On November 23, 2008, more than 18,000 runners will gather down the block from the Philadelphia Museum of Art (well-known for its famous role in the film Rocky) and race 26.2 miles through the City of Brotherly. Throughout the course, runners will experience a variety of our country’s history, passing Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross house and the Liberty Bell.

The Philadelphia Marathon is an open race (no race qualifying time required) and a USATF Boston qualifier. The course will remain open for 7 hours. Described as a flat and fast course, runners should be aware that it is still fairly challenging, offering a number of inclines, as well as a steep hill around mile 11. Starting at mile 15, there is a long out-and-back route that takes you through the remainder of marathon. With limited crowd support, miles 15-19 and miles 21-25 are a true test of a runner’s mental toughness.

Since the race finishes in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, plan to start your kick when you notice the Museum on your right hand side as there are no markers indicating your remaining distance. A runner looking for a marker signifying ‘800 meters to go’ will be shocked when the finishing line appears immediately after a slight right turn around the museum.

RUN NYC ADVICE:

In addition to the marathon, there will also be a half-marathon taking place at the same time. Both races line up adjacent to one another and run the same 13 mile course, only splitting near the end of the half-marathon. It is extremely important not to get caught up in a quicker pace around mile 11, as most of the runners in the half-marathon will begin to push towards the finish line.

With no seeded corrals, runners can line up close to the line regardless of projected pace and finishing time. For those runners looking to run competitively (potential Boston qualifiers), it is important to line up near the front of the race. For those runners looking to enjoy the race and run an average pace of eight minutes or greater, it is advised to start in the middle of the pack to ensure that each runner remains true to his or her own running plan.