R. E. from Philadelphia, PA
(11/18/2007)
"Poor management and a really crappy new course" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Philly is a local race that has overgrown it's poor management and has no clue on how to become a major marathon. Although I've run it 6 times (since I'm local) I swear each year that I will NOT run it again. This year they made the following improvements: 1) added a simultaneous 1/2 marathon to add severe congestion to the marathoners for the first half of the race 2) added a fantastic new (untested) chip system that did not work 3) adjusted the race to added several new hills for absolutely no reason (and unmentioned on the race map). Volunteers before the race had no idea where to find anything, though fortunately they were very well equipped with coffee and snacks. As long as weather cooperates and they don't run into some unforeseen adversity, this is an ok race that may get you a decent result, but the course is exceptionally ugly, but given any unforeseen issues it has potential to turn into a major disaster. | |
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J. K. from Philadelphia
(11/18/2007)
"Still a great course for a PR" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 6th marathon overall and my 4th straight Philly. First the negatives. The course was a little different this year than previous years. There was a new hill around mile 14 thats about the same size as the other large hill around mile 10 and has a windy, quick, downhill. Granted, they aren't very big hills as they only rise about 50 ft over a quarter mile or so. The new hill replaces a flat section which may make it a little more tricky than previous years. The thing that annoyed me the most about it, was that runners didn't know about it until they looked at the course maps at the expo (if they even bothered to look) since the maps on the website didn't indicate any change in the course. Had I known about it before, I might have included a small amount of hill running into my training since I anticipated the usual flat course. One upside of the slightly modified route is that the overpass hill that used to happen in mile 22 now is a little earlier during 18. The new course also adds a 2nd hairpin turn at the mile 13 marker (in addition to the mile 20 marker). This year, they moved the start up to 7:00. In actuality, the gun didn't go off until around 7:15 which meant extra standing around in the corrals. Its especially annoying considering how much thought runners put into the timing of their 'last call' to the bathroom before the race so they don't have to go later. Another gripe I had about the organization was that there were no signs in the beginning indicating where people of certain paces should line up. There were Clif Bar pace team people w/ signs/balloons indicating '3:10', 3:20', etc., but not the usual 6 minute, 7 minute, 8 minute, etc. signs that you usually see. As a result, there were quite a few people lined up at what would've been a 6:30 pace who had no reason being there and caused a bit of a log jam during the first half mile. Also, by having the half and full marathons start at the same time on the same course, its especially congested for the first 2 miles. Instead of about 7,000 marathoners, there are now about 12,000-14,000 runners on the course for the first half of the race. It seemed at the end, there was nowhere to sit down to change or use 'the stick' or stretch. There were a few chairs in the food area, but this was before you were able to get your bag. They had some changing tents, but it would've been nice to add a few chairs to them so that you don't have to sit your cramped body down on the damp ground to change. Now the positives: Despite the new hill, its still an overall flat course that is a nice set up for a PR. People were worried about the new timing system which is a plastic strip that you pass a shoelace through instead of a Championship. It seemed to work well. Despite the larger crowds at the start, there seemed to be adequate port-a-johns. An upside of the larger crowds was that fan support was the best its ever been w/ nearly twice as many families to cheer on their runners in the first half of the course through Center City. The weather is usually perfect for a PR and today was no exception w/ overcast skies and temps in the low 40's. Water/Gatorade stops seemed adequate throughout the course. My bottom line is that I would definitely recommend this race for runners looking for a BQ/PR, especially if you miss out on New York or Chicago. I think w/ a few simple changes this very good race can get even better. | |
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G. R. from Atlanta, GA
(11/18/2007)
"2007 Results" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My first Philly marathon and I am walking away with mixed feelings some good and bad. No marathon is ever perfect, but some are better than others. Overall I am giving the Philly marathon a B+ The Good: A) First class volunteers they felt more like spectators especially in those areas where none were present. The volunteers were kind and courteous throughout the course from start to finish. Kudos for your time and a job well done! B) The food tent at the finish was thoughtful (not outside in the cold as usual for most marathons) and the food was good especially the hot chicken broth. I especially appreciated the mustard on my pretzel. C) The technical shirt was nice rather than the traditional cotton tee. D) The course was fast, although it was not as flat as advertised. So if you are really looking for a flat course I suggest you try Chicago. E) Ample fluid stations through out the course. The fact that the choice sports drink they provide is Gatorade is a plus for me. The Bad: A) The expo was crammed and far. Why not hold it at the expo near the Marriott closer to most area hotels? B) The start the race director attempted to separated half marathoners from full marathoners, but you still wind up merging once the gun goes off and pacing becomes an issue the first mile. It's like running hot and cold water from your sink, the water still comes out the same faucet! | |
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C. L. from Philadelphia
(11/18/2007)
"Never again" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I've run 2 marathons before and I guess I was spoiled by the Marine corp. The maps on the website were very wrong (as is the map on the back of my shirt). The half and full had city hall at 1 and 3 miles respectively, same course, go figure. The expo was all the way at Temple with no directions on the website. The water stops on the website were not accurate. A problem for those who plan their Cliff activity. The website said food would be bagged and it wasn't. Emails to the organization with questions were not returned. No clock at the start to help calculate subsequent distances. Not enough porta-potties. New chip system, why aren't the results on the full on the website after 4 hours? The half and 8K were on quickly. I can't believe this is not computerized. I would not run this again. I was so disappointed in how this was run, especially since there seemed to be a lot of feedback from last year. | |
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G. B. from New Jersey
(11/18/2007)
"Fun race" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I liked the course - circling through downtown, crossing the Schuykill River, around Fairmount Park (including reasonably steep up and downhill sections, by far the steepest on a mostly flat course), past the start at the half-way point, then out and back along the east side of the river. Quite fun. The expo organization was so/so - the number pickup was segmented by numbers, but in a corner where it was hard for people to find the right table. And they didn't give out T-shirts there - it was somewhere else in the expo, so since I was pressed for time, I never went to get my shirt. They tried a new chip type - a small piece of paper going through the shoe. They hyped it as the first time this system was being used for a marathon, which frankly had me nervous. And I've driven home from Philly after finishing hours ago, and marathon results still aren't online (although 8k and half results are). But my in-laws were able to sign up for e-mail updates which, while not exactly timely, did have my accurate half split and final time. The fans were great when there were fans, but there were some long stretches where nobody cheering you on. But I certainly appreciated the unofficial 'beer station' at miles 19/21 (the same point on the ending out/back loop)! | |
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R. S. from Philly
(11/18/2007)
"what a difference a year makes" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very critical of the changes implemented last year by the new organizers. They must have listened, because the event was improved dramatically this year. Very well organized and the minor course adjustments were great (especially changing the Ridge overpass from mile 22 to mile 18). The volunteers were so much better this year as was the crowd support. The only thing we could have used was a little entertainment on Kelly Drive, but heck, I'm there to run, not watch a concert. Good job. | |
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D. M. from Herndon, Virginia
(11/18/2007)
"Philly 2007" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I found the overall organization for Philly in 2007 to be terrible. I ran the race in 2005 and everything seemed to be very well run. Everything from a website, which is rarely updated, to a new chip system with elevated slippery mats, to the inability on the part of the event organizers to have runners in a heated tent in the hour or so before the race. The course is amazing, and the weather is cold, extremely reliably. I will not come back to this race for anything other than to run a fast time. | |
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B. R. from New Jersey, USA
(9/23/2007)
"Overall good experience, some problems" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I ran this race in 2006 for the first time, and as my second overall marathon (NYC was the first). I was happy overall with the experience, and can live with some of the warts. Looking at the comments on the 2005 race, it's actually quite clear that the organizers responded to many of the complaints when planning the '06 race. They picked up a major sponsor (American Express), they had a lot more port-a-johns, volunteers took the finisher medals out of the plastic before handing them out, and the finishers' tent was just fine (massages and food were right inside the tent door - not sure what one of the commenters below saw). That having been said... the course is nowhere near as flat as they'd have you believe. You run down a pretty good decline to the first riverfront area, and obviously have to make that up to come back to the halfway point (same as start/finish line). There's a decent hill about mile 9-10 on this stretch. The out-and-back for miles 15-25 is pretty rolling. It's not a killer, but it's definitely not flat. As for spectators, there were three areas that were vibrant: the museum (start/half/finish); South St. was tight but fun; and Manayunk - at the turnaround point of the out-and-back - was a lot of fun. The rest of the course was pretty quiet, which could cut either way for you. Downsides: the chute of metal railings at the halfway point was obscenely tight, and in fact a wheelchair racer couldn't avoid crashing into them and wiping out. Not cool - this needs to be fixed. Water stations got kind of sparse after the halfway point, and hydration became an issue. The 20-mile mark, which was the turnaround on the out-and-back, was absolutely ridiculous. You're running on the left side of the road, and suddenly there's a traffic cone that you have to pull a 180 around. And the spectators are right up against the course, which is normally fine but not around that turn. I'm not sure how there wasn't a constant pile-up of runners here. I'd gladly run an extra 100 ft. out there to go around the block or something and not risk that U-turn. On the whole, it's a nice course, the organizers seem committed to improving it, and Philly is a great city to visit if you can spend the weekend. They have work to do, but I'd definitely consider running it again. |
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