2024 Philadelphia Marathon
I finished the 2024 Ottawa Marathon feeling triumphant! I set my sights on a fall marathon and registered for the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon. The race is often ranked among the top 10 big city marathons in the United States and was fourth for Boston Marathon qualifiers last year.
I started training in late July following a plan in Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger (aka “Pfitz”). Typically, I clear a path personally and professionally to lock into my training cycle, but that didn’t happen this time.
During Week 1 (late July), I was on vacation for my high school reunion in San Diego, California.
Week 2 ended with me traveling to Syracuse, New York, to visit my boyfriend’s family. I did my first marathon-pace run of the training cycle on the Erie Canalway Trail.
I was home during Week 3, but it was so hot that my long run was on the treadmill. For Week 4, I went camping in Shenandoah National Park. So, it wasn’t until Week 5 (late August) that I started training consistently outdoors on the roads.
September was a solid month of training; I averaged 60 miles a week of running. During Week 10, my entry to the 2025 Boston Marathon was accepted based on my time from the 2024 Ottawa Marathon!
At the beginning of Week 13, I ran the 2024 Army 10 Miler, finishing in 1:21:54 (8:12 pace.) After the race, I ran a 15-miler and headed to Madrid, Spain, for work. It was a lovely city, but I didn’t run for the entire trip. When I returned, I ran 60 miles for the next two weeks.
I ran the 2024 Marine Corps 10K in Week 15 and finished in 48:57 (7:54 pace).
The week before the race, Week 18, the weather changed to cool, and I had great workouts.
Cost
Registration was $130.
Goals
Achievable
Sub-3:48:00 (8:42 pace). This is my projected time using the McMillan Running Calculator based on 1:21:54 (8:12 pace) at the 2024 Army Ten Miler and 48:57 (7:54 pace) at the 2024 Marine Corps 10K. Given the lower Boston Marathon qualifying times announced in September, I would be happy with this time.
Stretch
Sub-3:45:00 (8:36 pace). This time would give me a little cushion.
Course
The race starts by the “Rocky Steps” in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The first few miles are in the city’s historic district. The two steepest hills are near the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University between Miles 8 and 9 before the Philadelphia Zoo. Then, the race loops through the west side of Fairmount Park before crossing the Schuylkill River to run through the east side.
For most of the race’s second half, the course heads northwest for an out-and-back along the Schuylkill River. The turnaround point is at Miles 20 in Manayunk. The race ends at the art museum.
The biggest crowds are in downtown Philadelphia and Manayunk.
There are approximately 16 water stops along the course.
Strategy
Feeling aggressive, I bought a 3:42:00 pace band from FindMyMarathon for an evenly paced race, but with a positive split. From reading about the course, there were only one or two significant hills, so this approach seemed like a sound strategy.
Playlist
I arranged 56 songs – 3 hours and 49 minutes of music on iTunes.
The Start: “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From “Rocky“) by Bill Conti. How could I start with any other song?
The Finish: “Where Is the Love,” by Josh Vietti. Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love, so this felt fitting.
Along the way, I included songs inspired by Philadelphia, including “Streets of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen, “The Fire” by The Roots, “Philadelphia Freedom” by Elton John, “The Prince of Bel Air” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and “MotownPhilly” by Boyz to Men.
Pre-race
Friday
My boyfriend and I left Washington, DC, via Amtrak on Friday at around 6:30 p.m. We arrived before 9 a.m. and took a cab to our hotel, which was off historic Rittenhouse Square.
Saturday
We left the room at around 7:30 for my 4-mile shake-out run. We ran towards the Schuylkill River and stopped at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The expo was at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Once inside, I quickly picked up my bib and shirt.
I bought a few official merchandise items.
On the main expo floor, I found my favorite purchase – sweatpants at the Dietz & Watson station that say “eatin’ pants” on the side!
We wandered around Reading Terminal Market and then returned to our hotel.
We went to a cute place across the street from our hotel for brunch. The instant I sat, I felt pressure in my sinus. I told my boyfriend that I thought I might be getting sick!
We walked to the Rodin Museum, stopping at a CVS, where I bought sinus medication and cough drops.
I stuffed myself with pasta and seafood for dinner at a busy Italian restaurant and was in bed by 9 p.m.
Race Day
On Sunday morning, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. During the night, I felt my throat becoming sore. I felt lousy but decided I should at least start my routine.
I found some aspirin in my first aid kit and took a few tablets. I had coffee and a bagel in the hotel room while I put on my clothes.
I wore a Saucony Stopwatch Singlet, On Sprinter Shorts, and Nike Vaporfly 3s. In my pockets, I stashed two Crank Sport eGels (Juicy Watermelon) and two Maurten Gel 100s, including one with caffeine, some tissues, cough drops, and Tylenol. Hoping the weather would turn sunny, I wore a visor and sunglasses.
I left my hotel at 5:30 a.m., deciding to walk. A few blocks later, I saw the shuttle bus in front of a hotel. I thought I shouldn’t get on a bus full of people because I was sick. It took about 5 minutes to get through security – the line near the shuttle buses was much longer, so I was glad I hadn’t taken that option.
Once in the athlete’s village, I found a bag-check. I hung around the area for a while, eventually checking my bag at 6:15. The race used a wrist bracelet rather than the gear check tag on the bib. The bag-check wristband kept sliding off, so I put it in my shorts pocket.
Next, I stood in line for the porta-potties. No toilet paper was in the toilets, but I could use the tissue to blow my nose.
I chatted with a woman in the start area. I took my throwaway clothes off with 5 minutes to go, but the race was delayed. We finally started at 7:20.
Weather
At the start of the race, the temperature was under 50 degrees, with cloudy skies. The sun never came out during the race, and the temperature only rose to the low 50s. Winds were consistently 14 miles per hour.
The Race
Miles 0 to 7 (Center City)
The road was congested initially, so I mainly looked down at my feet to ensure I didn’t fall. I tucked my phone into the back pocket of my shorts. It didn’t feel secure, so I moved items around in my side pockets to make room for it. I briefly looked into the crowds to see if I could spot my boyfriend, but given the number of people, I knew the odds of spotting him were slim.
The congestion settled on Arch Street, and I found a good running rhythm. After 10 minutes, I realized I missed the first-mile split and checked my Garmin. It showed I was in the 8:40 range, which was a little fast.
In the Old City area, the crowds thinned. The course turned left and, after a block, back right. I saw the Mile 2 marker and got my first measurement of pace, which was still under my goal. Knowing I was sick, I thought I should slow down a bit.
The course turned right onto Christopher Columbus Boulevard. It was a quiet part of town, and I looked left towards the docks.
After about a mile, the route turned right, and then, after a block, another right onto Front Street. The street felt very congested between the crowds, the aid station (which I skipped), and a camera truck.
At about Mile 4.5, the course turned left onto South Street. After a few blocks, the course turned right onto 6th Street.
Soon, we turned left onto Walnut Street. The crowds were thick and loud. I fished a Maurten Gel from my shorts and started gulping it down.
When I reached the corner of my hotel, I knew this was the perfect place to stop if I didn’t feel well. But I thought I could at least make it to the half. I searched the crowd for my boyfriend and didn’t see him.
Soon, we were crossing the bridge into West Philadelphia. I saw my boyfriend and waved enthusiastically to him. At Mile 7, I checked my pace and saw I was now a few seconds slow! I sped up, heading into the University of Pennsylvania.
Splits: 17:41, 8:42, 8:45, 17:24, 8:51.
Miles 7 to 9 (West Philadelphia, University City)
I knew a hill was coming up, so I tried to dial my pace back a little in anticipation. After charging that hill between Mile 7 and Mile 8, I thought I was done climbing. But there was an equally steep hill between Mile 8 and Mile 9! The crowds in this section weren’t what I expected, and I concluded that maybe the college kids had already gone home for Thanksgiving.
I missed the split for Mile 9, but I estimated it was roughly the same as the mile before. After a half mile, we reached an intersection with a throng of crowds! I got to see the runners coming out of West Fairmont Park.
Splits: 8:51.
Miles 9 to 13 (West Fairmount Park)
This part of the course began with a climb. It seemed that some runners were walking, and it felt steeper. At the top, the course flatted out. It reminded me of the agricultural section of the 2024 Ottawa Marathon. I tucked behind a runner who had a nice pace and mentally shut down for a bit. I took water at the next aid station even though I wasn’t thirsty.
Coming out of the park, I benefited from a nice downhill, but it didn’t last long, and the course went uphill again. I saw a Little Person on a skateboard and thought about how challenging that must be for him. As we crossed the bridge, I saw my boyfriend in the crowd. And then, the course went uphill again as we entered the eastern side of Fairmont Park.
I struggled a bit in this section of the course. I started my Crank Sport eGel, thinking the electrolytes might help. But the salt in the gel burned as it went down my throat. I had a bit of a coughing spell trying to get out of my airway.
Despite all the uphill running, I was 48 seconds behind my pace band mid-way through the race.
Splits: 17:33, 8:42, 8:49, 8:59.
Miles 13 to 16 (East Fairmount Park)
The loop was pretty dull, but I didn’t feel horrible. A woman came out of the porta-potty and almost ran into I was able to do some calculations at the half and figure out I was on pace for 3:50:23, assuming I could run the second half as fast.
The loop was pretty dull, but the course felt crowded in some parts. Just after Mile 14, a woman came out of the porta-potty and almost ran into me! Then, maybe a half mile later, I found myself weaving around several slowing runners. Coming around the turn, I felt a boost of energy and sped up for a little bit.
Coming out of the park was a long downhill that led to Mile 16. Finally, I felt felt good! I looked again for my boyfriend on the bridge but didn’t see him.
Splits: 8:34, 8:44, 8:32. Half marathon: 1:55:13.
Miles 16 to 20 (Kelly Drive – To Manayunk)
The course flatted out on Kelly Drive. At Mile 16, I saw my boyfriend and gave him an enthusiastic wave. I thought about the 2019 New York City Marathon and how I wanted to stop that day when I saw him. I didn’t feel that miserable today, so I kept moving.
Not too far ahead, I saw a runner next to me in Fairmont Park. I set my sights on catching him as motivation.
On the other side of the road, the front runners were heading towards the finish. I saw a runner in a Capital Area Runners (a Washington D.C. running club) singlet and cheered for her.
By Mile 18, I felt my energy fading. My cold symptoms hadn’t worsened; I just ran out of steam. By Mile 19, I could feel my time goal slipping away.
Finally, the course reached Manayunk -the turnaround! The crowds were terrific, but I have to admit, not as large as some online race reports hyped.
At the turn, I calculated that I was about 1:15 behind my goal pace. It occurred to me that I probably wouldn’t break 3:50.
Splits: 26:26, 9:00.
Miles 20 through 26.2 (Kelly Drive – From Manayunk)
After the turnaround in Manayunk, I resigned that I wouldn’t hit sub-3:50, which was my Boston Marathon qualifying time. So, I thought, “Why bother?” I resigned myself to jog towards the finish.
At Mile 22, I started my final gel. I nursed it for about a mile and then threw it away. I wasn’t running hard, anyway, so I figured I didn’t need it.
But, by Mile 25, my competitive spirit took over. “You’re not that far off goal,” I thought. I started pushing my pace a little and realized if I could do another mile on goal pace, I wouldn’t be too far off from 3:50.
As I entered the final stretch, I pushed my body as hard as it would go and checked my watch every few seconds. The finish line seemed so far away! I took one final glance at my watch as it approached. 10 seconds to finish! I sprinted to the finish and hit the lap button on my watch.
Splits: 8:36, 8:58, 8:57, 9:03, 8:43, 10:12.
Post-race
Result
| Time: 3:49:59 | Pace: 8:47 | Log Details |
I was 3,798 out of 12,403 finishers (top 31%), 960 out of 4,847 women (top 20%), and 34 of 229 in my age group (top 15%). The time is 1 second under the new Boston Marathon qualifying standard for my age group!
On the elite side, William Loevner won at 2:16:12 (5:12 pace), and local new mother Katie Florio won the women’s race at 2:32:42 (5:50 pace).
Finish
Runners – myself included – seemed more exhausted than usual at the finish line. Volunteers gave out water, and there was a selection of muffins, chips, bananas, and juice in the tent. On the other side, I walked through the athlete’s village. I chatted with a few runners as I went to bag-check. Momentarily, I thought I had lost my bracelet, but I found it.
I took an obligatory photo on the “Rocky Steps” and then made my way to my boyfriend.
We wandered to the hotel and had celebratory champagne at the hotel restaurant. I was expecting mediocre food, but it was the most delicious grilled cheese and tomato soup I’ve ever had. Back in the room, I took a nap. After a tapa dinner out on the town, I finally took medicine for my symptoms, and I was asleep by 8:30 p.m.
Epilogue
Back home, I took a test to confirm I didn’t have COVID.
Over the next few days, the disappointment seeped in. If I still met my Boston Marathon qualifying time when sick, what could I have run if I had been healthy?! And I wish I’d enjoyed the course more – Philadelphia is such a wonderful city!
I spent the next two weeks recovering from my cold and only running when I felt well enough to enjoy it.
Next Goal Race
2025 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21st!
Abridged Version
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is called the City of Brotherly Love, and overall, the marathon organization provides an excellent experience for runners. Typically, I clear a path personally and professionally to lock into my training cycle, but that didn’t happen this time. I traveled a lot, and it disrupted the consistency of my training.
On the day before the race, I came down with a cold! But I still raced well. I ran pretty even splits through the first 20 miles of the race, and then fatigue took over. I pushed hard towards the finish line, ending with 3:49:59 (8:47 pace) – 1 second under my Boston Marathon qualifying time!
Next, I’ll recuperate and start training for the 2025 Boston Marathon!