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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 531 to 541]
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Jay Whitehead from West Orange, NJ
(8/20/2006)
"Run Philly and You Won't Be Sorry" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Last year I ran my 38th marathon at Philly. I was a reluctant entrant. Philadelphia was a substitute for NYC, whose lottery system has frustrated me for 3 years in a row. But I've got to say, Philly rocks. It had a scenic and inspiring combo of city crowds, cityscapes and country/tree-lined roads along the river. The water stops were adequate, even for us slow, fat guys. And that finish is pretty cool, coming up to the museum. In 2005, we happened to have fine weather, which probably made it nicer than normal. And the city itself is a marvelous attraction - my family had a fine time at the museums while I was running. To round it all out, you can't say enough about those Philly restaurants, which make a weekend a great experience. I would say to anyone, at any level of experience, run Philadelphia in 2006. I'll be there, in the middle of the pack, looking forward to a glass of cabernet (or 3) and a big spaghetti dinner at Maggiano's after the finish. | |
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J. K. from Philadelphia, PA
(6/4/2006)
"Nice course for a PR/ Boston qualifier" (General Comments)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I did my first 2 marathons ('04, '05) on this course. I'm a local and have done much of my training on portions of the course (West River Dr/ Kelly Dr/ Main St). The course is very nice and flat. There's one gradual uphill around Mile 12 (I think, I don't have the map in front of me) and small gradual downhills shortly before and after. There's a small overpass around Mile 22 that you'll notice if your're anywhere near hitting the wall. Everything else is pretty much as flant as can be. The course gives a nice tour of Philadelphia going past several historical monuments, as well as Fairmount Park along the Schuykill River. The crowds were nice in Center City Philadelphia, the Art Museum area, and Manayunk, but pretty sparse elsewhere, especially for long stretches on Kelly Drive and West River Drive. Water stops are sufficient. One of the best things about it is the weather. The 2 times I've run it, the temperature started in the high 30's and ended up in the high 40's-low 50's. Its a great climate that combined w/ a flat course is a setup for a PR. As with most races, more Porta-Johns at the start would've been nice. I thought that the course is fairly spectator friendly where family/friends can see you go by the Art Museum area 3 times. This race is a pretty good size (I think its around 8,000-9,000 finishers) that makes it feel not too crowded. Overall, I would recommend this race if you are looking for a PR or a Boston qualifier. If you didn't get picked to run NYC, or were too late to register for Chicago or Washington, strongly consider running Philly. | |
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M. R. from Philadelphia, PA
(5/26/2006)
"first marathon for Philly local" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and got me hooked! I'm a Philly local and train on many stretches of the course, but I really enjoyed putting all of the pieces together. The route takes you through the best areas of Philly - the Art Museum, Center City, South Philly, Kelly Drive, and Manayunk. The crowds at the museum (mile 14 and the finish) were GREAT! The crowds were pretty thin for the remainder of the race but it made it easier for my friends/ cheerleaders to find me. Only a few negative comments. Not nearly enough port-a-potties at the start. I almost missed the start waiting in line for 30+ minutes. Post-marathon food was pathetic. Stale rolls and a banana didn't do it for me. Overall a fastastic introduction to marathon running. | |
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E. B. from Pittsburgh, PA
(3/21/2006)
"Needs a better course" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 As a first-time visitor to Philadelphia, I thought this marathon was a fine way to see the city center, but only about 13 miles of the course covers anything interesting. The second half is a brutally monotonous out-and-back, with nothing to look at and nobody to cheer for you apart from the few blocks in Manayunk. The rail trails I train on are more interesting. If you're looking for the big-city atmosphere and excitement you might be disappointed, or if you like a quieter/low-key run, there are plenty of more scenic races. The amenities were fine - excellent expo (lots of freebies) and post-race grub (loved the chicken broth), and everything seemed to run smoothly. I wouldn't run it again, unless it's the Philadelphia Half-Marathon. | |
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R. E. from Philly
(3/16/2006)
"ok course, not well organized" (about: 2006)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I've run this race 4 times, each time swearing that I won't do it again because there are always logistical and organizational problems. Course has a couple hills, but it's the cone out in Manayunk that is not fun, though I'm sure it facilitates traffic. | |
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J. L. from NYC
(3/7/2006)
"A nice race - not super crowded like Chicago" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a nice race... not super crowded and hectic like some of the larger races.... A relatively flat course... and I love the broth at the end. :-) | |
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P. F. from Delaware
(1/29/2006)
"Poorly Organized" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Watch out where you park. We parked in one of the official lots and the attendent collected the fee from us. After the race when we returned we found out we had been scammed and were forced us to pay again. The police would do nothing and this was one of the official lots we were told to park in. More importantly, the website was not nearly as well organized as Baltimore's. I had problems registering and could not get the marathon organizers to respond for about a week. There was a long line at the porta-lets pre-race; I don't know why orgainizers can't seem to get this right. The race itself was fun with great crowd support through much of the first half, but not so much afterward. I see peoples' comments on this being a flat course, but I thought Baltimore was easier, and everyone complains about it being hilly. The aid stations were all well done except for the first where it was understaffed and there was really no way even half of the runners could get water. I'm glad it was the first. One of the greatest thing was that the second half was an out-and-back loop so you could see the finishers as you were on your way out. First time I ever saw the frontrunners after the start of the race. | |
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Priscilla O. from New York, NY
(1/23/2006)
"Great to re-visit this one again!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I did a PR here back in '97; the race has gotten a little bigger, but it still has the fantastic, flat course and lots of support.... Really well done! My only disappointment was that I didn't get a chance to enjoy a cheese steak this time. :( | |
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T. M. from San Diego, CA
(1/15/2006)
"Beautiful Scenery" (about: 2002)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran my first ever marathon in Philly in 2002. The conditions were perfect (high 50's), course scenic and fan support extraordinary. | |
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Carlos Raurell from Miami Beach, Florida
(1/5/2006)
"Miami Man has first time in Philly" (about: 2005)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The 2005 Philadelphia Marathon was my first. I traveled up to Philly with two friends who also ran. Everything about the trip was perfect. Philadelphia is naturally and architecturally beautiful and a food-lover's dream. We never lacked something to do or see and everyone was warm and friendly. The conditions on race-day were ideal. Extremely supportive spectators came out in full force and were present along approximately 80-85% of the course. The scenic course has some hills, but is flat most of the way. I finished my first marathon in 3:44 - well under my goal of 4:00. I attribute that to the wonderful Philadelphians who so happily came out and supported all the runners. The experience was totally worthwhile and a memory I'll cherish forever. I highly recommend it! |
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