The Philadelphia Marathon is an annual sporting event that has been held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the third Sunday in November each year since 1954. The AACR Philadelphia Marathon is ranked among the top ten largest marathons, with over 30,000 runners coming from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 42 countries.
You may wonder how many miles is a marathon? The marathon distance is 42.195 km (26.219 miles), certified by the US Road Running Technical Council.
Leo Dignam is the current Executive Director of the Philadelphia Marathon. Mark Sullivan, “Course Expert” and co-founder of The Philadelphia Marathon LEGacy, described the marathon: “It feels like it’s your hometown race, no matter where you’re from.”
The Philly Marathon takes place on the 3rd Sunday in November or “the Sunday before Thanksgiving.” The Marathon is an elite running event and a popular qualifier for the Boston Marathon, with 30,000 runners competing in one or more of the 8 featured events and challenges.
During the marathon weekend, over 60,000 spectators and over 3,000 volunteers provide valuable support on race day. Working alongside volunteers from local schools, colleges, and universities, local residents are actively involved in setting up support zones, managing resupply stations, monitoring the course, and providing support to help runners have the best possible running experience.
Philadelphia Marathon Course
The course begins and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Benjamin Franklin Boulevard. The Philadelphia Marathon track is relatively flat and offers views of many historic landmarks, including Independence Hall, the home of Betsy Ross, and the Liberty Bell. The course runs through the streets of Old Town at Penn’s Landing, parallel to the Delaware River, along the Schuylkill River, and up to Manayunk.
The highest point on the track is approximately 148 feet. The terrain presents many uphill and downhill obstacles for runners, although the course itself is flat compared to other large-scale marathons.
How Do You Qualify for the Philadelphia Marathon?
You don’t need a qualifying time to enter the Philadelphia Marathon. The event also serves as a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon for entrants whose times meet the standards for the age group.
The race also features a timing system using a small chip attached to the back of each runner’s bib that provides a “chip time” as the individual crosses the start and finish lines and gives the traditional “gun time.”
- Health & Fitness Showcase – Runners pick up their race packages, which include a bib, time tag, t-shirt, and a free two-day health and fitness showcase located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
- Support Zones – Spectators can choose from over 20 support zones throughout the course to show support for runners.
- Transport – Bypass parts of the city starting at 3 am and continuing until 1 pm
Philadelphia marathon registration is available here.
Awards
Several cash prizes are awarded for the full marathon.
1st Place – $10,000 one man and one woman (Course Entry Bonus: $1,500, one man and one woman each)
2nd – $5,000 one man and one woman
3rd – $2,500 one man and one woman
1st place – Masters – $1000 one man and one woman
1st – Philadelphian – $1,000 one man and one woman (must be a Philadelphia County resident, determined by zip code)
1st place – Wheelchair – $1,000
All marathon finishers receive a Philadelphia Marathon T-shirt, a Philadelphia Marathon medal, and a finisher’s certificate (available online after the race).
Philadelphia Marathon 2021 Results
Men:
Mike Sсhezir 2:13:28
Dylan Geringer 2:14:54
Donald Covert 2:17:24
Women:
Leslie Sexton 2:28:34
Lexi Thompson 2:30:37
Hirut Guangul 2:33:44
In 2020, the marathon was canceled after Mayor Jim Kenny announced a July 14 moratorium on public gatherings of more than 50 people in the city of Philadelphia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Registrants were given the option to reschedule their entry to 2021, 2022, or 2023 or receive a refund.
Beginner Marathon Training Plan
For beginners in marathon running, drawing up a marathon training plan is advisable. There are a large number of different training plans, each with its own aesthetic nuances and specific features in terms of complexity and intensity. But they are all based on the initial training and capabilities of each runner.
Most training plans involve at least 20-24 weeks of preparation. Weekdays will be full of running workouts of varying intensity, and the weekend will include “long” workouts, ultimately bringing you closer to the coveted distance of 26 miles.
Pay Attention to Nutrition
On long workouts and after them, you need to develop your own diet of reinforcing foods. Like the rest of the body, the digestive system experiences extreme stress at long distances.
Plan Your Run Strategy
Sometimes the start of a marathon (or long-distance) can be frustrating. The main thing is to distribute forces over such a long distance correctly.
Marathon runners should stick to their nutrition and hydration plan during the race. A smart nutritional strategy can prevent excessive strain on the muscles (especially the quads and calves) often suffered by marathon runners in the final miles.
The morning should be free for a nutritious breakfast two to three hours before the start of the race. And a week before the start, it is advisable to get enough sleep regularly.
Don’t Forget about the Rest
Rest is a very important element in training. If you do not allow your body to recover, you risk injuries and health problems and can experience “overtraining syndrome,” which is expressed in a sharp decrease in motivation for training, reduced immunity, and even depression.
Do Different Exercises
Often, sports injuries in beginners are associated with a relatively rapid increase in muscle strength and a rather slow adaptation to increasing loads of the ligamentous tendon apparatus. To eliminate this imbalance, there is a need to perform running exercises.
And the main rule: enjoy the process!
