The Philadelphia Marathon was my “A” race this autumn, and I’d been looking forward to running it ever since I discovered that its medal contains a little ringing bell! I’d heard from friends that the course was flat, fast and ideal for a PR, and given how much I like Philly, I couldn’t think of a more fun race for the fall. I was also looking forward to a more chilled experience than a marathon major, which I really enjoy, but can feel overwhelming. 

Our weekend began by taking the Amtrak from Washington, DC up to Philadelphia on Friday evening after work. I really love Philadelphia as a city and the fact it’s only around two hours away by train makes it easy to get to for a short weekend. If you ever find yourself planning this trip, my advice is to book ahead, as the tickets are so much cheaper than leaving it until the last minute! Once we arrived in the city, it was a short walk to our hotel (Club Quarters at Rittenhouse Square) which I had booked via the marathon website. I had asked in advance if they could provide a microwave and fridge in our room, since not all rooms come with them, and they kindly accommodated, which made race-morning breakfast so much easier. I’d already packed my oats and toppings, so we just needed to pick up some milk.

Race weekend in Philadelphia is more than just the marathon. On the Saturday, the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon and the Rothman Orthopaedics 8K take place, followed by the full marathon on Sunday. (The Philadelphia Marathon) My husband and I woke early on Saturday to spectate the half and cheer on a friend who was running. I was totally amazed by the crowds as they were far bigger than I’d expected; thousands had turned out to support the runners! We stationed ourselves around mile 6.5, by the local running store, Philadelphia Runner, where it was easy to catch the elites and the corral-A runners, and then the rest of the field soon after.

Spectating aside, I also went for a quick shake-out run on Saturday morning, and jogged over to the marathon start area to familiarise myself with the setup, figuring I could walk there on race day morning. I found it really calming to scout the corral entrances in advance; it helped settle my pre-race nerves. I also found myself getting excited and looking forward to accomplishing another 26.2! The start and finish are right in front of the Art Museum and the famous Rocky steps, which are both iconic!

Later that morning, my husband and I popped to the expo to pick up my bib. Having experienced the energy (and chaos) of major marathon expos, I wasn’t sure what to expect. To my surprise, this one was very friendly and accessible. There was just the right amount of buzz: I collected my bib quickly, browsed around the stalls and checked out a panel of pro runners, being hosted by Bart Yasso. I’d heard this year’s set-up was different, with time-slot bookings for expo pickup, and while some runners grumbled, I thought it worked rather well: no queues, no overcrowding.

The rest of Saturday I spent relaxing in the hotel room hydrating, snacking, studying the course map and prepping my outfit and gels. Around 6 pm we went to a cosy local Italian restaurant for a carb-loading pasta dinner. If you’re running Philadelphia, I’d strongly recommend booking ahead as the city gets very busy during race weekend. Dinner was perfect: pasta, tea, and a lovely catch-up with my friend, and then we all headed back to rest up for an early start.

Race day began very early as the start time for the AACR Philadelphia Marathon was 7:00 a.m. (The Philadelphia Marathon) I was awake by 5:30am and took thirty minutes to get ready and prepare breakfast. Because November mornings in Philly tend to be brisk (this one was absolutely freezing), I wore throwaway sweat pants and a fleecy top for the walk over – a decision I was very glad of. If you can’t make it to a goodwill for your throwaway outfit, the sale section in TJ Maxx works well!

If there’s one aspect of the race I’d change, it’s the start-line security. It looked so organised but upon entering, I learned that they were inconsistent: some runners were allowed to bring Gatorade bottles, while others, like me, were stopped. Having trekked over early, I was disappointed to have to drink half my bottle on the spot and discard the rest. I’d also decided not to check a bag, which turned out to be a wise call, given how long the bag-check lines were and how chaotic things seemed likely to be at the finish. On top of that, the port-a-potty lines were horrendous – even worse than at the Chicago Marathon, which I didn’t think was possible. I ended up waiting for 30 mins and then skipping the bathrooms and heading straight to the corral as I didn’t want to be late.

In contrast, the corrals were extremely well organised, and were also spaced out well, so that the course didn’t feel too crowded. I was in my corral by 6:45am, and didn’t start running until 7:20, so it was a long time to stand still and freeze, but the energy was good, the sun was coming up, and it was nice to chat with other runners and soak in the energy. At 7:20, we were off! The first part of the course, up until about mile 8, is flat and runs through the city. The views were really pretty as you run past the historic buildings and Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and it’s easy to spot your cheer team out on the course. My husband and friend were easily able to see me at mile 1 and 6.5, and pop back to the hotel in between to warm up!

The middle miles of the marathon proved the hardest for me. Although the course is often described as “mostly flat”, there are rolling and steep hills, especially through West Philadelphia, University City and the stretch by the zoo. (Statathon) Despite training in DC, I found those hills more challenging than I’d anticipated. I ran them by effort rather than pace, determined not to burn up my energy too early. There were a few out-and-backs around the zoo area which are usually not my favourite, but on this occasion I found them encouraging. Runners going the other way cheered loudly for each other as they attacked the hills, creating a really friendly vibe. Aid stations were well-organised throughout, with water and Nuun, and volunteers did a such a great job of supporting the runners. I was so relieved to get the hilly zoo part of the race done, and also happy to see my friend Gerard, who was dressed as an eagle, and who I’d managed to spot in both of his locations. We’ve known each other on Instagram for about a decade, but never seen each other in real life before. I also passed my husband and friend again at mile 13, which was our last planned flyby before the end.

After the zoo section, the terrain gradually eased off. We ran out towards the river, up along the Schuykill River, along the hillside neighbourhoods (including Manayunk) where the crowds were a little thinner, but still energetic. Every few yards people were calling runners by name, cheering so loudly it gave me goose-bumps. I’d run up along the river before, so it was nice to be in familiar territory and know what was coming next. The turn around point at the top of Manyunk, was exactly that – a little set of cones set up for everyone to run around. Psychologically, it’s great to get past that and know you’re running back into the city. I still had quite a bit of energy left, so I picked up the pace to get to the finish line as quickly as possible. The run back in to Philadelphia felt like the easiest part of the course to me. I was distracted by watching runners on the other side of the road, and the views of the river, and then by the time I got to mile 25, I was looking for my husband and friend again. I spotted them at mile 26, and was able to side five before finishing things up.  One of the challenges of this part of the course is finding the mile markers. I knew they were there, but they were so hard to see, and I didn’t spot any from mile 17 onwards. I had to rely on my watch, which wasn’t the best as it was out of sync from the tall buildings and weaving in the earlier parts of the race.

After seeing 26 miles pop up on my watch, the end seemed to never come. There are no count down markers in Philly, as there so often are in other races (800m, 400m, 200m etc.), and there’s also no arch above the finish line, so you can’t see it from a distance. By this point I was sprinting and kept wondering how long I’d have to keep it up for as I couldn’t see the end! Be prepared if ever you run this race as I heard the same feedback from multiple runners!

Once through the finish line, things are super organised and smooth and you find yourself back exactly where you started. There are so many volunteers helping runners, giving out medals, snacks, medical attention etc, and the Marathonfoto team are also there. It’s it’s bit chaotic to get out of the finish shoot and into the road as there are so many family members there waiting for their loved ones, but I managed to squeeze through and  make the walk back to hotel with my medal jingling the whole way.

All in all, the Philadelphia Marathon is a wonderful race: well organised, scenic, supported by passionate crowds, and offering a beautiful medal (with a bell!). If you’re thinking of a great fall marathon pick, I’d highly recommend it. Just know that it’s not as flat as it’s made out to be and you’ll definitely need to train on hills in the middle of your long runs to make the most of your race.

Post race we headed out for lunch and then up to the Art Museum to take a few Rocky photos. There were lots of runners with the same idea as everyone was lining up to take pics! I always like to stay around for a little while after a marathon to soak up the post-race atmosphere and Philly has that in abundance! There are lots of post-race parties to attend, great bars and restaurants, and different events all over the city. If you decide to run the race, it’s definitely worth staying an extra night to enjoy it all!