The Philadelphia Marathon is a mostly flat to gently rolling course that consists of a 16 mile loop to start the race through University City, Manayunk and the historic district followed by a 10 mile out and back section along the Schuylkill River. The only two major hills are relatively early in the race - at approximately 7 and 9 miles.
The Philadelphia Marathon was the 8th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 8th largest in 2022.
Last year 13.1% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 14% of runners qualified for Boston in 2022.
This gives the Philadelphia Marathon the 125th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 107th highest percentage in 2022.
Its Course Score of 98.17 ranks it as the 303rd fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 13th fastest course in Pennsylvania.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Philadelphia Marathon a PR Score of 98.17. This PR Score ranks it as the 247th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 12th fastest in Pennsylvania.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Philadelphia Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 148 feet (45m) Min Elevation: 5 feet (1m)
Crowd support was great. It was a nice tour of the city, although passing directly in front if Independence Hall (instead of on the side) would've been nice. My hotel was about a mile away and I was able to easily walk to and from the race.
Personally, I'm not a fan of out and backs. This course has a few, including just under the last half. This was mentally challenging when running out to the turnaround in Manyunk. It was nice, however, being able to see my friend along the way.
Agree with others about the lack of food options at the end, although the orange juice was great. And the Dietz and Watson hotdogs really hit the spot. But the race provided food was water, some fruit/nut bars, chicken broth, and bananas.
But overall, if you're thinking about doing it then just do it. You'll enjoy it.
Race Tips
Everyone has mentioned the hills at 8 and 10, however the turnaround in Manyunk is what really surprised and taxed me. It's not that it was a steep uphill, but it was pretty much uphill until the turnaround. This cost me in the last 10k of the race. Still a relatively flat course, though.
I left my hotel around 6am, arrived near the start line at 6:20am, and was eventually rushed through security just before 7am. The security line was long and didn't move quickly at all until the race was about to start. Be prepared for that.
DEL's review of 2021 Philadelphia Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Scenery and crowd support are top notch - THE ENTIRE WAY. Great city & area for a destination race. Benefits of a huge race, but small enough to connect with a few folks here and there. Weather in 2021 was perfect: 38 degrees at race start (warming tent was big enough for any/all who needed it), zero wind. Pretty fast course and you’re done with the real hills by 13 - none are terrible. The crazy crowd and noise at Manyunk (19-21) was a lot of fun. Expo was a bit thin, but you should be out enjoying the city anyway.
Race Tips
Only significant hills are between 8-13 & not too bad. This can be a very fast course. The out&back portion (16-24) is not bad at all. Last half to 3/4 mile is an uphill slog but the insane crowd will carry you to the finish.
Stay anywhere near Rittenhouse Square. Very walkable area, plenty to do, good restaurants, etc. 1-mile walk/jog to start, but there are shuttles (one picks up at the Doubletree).
Levente K's review of 2021 Philadelphia Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Well organized with volunteers helping every step. There is a nice vibe around the competition.
Race Tips
Flat route good for every level.The Philly folks are great with cheerings and offering along the route.
Downtown hotels tend to be expensive if not booked in advance. Street parking is avaulable but need to walk a few miles.
LM's review of 2021 Philadelphia Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
After doing two small-town marathons with fewer than 300, this was my first big marathon, with about 7200 runners. Considering that it is not nearly as big as the major marathons, I was deeply impressed by how comprehensively organized the even was, from the corrals which created no problems for getting started, to the good number of porta-potties, to the well-run water stops. The only logistical failing was the gear check at the UPS trucks, which was not well run at all during pick-up.
Race Tips
The course itself has some high and low points, both literally and figuratively. It was quite a bit hillier than I expected, with most of our watches registering between 600 and 650 feet of climbing; this is no Chicago. The two depressing out-and-back stretches lacked any crowd support though they were reasonably pretty. I tend to prefer either straight-up loop courses, point-to-point, or a complete out-and-back rather than discrete out-and-backs added to make up miles; these discrete out-and-backs make it difficult for me to figure out how far ahead the runners going by me on the other side of the road are, or to find friends who were running behind me.
The weather in Philadelphia November could have been really bad, especially with potential wind, but it was not at all in 2021 -- it was just about perfect this year. I think that's one reason I finally BQed, and by 9 minutes. Recovery took a couple of weeks because the course is tougher than I thought.
I would try to bring some kind of protein in your checked bag. The food was totally inappropriate for post-race recovery, but what do you expect from an event sponsored by a meatpacker. I gagged on the hot dogs and chicken broth, which surprisingly tasted even worse than the five gels I'd taken in. Would have preferred some protein bars, fruit, and muscle milk.
RH's review of 2019 Philadelphia Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
I like a marathon that has some kind of hook for me. Running through the historic city of Philadelphia is more than enough for me.
Can't say anything too bad. Could have used some more porta potties at the start and along the way. I've run smaller marathons with more. Post race food/drink options were below average in my experience. Crowd support on a totally rainy day was decent.
Race Tips
I saw one person wearing disposable shoe covers. Everything was set up on grass and because it rained a lot before the race it was a muddy mess. And I thought to myself, that was a smart runner because he started the race with dry socks. Course is relatively flat except some spots early on. But in spite of the elevation map, I would have sworn I was going up hill constantly between miles 15 and 20 (the turn back in point).
I parked in a self park garage adjacent to the Sonesta hotel garage. The hotel was shuttle bus route D. But at $10 for 12 hrs booked on spot hero it was less than half the price of the hotel garage. I walked out of the garage went 25 yds right onto the shuttle bus. Also, look for a self park garage if you need to do some prep things in private before heading to the start. Because many garages are valet only.
