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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 541 to 551]
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D. C. from Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey
(12/1/2005)
"Great first time or anytime marathon" (General Comments)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this as a first-time marathon in 2004 and the weather was not up to par. I ran it in 2005 as my second marathon and the weather could not have been better. The parking and access to the staging area were well organized and clear. Easy access to and from the marathon from New Jersey. Crowd support was great. Even along the river where the crowd thinned out, everyone was really supportive. Manayunk was a great turn-around spot. Always great crowd support. I even bumped into a race volunteer I knew there. My only complaint is that no matter how many portable toilets there are at the start, the lines are way too long to use them before the race. There were even more this year than last and still the lines were too long. Always enough refreshment along the route although at one stop they could not keep up pouring and there were runners trying to pour their own. No matter. The rest of the stops were great. The volunteers were great and there were plenty of them. They were encouraging and helpful the entire race and also at the expo and the finish. Great encouragement the last mile or so. Helped me to push to the finish line. Great crowd at the finish. | |
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D. H. from Maine, USA
(11/30/2005)
"I'd run it again!" (about: 2005)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I don't think I could have had a better marathon experience. The course is a stunning combination of city and parks. Most of the course was lined with cheering people; part of the park was entirely devoid of spectators, but that was actually sort of relaxing. Water stops were good, except one at about mile 5 that was just around the corner. You couldn't spot it until you were almost past it, and this caused a traffic jam. I would like to see the marathon receive more attention in the city, however. Many service people at the hotel seemed to not know anything about it. The expo was ok, but rather cramped under a large tent. People were very friendly though, and I would enjoy running it again. | |
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C. L. from Houston, Texas
(11/29/2005)
"Pretty course but poorly organized" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I traveled to Philadelphia with a group from Houston, Texas. Our problems started when about two weeks before the marathon, the host hotel, the Wyndham, told us it was overbooked and so it was moving us to the Holiday Inn (more than 6 miles away!) even though our reservations had been in place for months! We had to scramble to find another place to stay that was within walking distance of the marathon - at twice the cost. Repeated calls to the Wyndham and notes to the race director did nothing. We never received our promised coupons for a free night. AVOID THE WYNDAM! As many others have stated, the expo was poor, the gear check was disorganized (one person in our party had to spend 15 minutes looking for her bag after the marathon because the gear check people couldn't find it anywhere), we had to wait for water to be poured at some of the early water stops, the race packet had nothing in it and pickup was disorganized. I would have expected better from a city the size of Philadelphia. The course itself is fairly flat and quite scenic. Part of the course is on narrow streets, which can feel quite crowded. Nevertheless, I believe it is possible to run a pretty fast time if you aren't bothered by the uneven pavement for parts of the marathon. | |
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m. s. from NJ
(11/29/2005)
"Perfect day for a marathon" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon and I was really impressed with how it was run. The volunteers were great and the spectators were terrifc. My only complaint was that the water stops were placed in some awkward spots. But overall It was really run well. I am planning to run it again next year. | |
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M. W. from USA
(11/28/2005)
"I love Philly!!!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Course - Perfect. Weather - Perfect. Drinks - Perfect. After-Race snacks - Perfect. Organization - Perfect. Spectators - There can always be more. City as a whole - Perfect. Expo - It was OK. This course has FUN and PR written all over it. I have NEVER enjoyed a 26.2-mile run like this before. It was not a PR for me, but man was it fun. Make sure to eat a cheese steak sandwich with hot sauce afterwards. I LOVE Philly. The ONLY complaint is that the literature said that packet pick up had to be done by Saturday at 6:00 p.m. For a working slob flying out on Saturday morning, it really added needless stress. My flight landed 4:30 and it took some doing to make the pick up by 6:00. PLEASE keep packet pick-up open until 9:00-10:00 p.m. or guys from out of town will shy away. | |
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D. F. from West Chester, PA
(11/27/2005)
"Great course, awesome weather.... Could be better " (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I am a native Philadelphian. This was my first marathon. Overall it was a great experience, but I have to say that being a hometown girl, I KNOW that Philly can do MUCH better. I liked the course, but I found that the organization could have been so much better. For anyone who's run the Philly Distance Run, you'll know what I mean. The execution just wasn't as good as the PDR. PDR has local cheerleading teams and bands throughout the course helping w/ the cheering. I felt the marathon was really lacking in fan support. PDR has gel at the water stops. I did not find gel at all.... Thank God I brought my own. I also had some bathroom issues during the race. I felt that there needed to be more porta-potties - the lines were insane and they were disgusting. I unfortunately had to use them a lot that day and lost a major amount of time waiting in lines. The good points: The city is BEAUTIFUL!!! It made me appreciate being lucky enough to have had the opportunity to grow up here. There were fans handing out cups of beer going into Manayunk.... That was funny. The course was pretty easy in terms of hills, etc. I just wish that the PDR team would take over the execution of the event. | |
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P. M. from Upstate New York
(11/26/2005)
"NIce course for late fall marathon" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I thoroughly enjoyed the course - a good mix of city and park. Only hill of concern was at miles 9-10. I was surprised that a major city could not draw out more spectators. I highly recommend the pasta dinner at the Wyndham. It was nice to meet other runners. I was disappointed that 'official gear' was limited (no shirts in my size by Saturday afternoon; no marathon pins). One suggestion: Can organizers get a local bus schedule to runners so that travel to/from registration, pasta dinner, and race-start could be planned? If a miss the NYC Marathon again in 2006, then Philly is on my list. | |
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S. I. from Rockaway, NJ
(11/25/2005)
"Philly is a great marathon.... Highly recommend." (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Overall I was pleased with Philly. Great tour of the city, lots of water and Gatorade stops. I found the gel at mile 18 but never found the one at mile 22. The Clif Bar pacers were amazing and nailed their splits. A few hills but nothing major. Spectators were concentrated in the downtown area, Boathouse row, and Manayuk. Sparse in other areas. My biggest beef was the lack of porta-johns at the beginning and along the course. They needed to DOUBLE the johns at the start. The lines were way too long and some people started the race late. Along the course there was only one at the water stops and they were occupied. Most of the men were forced to pee in the bushes along the way. I felt sorry for the women. The course map was not readable. Officials need to put a more detailed and readable version on the website. They also advertised "relaxed parking" in the area of the marathon. Cars were parked on curbs, in grass, on medians, in no-parking areas.... HOWEVER, Philly PD still issued tickets. Maybe my out-of-state tag made me an easy mark. Next time, either coordinate with the Philly PD or don't put "relaxed parking" in the runner's info. I felt taken advantage of. Post-race amenities were great, lots of Gatorade, water, bananas, and bagels. I didn't check any bags at the bag check.... Didn't have any information on it. At NY they provide you with a bag and a sticker. Here it was nothing. Also, they forgot to put the plastic tie in the envelope with your timing chip. At the last minute I had to secure it with safety pins. Some runners used laces, some used tape. The ones that wove it through their laces could barely stand up when the volunteers at the end had to unlace their shoes to get it off. Organizers: Next time, put that little tie-piece in the envelope! I ran a PR of 3:33, with a chip time of 3:32. Despite my critique, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it. | |
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J. R. from Cherry Hill, New Jersey
(11/25/2005)
"Great First Marathon!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon. It was an awesome experience! Many of the negative comments made by some actually were good things for me. For example, the lack of port-a-pots on the course, as a first-timer, I got a kick out of watching people jump walls or go behind trees. It was amusing and to be honest, I think this would happen regardless of the number of port-a-pots. Also, with regard to the fact that people comment that the race would be better run in reverse: I thought so too BEFORE I ran it. After having run it, however, I disagree. Along Kelly Drive, it was great to anticipate the leaders coming toward me, and I kept myself busy looking for 2 fellow training partners who I knew would be way ahead of me. It was inspiring to see all the faster runners. If the course is reversed, participants would not get to see the leaders, and if you're hurting after the first 1/2 of the marathon, you may need some inspiration. I also felt the crowd in Manayunk, miles 18-20, was the BEST! I felt like I was part of a small-town parade on the 4th of July. Hitting the 20-mile turn-around amid this excitement just made me feel like, "10K left? No problem." These staunch supporters in Manayunk deserve the right to cheer runners through the portion of the race where runners most likely hit the wall. They are a dedicated crowd, especially the people who played drums for us and the ones passing out brownies. Thanks! The run back along Kelly Drive was not too lonely; it seemed to me the miles went by fast. The crowd for the last mile and at the finish was overwhelming. If I had anything left, I was moved to expend it as I sprinted to the finish. I have lived across the river in New Jerey for 15 years, and I have been to Philly for dinners, shows, and sporting events, but nothing can compare to the beautiful fall foliage and scenes I saw on foot duing the marathon. I have taken this beautiful city for granted. My family was able to come and watch. The race guidebook that was in our packet was helpful to them in choosing where to be on the course. They were able to move around to see me 3 different times during the race. This was such a great experience, I'm excited to do another marathon, but I am fearful that I won't be able to top the Philly experience. I would recommend this marathon to any first-timer or experienced runner. It's like a well kept secret since most people have their sights set on the BIG fall marathons. Philly has the same big-time feel, without some of the big time headaches of the more popular marathons. The number of participants was big enough to make me feel like I was part of something huge, with out being so huge I felt lost and cramped. Based on comments I've read for many of the marathons and based on my own experience, I would have to say, Philadelphia is the perfect marathon! | |
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M. A. from Tampa, FL
(11/25/2005)
"A good race - if you run fast!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My comments are meant to help those who run over a 5-hour marathon. I chose to do Philly because I grew up there and my family is still there. I read all the past reviews so I knew what I was getting into. This was my first marathon and I just wanted to run it in under 6 hours. 5:57 - yea!! If you are a slower runner like me beware that they start taking down the course on you, water stations start closing down and there may be garbage trucks in your way at the finish. However, like I said I was expecting this. The Philly website said you had to keep a 12-min/mile pace and they were liberal on this. Overall: Expo: quick and easy check-in. Decent exhibits. Pre-race: I had no problem using port-o-potties twice before race start. Course: Absolutely beautiful. Crowds: Awesome when we had them. Silence is nice too sometimes. I agree to please take the medals out of the bags for us and make them BIGGER! :) Overall, if you are a sub-4:00 marathoner looking to qualify for Boston, good job, I'm jealous! This race is for you. If you are slow like I am, do one of the Rock 'n Roll races! |
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