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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 431 to 441]
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S. H. from Brookline, MA
(8/17/2007)
"Poorly organized in 2006, but changes for 2007" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I have pretty much the same comments as most of those below: nice course, poor organization. Crowded start, difficulty finding baggage check, confusion with mile markers along the course, lack of volunteers at the finish, lack of food (i.e. none left) at the finish, and completely disorganized baggage pickup area all contributed to a mixed experience. I was also frustrated a couple times by people on bikes on the course and people running with their dogs. HOWEVER, I noticed on the Philly Marathon website the section "What's new for 2007." It looks like many of the organizational problems might be corrected this year: new location for expo, separate starting corrals for marathon and half marathon, clearer mile markers, more volunteers, and food bags for each runner. I'd be willing to give it another try. | |
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R. G. from Philadelphia,PA
(5/19/2007)
"Not sure if I'll do Philly again" (about: 2006)
First Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my first-ever marathon. I live in Philly and wanted to try a marathon. The expo was a mess - 10,000 people packed into a tent? Need I say more? The starting area was too congested due to the addition of the half-marathon. The mile markers were off. The spectator support was good at certain points along the course, but there were some long stretches where you didn't see anybody! When I got to the finish line, I had to ask one of the spectators where to get my medal because there were no volunteers to be found. Another runner who came in after me asked me the same question and I had to point him in the right direction. There was no food left when I finished. Who needs to eat after finishing 26.2 miles, right? I never received a finisher's certificate. If you go on their website, you can print your certificate out, but it has your gun time on it, not your chip time! I am not making any of this up, folks. It's amazing how a big-city marathon can be run like this. One last thing: they decided to increase the entry fee for 2007. I guess they feel it's justified since they did such a stellar job last year. | |
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P. L. from Pittsburgh Area
(5/7/2007)
"Nice Course, but Poor Organization" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 It seemed that some of the mile markers were off a bit. The course was scenic and I liked the downtown portion most. It's a good course to PR or Boston qualify. The mile markers for the half and whole were messed up and we were hitting our watches at the wrong markersconfusing signage there was no indicator that the markers were for the half or whole marathon. When I received my finisher's certificate, I could not believe that they used CLOCK time instead of chip time as my official time! I emailed, along with the other 4 people I ran with, but none of us got a reply. The finish area was disorganized. Overall, nice course, but really poor organization. Columbus and Flying Pig know how to organize a race. Philly should take a look at those for tips. Unsure right now if I'll return. | |
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B. G. from NY
(4/18/2007)
"Could not agree more with previous post below" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I would not take a chance on this one again, after having run it in 2006. | |
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J. D. from Austin, TX
(4/16/2007)
"Poorly Organized, Nice Course" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This race was a mixed bagged in 2006. The course was nice, though hillier than advertised. First half was scenic, through the historic district. The second half was beautiful. Along the river, tree-lined streets. Nice cools temps in the 40s; spectator support was sporadic (only at mile 18ish, finish line). The wxpo was a MESS, the clothing drop/pickup was a MESS, the lack of directions (signs) was a MESS, the food at the finish was a MESS (if you could find it), and they let spectators into the finish area. They had a funky split in the course about mile 10 where the 1/2 marathoners went one way and rejoined the marathoners 3/4 mile later... so miles 11-13 were confusing, as you would see two mile-marker signs (same color, size etc.). I hated the relay division - that really demoralizes you when someone zooms past you at mile 18. I don't like when they combine short races/relays with a marathon. The focus should be the marathoners, as it's no trivial accomplishment to finish 26.2. The start line was crowded, but that's expected at a big event. If they fix those problems, there is huge potential. Get rid of the relay, post some signs, move the expo, maybe post some signs to point out historical spots (if only on the course map). The half is probably ok to keep. | |
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C. B. from New Jersey
(4/11/2007)
"10+ Years of Careful, Steady Growth At Risk" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I've run Philly 11 years in a row. It's my fall marathon (though I run others, too, some years). It was always well organized with almost-guaranteed GREAT weather and a fast course. For those reasons, I've recommended it to a lot of our club members and helped take groups as large as 15+ there some years. Fittingly, I BQ'd for the first time there in 2006, the high point of my 30-year running career. Unfortunately, in 2006 they added a half marathon with awful results: congested start, overcrowded course, no baggage check, lack of post-race food, etc. Rather than address these issues head on, the organizers apparently are pretending they didn't happen. The full and half are once again scheduled to go off at the same time. There's no acknowledgement that last year's problems will be addressed. And the entry fees have been juiced... at lot. Years ago, Philly had to essentially start over to resurrect a once-promising race. Sadly, that may have to happen again. Two thumbs down for 2007 unless the organizers acknowledge they're taking strong corrective action to fix last year's problems. With marathons, as with any other product, what takes years to build can be undone in much less time. Raising prices in 2007 after a major quality problem is a rookie mistake, something we saw a lot of in 2006. | |
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M. H. from New York, NY
(4/9/2007)
"Ran a good time - no thanks to the race organizers" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I did run a PR (2:52) but with really no thanks to the organization of the race. Things to watch out for: 1) the half starts with the full marathon with no distinction or separation for the first 10+ miles, so it's very congested at the start; 2) there was NOWHERE to put your gear before the race, numerous runners (including me) just put our bags in a pile on a curb at the last minute and ran to the start; 3) there was no real after-race food/care; 4) and we could have used a few more Gatorade stations. Beside those complaints, the crowds were great (when they were there). The turnaround at mile 20 was very motivating and it is fairly easy for family members to see you a few different times on the course. As for the course, it was good, but not great. The hills between 9-12 are a bit tougher than expected and the decline leading to the river around mile 12 is very steep, so not very helpful after the inclines. Couple of the earlier miles were split wrong (think mile 3 was long, and mile 4 short - thanks again, organizers). The out-and-back over the last 10+ miles is ok but never-ending. At least if you are nearer to the front, you get very good support from fellow runners on the way back in to the finish. The weather was great, just chilly enough not to be very hot. Was very easy to find my family after the race. The expo should be in a convention center, though, not in a tent on the street. If you are looking for a good time, Philly should give you that chance, but the organization makes it feel a bit second tier. | |
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D. S. from Hudson Falls, NY
(3/17/2007)
"Love the course, not the early congestion" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have run this race three times thus far. I love the course and truly appreciate the spectators and volunteers. With the addition of the half marathon, however, the race became unnecessarily crowded for the first few miles. Some runners were tripped up by road conditions or congestion. The race would be much better if the half marathoners either started at a different time or perhaps ran the second half of the marathon while the marathoners run as usual. Otherwise, I highly recommend the race as an annual treat! | |
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S. M. from Ojinaga, Mexico
(3/10/2007)
"Don´t be foolish by the numbers" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 You may think this is a mid-size marathon but there is a lot of congestion at the start, the first six miles are through downtown, and I saw four runners fall. Once you return to the museum and cross the river uptown, it gets a little better, but no good until the half marathon. They need to separate the half marathon start or reverse the course of the full. Course is great, fans are supportive, and the art museum is spectacular. Aid stations had plenty of water and sports drinks. Expo is good for a mid-size marathon. The best thing was the weather. I ran my PR. This is a must-do. | |
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J. O. from Southeastern PA
(2/6/2007)
"Adding the half created problems" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This was my 3rd Philadelphia Marathon. I love the course and the crowd in Manayunk, and the weather has been nothing but perfect. Adding the half-marathon this year created problems that simply didn't exist previously. With runners packed in tightly, the 6 blocks that we ran on South Street were dangerous. I saw several runners stumble and 2 fall due to undulations in the road surface. Nothing ruins your marathon more then a pileup at mile 5. Please, please level and repave South Street - or change the course. I suspect that the half marathoners ate well. I got a cup of chicken broth and an apple. Not sure why the mile markers were off this year, but mile three wasn't even close. I consider this my home marathon and I will be back next year, but I'll be looking for better things. |
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