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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 121 to 131]
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G. F. from Ottawa, On.
(11/29/2010)
 "Beautiful city, great race" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 My 4th marathon; my 1st Philly and a PR. Supportive crowd that continuously called out your name; many cheering areas were electric with excitement. Weather was great. Mostly flat course - very scenic. Volunteers friendly and helpful. Whole city itself very kind to out-of-towners. City easy to get around. Expo well organized. My large race shirt felt tight - I will probably make it a short-sleeve. Two recommendations: 1. If possible, water stations on both sides of the road would alleviate congestion. 2. Start the half-marathon one hour later to alleviate congestion. Overall, I had a great experience, would highly recommend it and will be back in the future. Good job, Philly. | |
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K. G. from The Wood, MA
(11/28/2010)
"A Good Race for Fast Runners" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Disclaimer: This report is from the perspective of a picky, competitive (approximately 30 minutes sub-BQ standard) runner. That said, this is a great race. Here are my positives: 1. The course is fast. It's mostly a pancake. The major hill is in the zoo. It's at 9, but you are rewarded with an equal descent at 10. There is a slight, gradual in/decline at the turnaround in Manayunk, but that's it. If you are are a "get-in-a-groove" runner, this course is for you. 2. The spectators are pretty good. Chestnut St. (5-8) is the best. Manayunk between 19-21 is pretty solid. The crowd was thickest in the last mile. 3. Amenities are pretty sweet. The expo is modest, but the officials are plentiful and helpful. This race really makes it a point to accommodate the elites and sub-elites. We had our own heated tent and lavatory. We also got plenty of room to warm up and the corral wasn't crowded at all. Post-race, officials were there to help out with anything anybody needed. That was pretty awesome. Here are my negatives of this very good race: 1. Three hairpin turns. One, possibly two, of these momentum-breaking pins can probably be eliminated given the length of the finishing road (Ben Franklin Parkway). 2. The marathon could probably use one more aid station on the back half of the race. The last 13.1 are out-and-back, and aid station attendants are overwhelmed with the busier side of the road. For that reason, some of us missed water/Gatorade/gel at one of the stations, and the next aid station seemed a long time coming. 3. Two different people told me that their Garmins clocked the course at 26.57 (but it seemed fine to me). 4. I did not see a mile 26 marker. That's it. If you're on the fence about this one, get off and run it! I hope this helped. | |
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D. S. from Stafford VA
(11/28/2010)
"Brotherly Love!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was by far the most well organized of the 12 marathons I have run. The expo was well put together and finding package pickup was smooth sailing. Being an out-of-stater, my only issue comes with the parking... $26.50 for the expo and the race. The pasta dinner shuttle was organized well, but I must have gotten the shuttle driver who never drove a stick shift before. Levity on the way to dinner broke tension. The start/finish area were well thought-out and my only suggestion is to make sure the corral flags denote the front and rear of each corral. The course was well thought-out and gave ample space for the runners. I expected a flatter course but was pleasantly surprised with the gradual elevation changes... easier on the legs than a flat slog. The crowd's downtown were loud and hugely motivational earning my appreciation. For that matter, the crowds the whole day were a class-act... they were out to support the racers, and hearing them call my name (from my bib) was a plus. I've never been a fan of out-and-back segments, but the view along the river was so nice that it didn't affect me as much as on previous courses. The aid stations were well spaced and well run. I would have given this 5's across the board if it weren't for the micro out-and-back segments where we chased around a cone in the road. Philly, ya done good! Hooah! | |
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C. B. from Northern NJ
(11/26/2010)
"Just keeps getting better" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 15th consecutive Philly Marathon (35th overall). A PR course (even better this year swapping Falls Bridge for Lemon Hillthanks!!!), almost guaranteed PR weather, good organization (they goof once in a while but are quick to correct), one of the best expos around, and enthusiastic volunteers and spectators. Obviously I like the race but I like many other marathons, too. Great for first-timers or BQ attempts and anything in between. These days the only hassles are logistical: hotels (convenient but pricey in the city; do Priceline across the river in NJ 20 minutes away for $45) and parking (street parking is no longer guaranteed but this year they offered discounted garage parking). They've tinkered with the formula over the years (adding a 1/2 forced many changes including wave starts, still a little disorganized) but they learn and improve. A "must do" the Sunday before Thanksgiving. | |
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T. M. from Dover, DE
(11/26/2010)
 "What a great day to run a marathon" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon experience and I enjoyed everything about it. The fan support - especially at the end - was truly amazing. One change I would recommend is that the corral signs stay in the corral and walk the group to the starting line. There appeared to be confusion as to where the different corrals started and ended. Overall this was an AWESOME experience! Thank you, Philadelphia, for making my first marathon a memory I will never forget. | |
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Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON
(11/26/2010)
"Fun, Great Race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My 26th marathon! I loved the city, and the course was beautiful! I didn't like the staggered start times but the pace bunnies were very good at keeping the runners motivated. The expo was amazing with some amazing deals ($50 for a pair of shoes! And 24 power gels for $16 US!!!!). Definitely do this one again as there is so much to do in Philly and the start and finish at the Museum of Art was a great idea. - Sanjay | |
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M. S. from Maine
(11/24/2010)
"Fantastic event" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and running it in my home town was great. The event was easy to get to and there was plenty of parking as long as you got there before 6 a.m. The course was mostly flat with a few small hills - nothing I would be to concerned about - and the weather was perfect. As for the fans, they were by far my favorite part of the race; your name is on your bib, and as you pass by everyone is cheering and screaming your name. At mile 18 and 21 they actually hand out beer - I did not partake but I would have liked to if I could have stomached it. There are kids handing out candy and fruit, and bands playing - it is just a fantastic experience and for the last mile there are fans everywhere keeping you going. Although I was hurting, it was impossible to walk due to the fan support. I would also like to thank the volunteers, as this could not happen without them. They were great, as it is not always an easy job - especially working at the water stations (which there were plenty of, by the way). All in all, a positive experience and I will be coming back next year no doubt. | |
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Guy Klarfeld from New York, NY
(11/24/2010)
 "Philly delivers!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Large field and well organized corral system. Start/finish area are easily accessible and well organized. The course itself is divided into 2 parts (1st half is run with the halfers). The first half consists of sometimes narrow streets in downtown Philly. You run past all of the downtown attractions/highlights. There is also lots of crowd support here. The second half of the course is out and back run alongside a picturesque Schuylkill River. Despite a lack of crowd support and a thinning field, this is by far my favorite part. Why?? Because the turnaround is in the town of Manayunk (only the best marathon town EVER). I was handed three full cups of beer, donuts, oranges and bananas by a crowd that was enthusiastically cheering for me (I've run this race twice so I know this is not a fluke). They genuinely love that the marathon comes to their town and are not inconvenienced that a major thoroughfare is effectively shut down. Post-race tip: run up the famous stairs of the art museum (Rocky style) and take a photo with the statue of Rocky (who will be wearing a race shirt). Other Notes Philly Marathon is always the 1st to pilot new technology ("D" tags in '07 and now "Bib" tags). Race director is very responsive to inquiries and will correct obvious timing errors. | |
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T. C. from Ottawa, Canada
(11/23/2010)
"Philadelphia Marathon - JUST RUN IT" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The new course is awesome. I have run this race for the past 4 years and this by far was the best route EVER (for some reason it felt like we were running downhill a heck of a lot; there were some hills but if you have trained they are nothing). Going into this race I thought it would be my last Philly Marathon, but after this weekend I am certain I will be back to run it for a 5th time. :) NB: Best part of the race for me was a new personal best time. Highlights: *Crowd support is amazing (e.g., all along Chestnut Street; frat boys; beer at mile 19; etc.) *Volunteers were awesome and plentiful at the water stations and gel hand-outs *Racers/runners were fun and respectful *Loved that the race literature tells runners how to behave on the course (e.g., at water stations don't stop and drink - how many of us have run into these people?) Areas to improve (suggestions only): -start expo on Saturday at 8 or 9 a.m. (with 20,000 entrants) -race shirt color is blah, like in 2007 -I'd prefer if the gun time stayed as it should be, rather than fiddling with it to reflect wave starts, which isn't always accurate (say, if you didn't cross the start line until 11 minutes after the gun went, that difference is reflected between your gun and chip times). The true time difference gives a better reflection of where you are running in the pack and or what you had to run through. | |
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J. J. from Toronto, ON, CANADA
(11/23/2010)
"Love this marathon!!! Qualified for Boston!!!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon is amazing from start to finish. I stayed about a mile away from the start line. Walked over. Checked my bag within 3 minutes. The Mayor and Bart Yasso were there to kick off the race. I have never seen so many beautiful women along a marathon course in my life! Inspiration everywhere. Then the finish line was great! The only surprise was the warm chicken broth they served at the finish line. Never had that before. Running through Manayunk was beautiful. People were serving cups of beer, oranges and a ton of support! The finish line was dramatic and beautiful. Thank you, Philly! I love you! |
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