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Jul 7, 2024

Philadelphia Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 749 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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J. Z. from New York (11/23/2010) "Good marathon to run but not outstanding..." (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The 2010 Philadelphia Marathon began with outstanding runner's weather. The start was well organized as well as the bag drop and almost enough port-o-potties (can you ever have enough?!). The first part of the race through the city was very enjoyable, though spectators were sparse. The second half of the course began very scenic along the river but then got boring very quickly. There were too many turn-arounds (with cones!) and switchbacks as though someone was trying to add on a few tenths of a mile here and there. Probably one thing that needs addressing is the placement of the port-o-potties. At times they were right across from the water stop, so people would have to walk in front of runners to get to the other side. I've seen the bathroom stops located just past the water, so you could grab a drink and wait in line. Overall, a well organized run with a great-looking medal and great massages at the end!
P. D. from Pennsylvania (11/23/2010) "Excellent Race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Philadelphia Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Each year this race seems to get better. The expo was excellent; the race booklet and poster were added bonuses. Michael Nutter gave a great pre-race talk. The course is terrific, divided between the city and Fairmont Park. One downside: only two boomboxes playing the Rocky theme song this year!!
J. C. from Pennsylvania (11/23/2010) "Woo Hoo" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Philadelphia Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the 4th time running Philly. Thanks for those who took out Lemon Hill. This was my favorite course yet. It was a little tight going over the Falls Bridge but the crowd support there was great, which made it a fast mile. Also loved the addition in Fairmont Park, running past the Please Touch Museum. All in all, great job!! And I qualified for Boston for next year! :)
jeffrey paul from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (11/23/2010) "Scenic runner's dream" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: organizational role model (a multiplicity of porta-potties, structured pathway to trucks for baggage drop off and pick up, hundreds of volunteers, easily distinguishable Gatorade and water cups, cheering stations in all of the precisely integral places, historically uplifting monumental route, pleasure for the senses as far as autumn weather and colors concerns, smooth and decipherable path separating half from full marathon runners, absolutely zero confusion/headache/irritants prior or post run. When a magical race such as this one unfolds, one can effortlessly stand before the goal at hand, and move beyond them with confidence and poise.... The final pro: there simply are no cons. This run is a gem, a MUST for any racer, and one that will remain a constant in my consciousness for this lifetime. Furthermore, this route takes you through many turns and slight inclines, balanced delightfully with slight declines of the same elevations... roughly a total of 180 meters up and 180 meters down. I found my body and mind not only adjusted throughout, but LOVED the variations of course profile; in fact, as the race continued on, I was baffled how time truly stood motionless, felt like I was blinking through the miles. I was able to crush out a 2:47.30, with the final 5 miles faster than the first 5 miles... the negative split attributed to the magnificent route, support, and energy.
M. R. from Baltimore, MD (11/22/2010) "Very good marathon to run." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first Philly and everything came together for a six-minute PR. The weather was cool the entire race the fan support was really great at points and nonexistent at others... the perfect mix. Some folks had warned me that it wasn't as flat as it has been billed, but I'm not sure I'll sign up for that. There is a decent hill early in the race, but the hills are very fair, alway followed by a downhill that isn't so steep that you'll burn up your quads. If there was any complaint about the course it would be the 90-degree turnarounds... there were three or four. For me, watching the elites hit 24 while I was at 16 really helped provide motivation and helped visualize running like an elite (haven't we all done that at some point?). The aid stations were great in that they were long, and served Gatorade before water. The volunteers at the aid stations and the bag drop-off were excellent. The race shirt was fair. Not a big fan of the smaller tech shirt manufacturers and the slogan of "Push Through" on the shirt isn't really needed. Great time of year... I will definitely run it again.
L. M. from Northern, NJ (11/22/2010) "great day, fun race" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Philadelphia Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race in 2004 and, boy, how it's grown! It was relatively well organized and especially well supported on the course. A couple of things I think could help to make things better: first, pre-race water never showed up. (?) Starting corrals were not well marked, making getting to the start a little chaotic and nerve-wracking. I'm not sure what can be done to police this but I ended up running alongside a guy whose wife/girlfriend was trailing him in rollerblades. When you're at mile 24 in a marathon (especially a crowded one) this is annoying, distracting and pretty inconsiderate. All that said, I enjoyed the race and would recommend it others.
T. R. from New York (11/22/2010) "perfect first marathon" (about: 2010) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I loved everything about it. It was very well-organized, and the course was varied, interesting and fairly flat (half in the city, half by the river). There was plenty of water, Gatorade and GU available along the course, and the t-shirt and medal were both great. Can't think of anything I'd change about this event, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a scenic, fun, fall marathon.
J. K. from Virginia (11/22/2010) "pretty great!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I grew up about an hour from Philly but managed to only see a small snippet of it, until the marathon. What a great intro to its history, natural beauty, fun neighborhoods, and great people! Specific pros: The shirts and medals were great. Water/aid stops were well organized and well stocked. Gels and Gatorade - nice. I finished in 3:50 and there was still plenty of water at the finish line. The course was varied and interesting. Having names printed on bibs was a nice touch... I heard strangers calling my name the whole way. Also, it was nice having so many affordable hotel options right near the start/finish. Cons: The hill at mile 13 or 14 was surprisingly... hilly. No one's fault - just saying. I wasn't expecting that. The corral start was chaos. I was standing in the proper place but people in the corral behind me decided to move on up, and I missed the start and had to make my way through the masses of improperly placed people to start with my corral. Maybe this was just me being stupid, but I do think it was a bit nuts. The text message/email tracker used gun time rather than chip time to calculate splits. Since I started about 15 minutes post-gun, all of my splits had an additional 15 minutes tacked on, making me look super-slow. I don't want to nitpick TOO much because this was a super race. Good job, Philly!
C. H. from Baltimore, MD (11/22/2010) "The Clif Pace Team Makes Philly Stand Out" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The Philadelphia Marathon was the first marathon I have run that had a 3:00 pacer - and for this runner it made a huge difference. Pacer Mike was nails on all his splits, and allowed me to focus on running rather than all the time games I usually waste energy on. After five attempts to break 3 hours, I was finally able to do it at Philly in large part because of the pacer. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect (40's for the entire race), the course is relatively flat, and the crowd support is very motivating at various points of the race. Putting your name on the bib is a great touch, and Philly has a quirky organizational charm that frustrates you some, but gets the job done. I highly recommend this race to others for a PR; and make use of the pacers - they are money.
B. P. from Mill Neck, NY (11/22/2010) "Good course, but a tad overrated" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Philadelphia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I arrived at the expo on Saturday evening to pick up my race gear and was shocked to find out that all of the small (my shirt size) and medium tech t-shirts were all out. For somebody who looks forward to the marathon shirt, this was a bummer, especially since this race has been sold out for months. That said, the morning of the race, the corrals were not so easy to determine. There was a lot of confusion for other runners in figuring out the maroon, gray, and green corrals. There were plenty of porta-johns, which was good, and the gear-check area was fairly easy to find. The course wasn't as flat as it was made out to be. After mile 10, I expected nothing but flat roads, but around miles 19-21, it felt like there may been a slight incline. I thought there could've been more Gatorade/water tables available. At times it felt like if you blinked, you missed your chance to get a cup. You're better off bringing your own Gatorade and gels. The crowd support was great, especially at the end when I needed it most. Post-race, offering hot broth was pretty novel, considering the weather. I didn't see a lot of people offering water afterwards. Overall, it was okay. I'm glad I ran it, but I found it somewhat underwhelming. If you live in Philly or near Philly (within a 2-3 hour commute), it won't hurt you to run it, but if you're looking for a course to run a PR, run Chicago, Toronto (Scotiabank), or the Niagara Falls Marathon.

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