Philadelphia Marathon

The Philly Marathon is a great balance between a huge big city marathon and a smaller event. It attracts thousands of runners, sports solid crowds, and a has rigorous security operation, but it still operates smoothly and runners don't spend all morning waiting in the corrals.

The course offers a scenic tour through Philadelphia. It starts at the art museum, loops through center city and the historic area, and ends by meandering through the city parks. Despite being a city marathon, over half the course is in a park away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The first half of the course is pretty flat, but there are some mild rolling hills in the second half. The toughest part of the course is from miles 16 to 20 - running out to Manayunk.

The crowd support was great throughout the race. It was heaviest in center city, but there were pockets of crowds throughout most of the course. It was the thinnest along part of Kelly Drive, but the huge crowd in Manayunk makes up for it. And the crowds are thick as you come back along Kelly Drive towards the finish line. There aren't very many parts of this race that you'll feel alone.

Security was pretty efficient. The race was set to start at 7, and I arrived at 6:15. It didn't take more then 15 to 20 minutes to go through security. It's important to note that the two lines on Ben Franklin Parkway are the longest - and there are shorter lines to the southwest and to the north. The one problem on race morning was that the lines for the porta potties inside the secure area were long. You definitely want to hit up the bathroom before you go through security.

Gear check was also smooth. There were a bunch of UPS trucks you could line up at, and they gave you a wrist band with your bag information. It only took me five minutes or so to move through the line, despite it being almost time for the race to start.

The start was pretty quick and efficient, despite having a half dozen corrals. I was in the maroon corral, right behind the elites, and we started a few seconds after them. The rest of the corrals took a brief break (~5 minutes) in between each wave. So no one was stuck standing around for too long, like at a bigger race (i.e. NYC).

The aid stations were well run. There was a ton of water and gatorade were available, and plenty of volunteers to hand them out. Gels were available at several aid stations, although they weren't available until later in the race. The aid stations also all had long lines of porta potties, so you didn't have to wait in line if you had to make a pit stop.

At the finish, they had foil blankets, a medal, hot broth, and a variety of vendors with more substantial food options. There was a designated area to reunite with your family, and getting your stuff back from gear check was a quick, smooth proposition. If you wanted photos, there were a handful of photographers at the finish line waiting to take your picture with your medal.

One thing to be aware of is that the weather in late November can be unpredictable. It could be frigid or it might be perfectly chilly. It's unlikely to be warm, but you can never be sure whether you're on the comfortable or miserable side of the cold weather equation. It's a good choice if you want to ensure that the temps are too hot, but you might have to suffer through a cold wait before the race.

Overall, the Philadelphia Marathon is a well run and enjoyable race experience. It's got the vibe of a big city race, but it doesn't suffer from some of the logistical problems that a race like NYC faces. It's a good choice for someone that wants the big city experience, but doesn't want to have to deal with crazy security lines or long pauses between waves.