RegularJoeRunning's Guide to the Philly Marathon
Over the past several days, several people have asked me about the Philadelphia Marathon, to be held on Sunday, November 21, 2010. I have run it twice, and live a half-block from mile four, so I'm very familiar with the course and run on it regularly. Since general interest in this race seems to be growing, I figured I would take all of the information I have sent those who have inquired and piece it together in one blog post, just so it's easier to pass off to anyone who asks. I hope you find this information helpful, and please do not hesitate to leave comments with your questions. Thanks!
Take the jump to see my full write-up.
Atmosphere/Crowds
The atmosphere overall is great. You get a lot of good crowd support for several long stretches throughout the race. It's definitely no Chicago, New York, or Boston when it comes to the crowds, but I can say that of the three marathons I've done (others are Ocean Drive and San Fran), Philly had the best crowd support by far. For the first 6-7 miles you're running through a lot of crowds. They're pretty dense and full of energy. It gets a little thin between there and the half, but as you're approaching the half (which is actually where you start and finish the race; I touch on that below in the Course/Route section), the crowds build up again. After the half, however, you're running along the Schuylkill River, and spectators are generally sparse for the next 4-5 miles, minus a couple cheering sections organized by the race - they do make an effort to get people out there. The good news is that this part is very scenic, and I like it because it gives you an opportunity to sort of "zone out." It's also worth noting that you will likely see folks coming back the other way toward the finish, unless you're a speed demon, which is fun because you might see someone you know. As I noted, the river section is not completely void of crowds - there are some good spots where people are very enthusiastic - but it is definitely the least energetic part of the course. Plus, the half marathoners are gone, so you suddenly feel much less "in a crowd." Once you get through this section though, you get a great burst for 3-4 miles as you enter and go through Main Street in Manayunk -- this is such a neat part because you've been on that empty stretch, and Main Street is much narrower than Kelly Drive, so it feels like there are more runners around you, and you just kind of feel like you're running through one of those neat sections of the Tour de France or something -- I really love it. It's a good way to recharge your batteries before heading back along the river into the final 4 miles of the race.
Route/Course
The course, as I've kind of hinted at already, is an interesting set-up with some worthy footnotes. Overall, the course has a lot of scenery and some really energetic, cool spots. My only gripe about the course is that I think they could do a better job with giving you a more in-depth tour of the whole city. Instead, the race is mostly held in the business/tourist areas, rather than cruising the neighborhoods like some races do. That being said, it's still a fun course that gives you good views of both rivers, historic landmarks, center city, the museums, the centennial district, Kelly Drive (the long stretch along the river after the half, probably the most popular running spot in Philly), and Manayunk.
The route does a sort of figure-8 thing. You start at the Philly Art Museum, head east for a big loop and approach the museum from the west side of the river going toward the half. Half marathoners dip off to the left while 26.2ers loop around the museum for the second half. The directions are pretty clear for people going to the half and going on for the full, and there's really no crossing up with other runners -- it's a pretty smooth transition.
The second half of the course is mostly an out-and-back, with the exception of the hill you go up just after the half. I'm not usually a fan of out-and-backs in any form, but this one works pretty well because it's broken up by that very energetic Main Street section. The scenery on the way back also feels very different. I run on Kelly drive all the time, and I regularly change directions because it feels like a totally different route. On the way back, you get a lot of views of the Philly skyline (which you don't see at all on the way out), and one of the coolest moments is when the Philly Art Museum comes back into view -- I believe you're within 2 miles at this point; Writing about it just now actually gave me chills. As you're approaching the finish, the crowds are in full-force. I just did San Fran and expected something like this at the finish, and it wasn't there. The final point-two-and-then-some is jam-packed - you'll feel like a champion runner coming in to the finish, crossing the line in front of the Art Museum, the ones that Rocky ran up, which is really cool. You probably won't notice it as you zip by, but you'll also pass the Rocky statue, to the right of the base of the steps.
There are lots of maps on Map My Run claiming to be the Philly Marathon, but none of them get it quite right, and several are based on the old route, which was designed before they added the Half Marathon portion. I made this map last year, spent a lot of time going over the turns a fine-point details, and I am confident that it's correct*: http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/pa/philadelphia/996125761066219294
*Caveat: The past two years there have been last-minute changes to the route due to construction. My map is the official route so long as there are no changes. Something worth pointing out here is that, while Philly Marathon as an organization is very good about communicating information regarding race logistics, those route changes kind of flew under the radar. They had map prinouts at the expo, but you had to come across them - they weren't in the race bag or anything, and no one made you aware of it.
All-in-all, the course is pretty flat. They advertise it as "flat & fast," but don't let that fool you completely. I can give you a better assessment after Chicago, but my impression is that that race is much flatter. Philly has a pretty significant hill within mile 9, then the one I mentioned after the half. They're not huge, and pale in comparison to lots of other out there, but it's worth knowing that they're there. There are also some other minor grades - most of miles 6-8 is uphill, then there's a little kicker around mile 18 - it's actually a vehicle on-ramp that's closed for the race, and then miles 19-21 are light rollers (I wouldn't even call them hills, but they feel much bigger at that point in the race). Once you get out of Manayunk, though, you have one teeny-tiny little kicker and it's literally all downhill for the final 4 miles back to the Art Museum.
If you decide to run this race, and will be in Philly before the event, I would be more than happy to point you in the direction of the hills, or even run them with you, so you can check them out.
Weather
The weather that time of year in Philly can be tricky, but you're more likely to get colder-than-ideal, rather than super-hot, which I think is preferable. The first year I did it, temps were at 18° before the start, somewhere around 22° at the start, and then not above 25° or so throughout. This, obviously, is very cold, so you do need to be prepared for that possibility, but it's not the norm. I'd say you're most likely to get temps in the low to mid 40s before the race, and then nothing higher than 50s afterward, which is about how it played out last year. I think they advertise the average temp as 56° or so, but the race also used to run the weekend before for several years, so if that average is true, it's most likely affected by that earlier date - amazing how much of a difference a week can make in this part of the country that time of year.
Starting Area
One of the drawbacks is that the starting corrals are not super-easy to get into. I found that San Fran handled this really well, with large, managed gateway portals into each section. Philly is kind of weird though, as it's all pretty densely packed (also A LOT more people than San Fran, so hard to compare). You either need to get into your corral 15-20 minutes early, or be prepared to hop a railing, which I did last year. This can be a bigger issue because of the toilet lines, detailed below.
Water Stations / Course Support
There are ample water stations, and they serve real Gatorade on the course. I don't do liquid replacement when I run (I use chomps), but if I did, this is the way I would go. I did, however, drink a lot of the Gatorade last year because I hit a heavy wall and needed to walk several times -- it was the real deal, not watered down or imitation brand stuff.
Only the first couple water stations are extra-crowded (definitely skip the first one if you can), and after that it thins out. Once the half marathoners leave, you feel like you have the stations all to yourself. They also hand out Gu in the later stages. I believe fruit is part of the official aide stations, but if not, there are lots of people in Manayunk handing stuff out - fruit, brownies, crackers, etc.
Post-race Food / Finish Area
Both years I've ran Philly, there has been ample post race food, including hot soup, bananas, yogurt, granola, and the winner - Philly Soft Pretzels. No complaints on this for me. I wish the finish area has more room to walk around, because I don't like to stop hard after a long run like that in the interest of not tightening up. It's not a cramped area, per se, but it's fairly crowded. It's pretty easy to find your friends & family and get on your way after you've had enough hanging out. There are also a couple changing tents, which is nice.
Bag Check
Generally my feedback on this would be great -- the volunteers are awesome -- but the UPS truck for my bag check was late last year, so I was kind of held up from starting my pre-race routine and found it kind of annoying, and this was a rare exception. I think the UPS driver who was supposed to drive that truck no-called, no-showed, and probably got into a world of trouble (I used to work for UPS; They don't mess around). Short of that though, it's a pretty smooth operation, and your bag isn't being transported, so it will be in the same spot you left it.
Toilets
Of course I have to make some comments on this -- we all know it's a big deal for runners. This is one area where I feel like Philly Marathon fails miserably. I know long lines are typical, but you very well could be waiting up to a half hour. It's ridiculous. My insider's tip here would be to bring a roll of toilet paper and use the patch of woods over by the river. Lots of other runners will be doing this -- I've done it the last two years, and I was certainly not alone. If you scope the area beforehand, you may also be able to find a restaurant or something that will let you use their facilities on race day.
I've thankfully never had to use the toilets during the race - knock on wood - but I understand there's also not enough on the course. Again, there are some spots along the course where people - both men and women - duck into the woods or behind buildings.
Expo
The expo for this race is great -- lots of good vendors, and very good gear for not a lot of money. It's also pretty easy to get to, especially if you're staying with a friend, as it's very accessible by public transit. After experiencing the San Fran expo, which was in WAY too small a building, I definitely appreciate how much space you have to roam around in Philly -- it's at the convention center, where there's more than ample room for everyone coming through the door.
Goodies (a.k.a. Schwag!)
I really feel like Philly gives you what you pay for in so many ways, and the schwag is no different. The shirt is an awesome long-sleeve tech shirt made by EnduraFit. I'm a big fan and wear both of mine often. It usually features the race slogan for the year, such as "Kicked Asphalt," or "Running Means..." This year, it looks like the slogan will be "Push Through." The shirt is comfortable, looks cool, and works well at wicking away sweat. The shirts do run on the smaller side, so keep that in mind. Last year they also included a pair of light gray gloves with the Philly Marathon logo on them. I still have mine and have used them several times, including for my March marathon -- they're great. The bag is a nice, reusable drawstring with the logo and race information on the bottom. I use it for laundry :-)
The finishers medal is very nice. Both years it was different - but both times solid, with a nifty engraving of the Philly Skyline.
Philly Marathon has increased the number of available registration spots for the full and half marathons by moving the companion 8k event to Saturday, but the race will absolutely sell out. If you're going to do it this year, you'll want to register soon. They sold out last year within the first two weeks of September, and word is that they're expecting to fill up some time in August this year. Running events in Philly have been blowing up with registrations this year, and with the Broad Street Run tipping 30,000 this year, and capping off, people are starting to register in advance. It's kind of awesome and insane at the same time.
Check out the race home page here: http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/ and let me know if you have any questions. If I have the time, maybe I'll put together some video with course previews if people are interested.
