Philadelphia Marathon
Philadelphia, United States · November · Independent
Why people love it
- Crowds are the standout, thickest on Walnut Street and at Manayunk near mile 20 (32 km).
- Mostly flat: about 178 m (583 ft) of gain, near sea level.
- Boston qualifier with a tour past the Art Museum and Boathouse Row.
- Start and finish at the Art Museum, close to Center City hotels.
Watch out for
- Gear check lines can top an hour. Skip the bag or use hotel shuttles.
- Wind on the Kelly Drive out-and-back, miles 17 to 20 (27 to 32 km), is the main risk.
- Few toilets after the start; some ran out of toilet paper in the second half.
- Entry sold out the first morning in 2026. Register at opening or use a charity place.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.2
RaceRaves rates it 4.2 of 5 from 101 ratings, and 88% of 90 reviewers would run it again. Praise centres on crowds and the city. · High confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.4
Gear check lines over an hour in 2025, 30 minute security waits, few toilets and a late hydration shortage. Shuttles and expo praised other years. · High confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.8
Big crowds, mostly flat and a 6.5 hour cutoff, but wind on Kelly Drive and thin late toilets make it less gentle than flatter races. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.8
Wide streets and a mostly flat route bring personal bests, but hills at miles 7 to 12 (11 to 19 km) and wind cost time. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.9
RaceRaves scenery is 3.9 of 5: Art Museum, Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park and Manayunk. Some doubling back over familiar ground. · High confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
The staggered start helps, but several runners disliked the long out-and-back on Kelly Drive from roughly miles 14 to 26 (23 to 42 km). · High confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.5
City asphalt and park roads. Runners do not complain about the surface, so there is little evidence either way. · Low confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.5
Course roads close for race weekend, which also complicates getting around the city. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.6
Gain of 178 to 226 m (583 to 744 ft). The hardest climbs are at miles 7 to 12 (11 to 19 km). · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop from and to the Art Museum, so no net drop. Boston qualifier. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.0
Security lines of 30+ minutes, gear check queues over an hour in 2025, short toilets and loose corral enforcement. · High confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.7
Large field with waves and corrals. Pace groups are likely but not documented, and one runner's tracking emails never arrived. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong4.4
The most consistent praise in 90+ reviews: shoulder to shoulder on Walnut Street, huge at Manayunk near mile 20 (32 km). Kelly Drive is quieter. · High confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.5
Water and sports drink every 2 miles (3 km), gels at miles 11 and 18 (18 and 29 km). Late hydration shortage and few toilets. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind2.8
Several runners describe a harsh headwind on the Kelly Drive out-and-back, miles 17 to 20 (27 to 32 km). · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Starts of 2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F), highs of 6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F). Good racing weather. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Calm 4 to 10 °C (39 to 50 °F) in 2025, but other years had freezing gusts up to 64 km (39.8 mi)/h (40 mph). · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.0
City-centre start and finish, loops through Center City and Manayunk, and subway access. Road closures complicate moving around. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Near sea level, about 12 m (40 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.2
Large city with many hotels, though central ones fill on race weekend. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.0
Center City charges weekend premiums. No hard price data. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.2
Start and finish at the Art Museum, reachable on foot from Center City hotels or by shuttle and subway. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.5
Airport about 13 km (8 mi) from the start with a cheap train, plus an Amtrak hub. Rideshare prices spike on closure morning. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.4
Big expo with long pickup lines in some years, easy packet pickup and shuttles in others. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Major food city with museums and historic sites. Manayunk and Center City for post-race meals. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early2.5
2026 general bibs sold out on the first morning in July, even after 3,000 extra marathon bibs. Charity and waitlist routes remain. · High confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
Fee about $140 to $190 by tier. The medal and shirt are praised, finish food is thin, and merchandise is seen as pricey. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Typical month
- November
- Latest or next date
- 22 November 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 23,000 athletes
- First held
- 1994
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 178 m (585 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- asphalt
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Entry fee
- About $165
- Air temperature
- 2–10 °C (36–50 °F)
- Humidity
- low to moderate in late November
- Altitude
- 12 m (39 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Philadelphia International (PHL), 13 km (8 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Center City, Logan Square, University City
- Booking
- Book Center City early; race weekend fills.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2015-2025 · aggregator · Positive
Runners agree on huge crowds and a city tour, then split on hills and an out-and-back that wears on legs. Bag check, expo lines and toilets draw the complaints.
“Crowd support was Awesome!!! The best I have ever experienced!”
- Imperfect IdealistRaced 2021 · blog · Positive
Mostly flat with about 583 ft (178 m) of gain; miles 9 to 12.5 were hardest with thin crowds. Gear check lines were long and her GPS read 26.94 mi.
“I would definitely recommend the Philly Marathon.”
- Running With RockRaced 2022 · blog · Mixed
Freezing morning with a bad headwind on Kelly Drive; locked toilets near mile 23 cost a minute. He still set a PR, 3:20:30 versus 3:35.
“I enjoyed the cold, but the wind definitely held me back.”
- Marathon Maniacs member reviewsRaced 2017-2025 · forum · Positive
Mostly positive over eight years: amazing crowds and easy expo, but bag check lines, short toilets and a long out-and-back from mile 14 are repeat complaints.
“Good race that could easily be great.”
- RacecastRaced 2015-2025 · aggregator · Positive
88% would run again. Rolling hills in miles 10 to 20 (16 to 32 km) caught flat-trained runners out and wind on Kelly Drive made pacing hard; tagged a PR race.
“the crowd support was off the charts”
Show 5 more
- MarathonGuideRaced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Listed as 8 am start in 2025 on a predominantly flat, record-friendly course; rating 3.9/5 from 8 reviews, little text.
“Great race”
- Philadelphia InquirerRaced 2025 · article · neutral
2025 race day stayed in a 39 to 50 °F (4 to 10 °C (50 °F)) range without brutal wind, in contrast to windy editions in other years.
- WHYYRaced unspecified · article · Mixed
Report of a windy edition with gusts of 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 km/h) at the Eakins Oval start; page not opened in full due to rate limiting, so details come from the search summary.
- Billy PennRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Photo essay of 2025 says spectators spilled into the streets and swamped Kelly Drive; waitlist added to fill deferrals.
- HoodlineRaced 2026 · article · neutral
2026 marathon and half sold out on first morning of registration after 3,000 extra marathon bibs.
Raced Philadelphia Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for Philadelphia Marathon? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.