Philadelphia Half Marathon Recap

Post-race picture with my brother and cousin, who came to watch

Over the weekend I ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon, which came six years after running my first full marathon in this very same event.

The first thing I noticed was how much larger this race is now than it was in 2007. There were about 30,000 runners between the full and half marathon and the organization was much improved. There are now corals and a very organized starting line, in addition to well blocked off streets, lots of fans lining the streets and a larger, more conveniently located expo.

The half marathon (as well as the first 13 miles of the full) wind through Philly's mostly flat city streets, giving runners a historical tour of the city. I ran right by the Liberty Bell, City Hall, plenty of museums and the heart of the city. It also went by the fraternities at Drexel University, which had rowdy and very excited college students cheering everyone on.

Following the race, I (along with many other runners) ran up the "Rocky" steps and snapped a few pictures, including the one with my brother and cousin, who came to watch.

The biggest negative to the race is the quality (or lack thereof) of Philadelphia's streets. There weren't potholes, but the pavement was really uneven, making it difficult to stay balanced at some points. However, that was overshadowed by the positives - if you're on the east coast and looking for a fun race in the late fall, this is the one!