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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 521 to 531]
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A. S. from Chicago, IL
(11/20/2006)
"DO NOT RUN THIS RACE!!!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 This was my 13th marathon this year and it was by far the worst event I have ever been to. Like many people I entered this run as a substitute for NYC and I thought it would be a well run even since it is mid-sized. I was wrong, horribly wrong. It started off bad with the expo. I had to wait 25 minutes in line just to get in the tent to pick up my packet. Once in the tent I had to wait in another giant line for 20 more minutes to get my bib. After that I had to fight the giant line to go back to get my shirt and goody bag and when I got there they were out of XL shirts. The day before they were out of S. Race morning there was nothing marked. No one had any idea where the bag check was and there were no signes pointing us where to go. The bag check was a small tent that took forever to drop you bag at. Most people had to go back to their cars to store their stuff just to save time. The start line was not marked, so many runners, myself included, were wondering around not knowing where to go. After the race, there was essentually no food. There was no water at the finish line and it was impossible to get out the the finishline area since it was not sectioned off from the public very well. The tent that did have food was open to the public and I saw non-runners walking around eating the food we paid for. The only thing that was available for us to eat was an apple and a banana. After a marathon it takes more than that to replenish a runner!!! Horrible just horrible. The race director should be fired. I have sent a letter to the RD asking for a refund and to the Philly Commerce Dept telling them to they need new leadership for this race!!! On a positive, the course is pretty easy and the volunteers were nice. Again, if I have not made myself clear, DO NOT RUN THIS RACE!!! | |
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S. D. from Baltimore, MD
(11/20/2006)
"Decent Marathon, Probably Wouldn't Run Again" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I just completed the 2006 Philadelphia Marathon after running Marine Corps 3 times. Philly is a great race if you're looking for something large, but not too overwhelming like the big 3 (NY, Chicago, MCM). The Expo was nice, but not too many freebies. The crowd was decent, a large presence in the city streets, not too many people in the park area. The crowd's enthusiasm was weak compared to other marathon's I've attended/run. If you need crowd support to get you to the finish line, Philly's not the course for you. Overall, Philly's course is flat, but there are a few significant hills that take away from the advantage. The last half of the course is pretty much a neverending loop. There is a half marathon, which ends at the halfway point of the marathon. I would be tempted to try that race. | |
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D. M. from Delaware
(11/20/2006)
"Glitches" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This race has gotten bigger and this year there was a half-marathon which added 2,000 more runners. Aspiring to be a big-time event means they need to work out some problems: 1. Start time- Must be ontime, not eight minutes late. Hundreds ran off-course later to relieve themselves because they were standing around too long. 2. Half-marathoners ran along with the marathoners. This would have been OK, except when the two groups were separated for about a mile and remerged, putting faster marathoners with slower half-marathoners. 3. Not enough food. When I finsihed the marathon, there were thousands more to finish. Only water and bananas were left. Nothing hot. 4. Not enough parking. with participants in three races, they need to consider opening up the grass strips on the Parkway for Parking. Some people had to stagger a mile back to a parking lot. | |
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David Alm from Brooklyn, NY
(11/20/2006)
"Good course, but NOT FLAT; also poorly organized." (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Philadelphia '06 was my fourth marathon, and I was hoping to PR. I ran New Orleans in 2:59 and Boston in 3:09, both in 2006, so I thought I'd surely PR in 'flat, fast, and furious Philly.' Trouble is, Philly isn't flat -- there are some major hills that may cause problems if you aren't expecting them. Also, the Expo is horribly organized -- they need a larger tent -- and several mile-markers and even split-time monitors were off. As any marathoner knows, this can cause a lot of confusion and frustration when you least need it. | |
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Kembe Hanif from Boston, MA
(11/20/2006)
"Not a world class event like many others" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I ran this as my first marathon, after not getting chose in the NYC lottery and Chicago closing early. This marathon was ok, but not an event worth traveling to. Expo was poor with a few displays of the same running gear at prices you can find in the stores. As for the race, it was fairly well organized, but there was much confusion with the timers due to the half and full running at the same time. Running the full, we were actually a mile ahead of the markers, so I was constantly confused with my time. Water and Gatorade was plentiful. Crowd support was non existent apart from a few areas. Course had a few rolling hills, but nothing unbearable. The time along the river into Mayanuk was the loneliest run I have ever run. Finally, the finish was disappointing. Volunteer tossed me my medal without even a congratulations, gave me attitude when I asked where to place my chip. Had to hunt for a Mylar blanket. To top it all off, the race tent had apples, oranges, their respective juices and chicken broth. No bagels? Salty snacks? Apparently there were pretzels but they had run out. I just headed back to the hotel... I would not do this again, and would probably pick another race for my first if I was a new runner. You couldn't even tell there was a marathon in town, apart from the hotel signs. It's just not a world class event in Philly. | |
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J. S. from USA
(11/20/2006)
"Philadelphia Marathon is getting worse each year!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 I have run 11 marathons and previously PR'd in Philadelphia. This year's <2006> organization was a disaster! I spoke with many runners afterwards and they all said the same thing. The expo was put together in a most inefficient way, as was the organization of the start/ baggage check, etc. I was not able to check my bag to due to too few volunteers and left my bag <with valuables> on the floor just to run a race that was never recorded because my chip was inactive!! So I ran a Boston Qualifier and didn't get credit. I am in contact with the organizers, but do not know if they will be able to fix their mistake. Do not believe the hype about this race... the crowds are good, but they don't compensate for the lack of organization. This USED to be a good marathon, but the organizers don't have the experience to handle the growth of the field. My friends are elite award-winning runners from Ethiopia... and they were equally frustrated. Save your money and effort and find a more reliable marathon!! | |
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J. C. from Bethesda, MD
(11/19/2006)
"great course to PR or BQ, but..." (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 ...the start/finish area and overall orginazation was bad. I hate to be a complainer, I usually just make the best of a situation but this stuff was un-real. First off let me say that the crowd support was really strong and the course is great to PR and Boston qualify, I just did both several hours ago. Then there was the bad stuff, the baggage check-in was completely unorganized, I couldn't find it until 10 minutes before the start and none of the volunteers gave me the same answer about where it was. It turns out they had 2 seperate bag checks, an indoor one and and outdoor one. I think one of those was made up last minute. When I went to get my bag the tent was run by a bunch of high school kids who, to their credit, were trying their best but were completely overmatched. A bunch of runners were rummaging through looking for their own stuff (me too, I was cold and wet and in no mood). The space they used was way too small and over half the bags were just sitting outside waiting for their owner. Secondly, there wasn't much food or drink at the finish area. Bananas and water only, I guess that's Ok but I like cookies and Gatorade. Thirdly, the mile markers were off. I missed quite a few because they were down on the sidewalk (note to the race director: the bottom of signs need to be at least 6' off the ground). But I did for sure see mile 11...twice in fact, I guess one was for the full and one was for the half, but I couldn't tell which was which. Also it seems as if I did a 5:40 mile for the 5th (also a PR) and a 8:20 for the 4th...OR maybe they were off?? Not just to complain, I do have a few good things to say. Great course, mostly flat, a few short and easy uphills, and many long easy downhills, the last 4 miles are all downhill. I did BQ afterall (3:14:34 thank you very much) on my third try, first one in Philly. The crowds were great as well, not constant but loud when they were there. I'd say this is a great race to do IF you bring your own people who will meet you at the finish with dry clothes and food. This is also a great race if you don't care about your splits or you know your own pacing really well (or follow the pace groups, the 3:10 guy was great, he nailed it!) | |
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T. H. from North west of Philly
(11/19/2006)
"Nice course, poor organization" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 It's sad that this race is not better organized. The course is quite flat and fast, but a lot of confusion between half marathon and marathon mile markers, poorly-trained, unfriendly staff, and typical Philly cops with bad attitudes make this a race I am glad I have the choice not to attend next year. I would have expected something better after seeing how well the Philly distance run is organized. Sad that a great city can't put on a world-class event. | |
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K. B. from New York
(11/19/2006)
"Decent Course! Awful Organization!" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I can't tell you how disappointed I was with this race. Everything - from my hotel experience to the cab drivers - was awful. The expo was completely chaotic - no signs anywhere and everybody was pushing everybody. I appreciate ALL volunteers but they were rude. I finally got my number and there were no safety pins left. Imagaine that! Then I went to buy merchandise for my mom and dad they were out of all sizes except XXL! I went the next morning to check my bag and NO ONE knew where to go. Three different people told me three different places. Finally, 30 minutes before race time, the volunteer told us to leave them and they will place them. I felt completely uneasy doing that but I didn't have a choice. So, now I had 20 minutes to go the bathroom and get to the start. I made it within 30 seconds. Thank God my race went well! The spectators were the best part!!! THANK YOU! But I will never do this race again, nor will I ever recommend it! | |
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J. K. from Philadelphia, PA
(11/19/2006)
"Great course for a PR" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 2006 was my 3rd Philly and 4th overall. My comments might be a little biased since I live in the area and use portions of the course for my training. The weather for this race is perfect. The 3 times I've run it, its been mostly in the 40's w/ virtually no humidity. The course is very flat w/ very minimal hills. Its a great size where the field isn't too crowded (except for the first 2 miles), but you never feel like you're out there by yourself. The crowds are great in Center City and Manayunk, but a little sparse along Kelly Drive and West River Drive. Its pretty spectator friendly, and easy for people to watch you at multiple points with minimal effort. With a little more effort and a car, they can see you at up to 6 different points along the way. The American Express VIP tent was a nice addition this year with a warm area to relax before and after the race and a streamlined bag check system. I would definitely recommend this race if you're looking for a PR or a fall season Boston qualifier. |
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