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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 581 to 591]
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R. G. from Chambersburg,PA
(11/9/2005)
"Fast course - not crowded" (about: 2002)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This marathon has about the right number of entrants. It is unlikely that you will feel boxed in but you never get too lonely. The 12-mile out-and-back at the end was difficult for me but I had gone out too fast the first 10 miles. Weather was perfect. I am doing it again this year as a Boston qualifier. | |
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j. k. from cherry hill, nj
(9/28/2005)
"pretty course, not too many spectators" (about: 2003)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Having run Chicago and Philadelphia, there is NO comparison. The course is very pretty in Philly but the spectators are minimal. You also run through some streets that need to be repaired. They are wavy and hard to manuever; they feel like they were paved over colonial streets. Friendly people and good expo; I'd do it again!! | |
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L. M. from Jonestown, PA
(9/26/2005)
"course OK, but fan support spotty" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I've run Philly 5 times in the past 6 years, and enjoy the race tremendously. The course is not totally flat, but the hills are not killer, either. The one real negative in all the years I've run this race is that fan support from 14-19 miles and 21-25 miles is weak/nonexistent as we run out and back along Kelly Drive. Especially over the last 5 miles, when the body and mind start to wear down, it would be nice to have more spectators. Crowd support is best over the first 9 miles, from 13-14, and 19-20, however. I've always thought that this race would be much better if the out-and-back portion were run first (when you're not that tired), and then have the tour of Philly (with many more fans) for the end of the race. | |
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S. A. from East Coast
(9/6/2005)
"Great marathon, but why is 8K called 5.3 miles?" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The marathon is great. But I just wanted to point out that for the past 3 years or more the race website has listed the 8K incorrectly as 5.3 miles instead of the correct 4.97 miles. What is up with the organization there? That is an egregious error that has gone unchecked for years. Makes you wonder what kind of other measurement errors could potentially crop up at that race each year. | |
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s. g. from nyc
(4/19/2005)
"Outstanding" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The weather was perfect. The course is very flat, and with nice sights. The fans are always there, very excited, but not as overwhelming as NYC. I, as many others, had my personal best-over 30 minutes faster than NYC. | |
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P. H. from Philadelphia, PA
(3/20/2005)
"Poor organization, good course/weather" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon and I thought the organization was really not good. I finished in 4:15, and by the time I got to the finish area, there were lines at least a half-hour long to get food and drinks. There was not any food or drinks available before the race. The water stops on the course were okay, though, and the course itself was fine. Some people don't like that the last 12 miles are out and back, but I didn't mind, and the weather was quite good in '04 - I ran in a t-shirt and shorts, and put on gloves for the last 12 miles. If you're an experienced runner who's really itching to run a marathon and doesn't care about a lack of support from the organization, this race is alright, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it for beginners - a race like Steamtown in Scranton, PA would be much, much better. Finally, a minor gripe was that there were no sponsor giveaways in the run bag or at the expo - I know it's trivial, but some races give away cool stuff, and Philly definitely did not. | |
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N. P. from Broomall, PA
(2/20/2005)
"GREAT race!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 OK, Philly is my hometown so I am a bit biased. But still, it was a great first marathon. I know portions of the course rather well, since I run the Art Museum area on a weekly basis. The familiarity helped me a lot. But nothing prepared me for that hill coming out of Manayunk at around mile 20 (overpass.) Ugh, that took the wind right out of my sails! I will be much better prepared for that next year. BIG problems with water-stop placement in the beginning. The first one was around a tight corner, second one under an overpass right BEFORE a sharp right turn. Lots of jam ups at these two, but the course opened up a bit after that. The crowds were incredible in certain places (coming off of West River Drive right after the half way mark, at the Art Museum. Awesome! Main Street in Manayunk, Incredible! Kelly Drive to the finish line. Wow!) Finally, the weather! Mid-40s and overcast. Perfect. Philly in November is almost a guaranteed temp in the 40s or low 50s. Can't ask for better! If you are thinking about this race, DO IT! Nick | |
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C. M. from Stratford, CT
(1/31/2005)
"Great Course - Perfect Weather" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I set a PR on this course! The hills were only rolling hills; nothing to 'kill' your legs. The small changes in slope breaks the monotony of a completely flat course. I thoroughly enjoyed the race. My minor complaints are: there were too few porta-lets for the women; the sparse after-race food was not worth the long line & did anyone else notice that the shirts look like they were printed backwards? The printing on the front should have been on the back. | |
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J. P. from Schenectady, New York
(1/30/2005)
"This is a race to plan to run fast, and have fun!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 In my second trip to Philly for this race, again the weather was perfect, and the crowd support was fine for this size race, though kind of sparse from m. 14 to m. 18. From then on, though, the crowd was great: miles 18 to 20 and back were outstanding. The hill in m. 10, and the last 10k were what I'd trained for all year. If you push 10 after the park you can kind of coast or rest in 11, 12, and 13, which seem downhill or flat. Push the hill at your pace. Look for the band at 13. Be prepared for an uphill transition in m. 18, making that a critical point in the race. In 2003, I thought the last 10k coming back from that little town was a gradual rise and, as I mentioned, I trained with that in mind. It was a good plan I think. There's an overpass that is a little steep, but short. I MISSED the m. 26 marker BOTH times I raced there, I don't know how. I thought that there was good support from the volunteers at the finish. If you're looking for a good first, potentially fun marathon, or one to train hard for and go fast, this is a good one. | |
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S. G. from Rome, NY
(1/13/2005)
"RUN PHILLY!!!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The course was fantastic, flat with only a few hills. The fans were good... a bit disappointing for a large city, but I've run with less support. Only the first water stop was unprepared (I skipped it)... port-a-johns were sparse, but c'mon guys, find a tree and leave the johns for the ladies. I have but 2 complaints... 1) The post-race food was not worth the wait... (I found a place downtown and had a cheese steak) and 2) The other runners' etiquette was lacking (i.e., running in front of you at a water stop and completely stopping - lots of first-timers)... All in all, a great marathon which I'll run again. P.S. I only heard the 'Rocky' theme once all day! I expected more! |
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