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| The Philadelphia runners guide book Philadelphia Running and Walking describes and maps the top training and exercise routes in Philadelphia and its surrounding region. Includes maps, mileages, running events, and introductions to Philadelphia running clubs. |
The Philadelphia Marathon and Half Courses
by Warwick Ford
The Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon are held in November on the Sunday
before Thanksgiving. For runners who have not done these events before, here is
some commentary on the courses.
Both events start and finish at Eakins Oval in front of the imposing Philadelphia
Museum of Art, which houses over 300,000 pieces of art. The half marathon course is
essentially the first half of the marathon course and both events start simultaneously.
For a city visitor staying at one of the many Center City hotels within a mile of Eakins
Oval, you have the luxury of just walking there, along with many other runners,
immediately before the start. This way you can avoid the stresses of overloaded
street traffic, taxi, and portable restrooms.
The course heads down the eastbound lanes of wide, attractive Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, with its many imposing buildings and sculptures. It swings left into Arch
Street, and on to Independence Mall where it passes the imposing US Mint, which has
been in operation since the inception of the republic, and the Christ Church Burial
Ground where Benjamin Franklin rests. At 4th Street it does a tight turn left, followed
by a tight turn right into Race Street. It then proceeds down to the bank of the
Delaware River where it turns right into Columbus Boulevard. Admire the Benjamin
Franklin Bridge here, a good place to run but not today.
This is the 2-mile mark. Up to this point the course has been a gentle downhill but can
be a little congested so do not bother wasting energy trying to advance in the field in
this early stage. The next 1.5 miles along Columbus Boulevard are flat and more
open so a great place to relax and establish your pace. You will pass historic Penn’s
Landing and the Independence Seaport Museum with its fine ships.
At Washington Avenue (roughly 3.5 miles) the course swings right. For the next 2.5
miles be ready for a long, gradual uphill with plenty of crowd support. The course
goes right into narrow Front Street. At Downey’s Pub take a tight left into South
Street, followed by a tight right into 6th Street. Continue past Washington Square to
Chestnut Street and go left at one of the most historic intersections of the nation. On
your right is Independence Square which includes Independence Hall, where the
Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution originated. Ahead and to the
right is the Liberty Bell Pavilion where the famous bell now resides. This is the 5-mile
mark.
Proceed up Chestnut Street to Broad Street where City Hall is prominent on the right.
Around this point the course flattens, except for another rise at the Schuylkill River
Bridge. Once across that bridge, around the 7-mile mark, you enter University City
and the campus of Drexel University. You can expect many enthusiastic onlookers
lining this stretch through campus.
At 34th Street, go right, still in Drexel. After crossing Market Street near the 7.5-mile
mark, you encounter the first substantial uphill of the course. In fact, the next 2 miles
will involve various grades, making it the most challenging part of the course for
runners who are hill-averse. 34th Street takes you out of the built-up area and past
the Philadelphia Zoo. You cross Girard Avenue and go under the rail tracks into
Lansdowne Drive. At the 9-mile mark you encounter the steepest uphill of the course,
climbing for about a half-mile up into the most beautiful part of West Fairmount Park.
The scenery up here is nothing short of breathtaking. The course takes you past the
spectacular Memorial Hall, now housing the Please Touch Museum, and between the
majestic towers of the Smith Civil War Memorial.
You then go downhill about a half-mile to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. This road,
which follows the west bank of the Schuylkill River, is popular with runners because it
is closed to vehicle traffic for much of its length on weekends from April to October.
Marathoners and Half-Marathoners follow this road about 2 miles downstream to the
Museum of Art where the Half Marathon concludes.
For Marathoners, a few words of caution regarding this point in the course. First, be
sure to get in the correct lane as early as you can - you really do not want to cross
the Half Marathon finish line. Second, don’t be put off by the fact that many runners
seem to be doing much better than you all of a sudden, rushing past at a fast pace.
These are almost certainly Half Marathoners, who can afford to act that way.
The Marathon continues up the Schuylkill on its east side, past the colorful
boathouses that form Boathouse Row. It continues to Main Street Manayunk, where it
turns around and backtracks to finish in front of the Museum of Art. This second half
of the Marathon course is very different in some respects from the first part. First it is
quite flat with no major hills. The most significant rise is actually the rise up to Eakins
Oval from Boathouse Row in the final half-mile. Another major difference is that
crowds will be much sparser on the second half of the route. The exceptions to this
are in downtown Manayunk, around miles 19-20, where the crowds tend to be large
and enthusiastic, and also near the finish. However, the scenery throughout this
second half of the route is beautiful throughout, being within sight of the Schuylkill
River most of the way.
Be sure to take in that scenery and let it help you take your mind off the fatigue and
pain that hit so many marathoners in the final few miles.
Enjoy your day out on what is unquestionably one of the world’s most interesting and
enjoyable marathon courses. I hope you meet your personal goals, whatever they
may be.
(C) Copyright, Warwick Ford, 2010
www.funonfoot.com
by Warwick Ford
The Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon are held in November on the Sunday
before Thanksgiving. For runners who have not done these events before, here is
some commentary on the courses.
Both events start and finish at Eakins Oval in front of the imposing Philadelphia
Museum of Art, which houses over 300,000 pieces of art. The half marathon course is
essentially the first half of the marathon course and both events start simultaneously.
For a city visitor staying at one of the many Center City hotels within a mile of Eakins
Oval, you have the luxury of just walking there, along with many other runners,
immediately before the start. This way you can avoid the stresses of overloaded
street traffic, taxi, and portable restrooms.
The course heads down the eastbound lanes of wide, attractive Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, with its many imposing buildings and sculptures. It swings left into Arch
Street, and on to Independence Mall where it passes the imposing US Mint, which has
been in operation since the inception of the republic, and the Christ Church Burial
Ground where Benjamin Franklin rests. At 4th Street it does a tight turn left, followed
by a tight turn right into Race Street. It then proceeds down to the bank of the
Delaware River where it turns right into Columbus Boulevard. Admire the Benjamin
Franklin Bridge here, a good place to run but not today.
This is the 2-mile mark. Up to this point the course has been a gentle downhill but can
be a little congested so do not bother wasting energy trying to advance in the field in
this early stage. The next 1.5 miles along Columbus Boulevard are flat and more
open so a great place to relax and establish your pace. You will pass historic Penn’s
Landing and the Independence Seaport Museum with its fine ships.
At Washington Avenue (roughly 3.5 miles) the course swings right. For the next 2.5
miles be ready for a long, gradual uphill with plenty of crowd support. The course
goes right into narrow Front Street. At Downey’s Pub take a tight left into South
Street, followed by a tight right into 6th Street. Continue past Washington Square to
Chestnut Street and go left at one of the most historic intersections of the nation. On
your right is Independence Square which includes Independence Hall, where the
Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution originated. Ahead and to the
right is the Liberty Bell Pavilion where the famous bell now resides. This is the 5-mile
mark.
Proceed up Chestnut Street to Broad Street where City Hall is prominent on the right.
Around this point the course flattens, except for another rise at the Schuylkill River
Bridge. Once across that bridge, around the 7-mile mark, you enter University City
and the campus of Drexel University. You can expect many enthusiastic onlookers
lining this stretch through campus.
At 34th Street, go right, still in Drexel. After crossing Market Street near the 7.5-mile
mark, you encounter the first substantial uphill of the course. In fact, the next 2 miles
will involve various grades, making it the most challenging part of the course for
runners who are hill-averse. 34th Street takes you out of the built-up area and past
the Philadelphia Zoo. You cross Girard Avenue and go under the rail tracks into
Lansdowne Drive. At the 9-mile mark you encounter the steepest uphill of the course,
climbing for about a half-mile up into the most beautiful part of West Fairmount Park.
The scenery up here is nothing short of breathtaking. The course takes you past the
spectacular Memorial Hall, now housing the Please Touch Museum, and between the
majestic towers of the Smith Civil War Memorial.
You then go downhill about a half-mile to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. This road,
which follows the west bank of the Schuylkill River, is popular with runners because it
is closed to vehicle traffic for much of its length on weekends from April to October.
Marathoners and Half-Marathoners follow this road about 2 miles downstream to the
Museum of Art where the Half Marathon concludes.
For Marathoners, a few words of caution regarding this point in the course. First, be
sure to get in the correct lane as early as you can - you really do not want to cross
the Half Marathon finish line. Second, don’t be put off by the fact that many runners
seem to be doing much better than you all of a sudden, rushing past at a fast pace.
These are almost certainly Half Marathoners, who can afford to act that way.
The Marathon continues up the Schuylkill on its east side, past the colorful
boathouses that form Boathouse Row. It continues to Main Street Manayunk, where it
turns around and backtracks to finish in front of the Museum of Art. This second half
of the Marathon course is very different in some respects from the first part. First it is
quite flat with no major hills. The most significant rise is actually the rise up to Eakins
Oval from Boathouse Row in the final half-mile. Another major difference is that
crowds will be much sparser on the second half of the route. The exceptions to this
are in downtown Manayunk, around miles 19-20, where the crowds tend to be large
and enthusiastic, and also near the finish. However, the scenery throughout this
second half of the route is beautiful throughout, being within sight of the Schuylkill
River most of the way.
Be sure to take in that scenery and let it help you take your mind off the fatigue and
pain that hit so many marathoners in the final few miles.
Enjoy your day out on what is unquestionably one of the world’s most interesting and
enjoyable marathon courses. I hope you meet your personal goals, whatever they
may be.
(C) Copyright, Warwick Ford, 2010
www.funonfoot.com
| Museum of Art |
| Benjamin Franklin Parkway |
| Christ Church Burial Ground |
| Benjamin Franklin Bridge |
| Independence Hall |
| Entering Drexel Campus |
| Please Touch Museum |
| Schuylkill River |
| Main Street Manayunk |
| Our Blog |