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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 601 to 611]
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R. D. from Maine, USA
(11/26/2004)
"Philly does it right" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It's a rare treat to run a big city marathon that's low-key, uncrowded and genuinely friendly. After the hell of the Marine Corps Marathon last month (crowds and lines everywhere, and for everything!!), Philly was a breath of fresh air. INTERESTING course with lots of eye candy, volunteers and spectators who really seem to care about each runner, guaranteed cool temps... this race seems 'undiscovered' by the masses, and this runner hopes it stays that way! Thanks Philly. P.S.- the Philadelphia Airport Marriott is a PERFECT place to stay if you're flying in/out. Gorgeous facility, train outside the door for an easy ride into downtown, nice staff. | |
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E. M. from San Antonio, Texas
(11/25/2004)
"Great marathon course" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Second best course after Boston that I have ever run. Would not consider it exactly flat as advertised, at least for a flat-lander, but a great course nonetheless. Nice uncrowded course with excellent traffic control and well organized water stops. Can't comment on the expo and fan support since these areas are of little interest to me, although I can say that packet pick-up was uneventful. I highly recommend the Philly event. | |
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S. H. from St. Albans, Vermont
(11/25/2004)
"Definitely worthwhile!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My spouse and I both ran this marathon for the first time and we were genuinely impressed with its high quality. The course was a terrific mixture of urban and park areas with world-class historical landmarks. Where else can you run through so much history? And through the very center of a major metropolitan area? There was absolutely no interference whatsoever from any traffic at any time in the course. There were a couple of hills but they did not have a significant impact on our performance (I ran my best time ever). Spectators in the city were very friendly and encouraging and the police officers securing the course got into the spirit of the run with 'high fives' and words of encouragement. Some other runners were disappointed with the few spectators lining the course in Fairmount Park but I think it's a bit unreasonable to expect lots of spectators in those areas. We have run marathons where there was nearly nobody (including other runners) for miles. Picking up race packets was very easy (we did it Friday night) and we loved the on-line registration with its smooth process and immediate confirmation. We stayed in the Embassy Suites Center City which made for a very relaxed and convenient pre-race and post-race experience--the hotel even had an early continental breakfast just for runners! There were a lot of port-o-lets but the sheer volume of runners made it somewhat problematic. But, frankly, unless you have one for every runner, there are going to be lines. One suggestion would be to work on the lines for the post-race food: they were rather long. All in all a great marathon that we would highly recommend to novice and seasoned marathoners. See you next year! | |
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C. R. from Philadelphia
(11/25/2004)
"Potential is there but needs some improvements" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is my second marathon, my first being the Paris Marathon last April. I did run the half marathon last September. Maybe I'm expecting too much from Philadelphia but is it too much to ask for the basics: water, gel/Gu, more porta-johns when nature calls, better course and a readable map? I could not believe they ran out of water somewhere between mile 10 and mile 14. I took my last gulp of water back at mile 7.5, so imagine my irritation. A fellow runner and a stranger saw the shame and shared her water bottle with me, and out of desperation I took it. By mile 15 I was looking for Gu, an energy bar, or something; nothing. Not good, that really effected my performance. What can I say about the porta-johns? Only that many times during this race I wish I was a man because they at least had options. And the map! It looked liked it was photocopied a million times and then scanned for good measure. Completely unreadable therefore useless. The course: it was actually quite nice and enjoyable until mile 14. By then I was dying of thirst and needed a bit of energy. I did get a rush out of seeing the elite runners coming in for the final stretch of the race. But by the time I reached mile 16 I was not that thrilled to see the road I have to travel AGAIN to make it to the finish line. I would like the element of surprise on a road not yet traveled. What I found great about the marathon? 1) I instantly connected with a runner who was at my pace and we ran together until mile 21. 2) the runner who shared her water bottle with me 3) the volunteer who removed my chip because I couldn't, and 4) the people who came out to cheer us on. They all kept me going. | |
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Rodney Brown from Jacksonville, Florida
(11/24/2004)
"A great race in a cool city!" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Philadelphia has several nice hotels within easy walking distance of the start/finish line. The pre-race expo was well appointed with a large variety of vendors and products. Unfortunately, the race bag was very skimpy, and the T-shirt and medal were both solidly average. I really enjoyed running through the historic district, but I had to concentrate to avoid several ruts in the pavement of Chestnut Street. The first water stop was a trap for the unwary, as they actually ran out of water just as I was choking down my first Power Gel and holding out my cup to no avail. The rest of the water stops were good and had plenty of Gatorade to spare. The weather this year was outstanding -- 50 degrees and a generous shroud of clouds but dry with little to no wind. The course was very picturesque, and ran along the beautiful Schukyll River and through a large park. My wife and I actually thought that the course rivaled that of the Twin Cities Marathon in its beauty. While the course is largely flat, there are several hills which are deceptively tedious, particularly the downhill side -- a real test for the quadriceps! The Mannayunk portion of the course (miles 19-21) is particularly sloped, but the crowd support through that area was intense and gave me a needed lift. I actually liked the out-and-back portion (6 miles out from the halfway point, then back the same route to the finish) because I could see, admire and praise the leaders as they approached from the opposite direction. The post-race had plenty of food and drink, including chicken broth, bananas, and Pepsi products. The free massages offered were also a nice touch. I would definitely recommend this race for first-time marathoners as well as for veterans. | |
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c. b. from parma hts, ohio
(11/24/2004)
"Very enjoyable experience" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon (and within 5 weeks of my first). I won't do that again. But, the race experience was excellent. My performance was not but the course, the spectators, the organization and the logistics were great. I will definitely run this course again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice marathon experience. The course was tough but very fair. | |
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lynwood mcallister from usa
(11/23/2004)
"A GREAT EXPERIENCE" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I will run the Philadelphia Marathon every year for the rest of my life. I truly enjoyed the entire experience. The people of Philadelphia made the race with their overwhelming support. I can now say that my expectations were greatly exceeded. Thanks Philly!!!! | |
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B. G. from Philadelphia Metro Area
(11/23/2004)
"Good course. OK organization. Thin crowds." (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Philly is a nice, mid to large size race for those of us not hitting the NYC or MCM lotteries. Big city feel. 7,000+ finishers. Usually good running weather. Easy access to start, parking, expo. You can get to the start line with a minimum of stress. Course has medium sized hills around miles 10-12, a long uphill section from mile 18-20 that feels worse than it really is, and an overpass near 21-22 that sucks the life out of many people. Course layout allows family to see you at the start, half and finish from the same point. That's great for people with kids. Plus, the Philly Art Museum is free Sunday mornings for between start-finish entertainment. I live in the area and would plan on running this again. It's just too convenient to miss. And with the 1,000s of hotel rooms in the area, it would be convenient and affordable for out-of-town runners, too. There are some questionable things though. In 2004, it seemed like most water stops before mile 14 were positioned at turns in the course. The food distribution at the end was horribly slow, too slow for many runners who clearly needed food immediately. There were also little things that worry me about the future of the race. The title sponsor pulled out. Little extras like the free gloves are gone. The numbers were one-color jobs. The shirts were lame, poorly sized. Medals, lame. Historically, there have never been enough port-o-pots. I'm not normally a expo/shirt/medal guy, but when the sponsor leaves and little things get overlooked, it's a sign to me of admin. problems. The crowds are great, when there is a crowd. I wrote my name on my singlet and felt like a rock star as the crowd cheered my name. Course layout and road closures leave a gaping hole in spectator access: miles 15 to 19 and 21 to 25.5 are ghost towns. But there is really no access. It's not Philly's fault. Just logistics. | |
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M. S. from West Coast
(11/23/2004)
"Ho-Hum Marathon" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Not sure about all the raves posted with this marathon. Can only imagine that many of the reviewers have never experienced a really good event. While the potential exists, this is far from a ?great? marathon. At the staging area it would be nice if some of the vendors were selling coffee at 7AM instead of hot dogs. Hot dogs really aren?t the best pre-race fuel. How about a little music to pump the runners up. ?Rocky?, ?Philadelphia?, ?Philadelphia Freedom?. Something. Anything. The dull speakers before the start just don?t do it. And what?s with that no walkman rule? Ridiculous. Never heard of that in any marathon before. The streets are closed to traffic. I know that running purists don?t like walkmans, but other people do so what?s the harm? Insurance concerns ? change insurance companies. The course, while scenic and all of that, is congested from start to finish. It?s also a bit discouraging to pass the finish line area when you still have almost half of the race to complete. Surely in a city of this size, with all the parks, there is a way to design a looped course that doesn?t necessitate a two-way running route where the runners are bunched up for the entire race because of only having the ability to run on one side of the road. Water stations are a congested mess. Easy solution. First spread the tables out more so people aren?t toppling over each other. Next move them out of the middle of the road toward the curbs or sidewalks so they are not using the running space, which is already too narrow. Portable toilets. Were there any? One per mile or so for over 6,000 people is grossly inadequate. Glad I didn?t need any. Maybe a Power Gel or Gu station along the way? There was a station serving donuts. That may have been a spontaneous act of the volunteers, but it?s right in there with the hot dogs at the start. The Gatorade bars aren?t quite so easy to deal with. Water, Gatorade, and ? nothing else at the finish. Unbelievable. The organizers either need a whole lot more imagination or need to travel to some other marathon events around the country to pick up a few ideas. Little things make a huge difference. With some minor tweaking, this has the potential to be a really good marathon. It?s not close to that now. Philadelphia itself is such a great city, can?t wait to return. But it won?t be to run this marathon again. This is not to offend any of the locals ? you just don?t realize the full potential that can be achieved. Hopefully some day it will be. | |
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G. R. from Annapolis, MD
(11/23/2004)
"A good course for a PR" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my second time running Philly (close to home in Annapolis, MD) and the second year I PR'd. A few comments: 1. I counted 45 Port-A-Potties for 10,000 entrants. Enough said. I (and those not so shy) usually use the park across the road for any last miniute 'empties.' They really need to fix this. I understand it is only a $50 entrance fee, but come on. 2. Flat, fast course. Runs through the nice parts of town, only one major hill, which is followed a mile later by a long downhill. 3. Spectator support is great at the start, finish, half-way, Mile 20 turn around and the last mile. The rest of the course is sporadic, but those that do come out are really great, especially the Philly cops. 4. Expo much better this year, well organized. Better location at the museum. 5. Plenty of water and Gatorade stops. Thanks volunteers! The weather this year was perfect - in the 50's, overcast, light wind. Perfect for running. This is a great marathon if you are trying to qualify for Boston or make a PR, although I wouldn't travel across country for it. Go to Chicago instead if these are your reasons. All in all a nice race, my 9th marathon, which I will do again next year. |
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