Philadelphia Marathon Informations

The Philadelphia Marathon (aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon) is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the third Sunday of November each year since 1954. The Philadelphia Marathon ranks among the top ten in the nations largest marathons with over 30,000 runners, 60,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers. The 30,000 runners come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and over 42 countries. The marathon course is professionally certified at 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi), and is sanctioned by the USA Track and Field and RRTC. Leo Dignam is the current executive director of the Philadelphia Marathon.

The roots of the AACR Philadelphia Marathon (aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon) can be traced back to 1954, the race’s unofficial inaugural year. The marathon then largely was a suburban event and went by many different names; the Greater Philadelphia Independence Marathon (1981–82) and the Fairmount Park Marathon (1988–89). The marathon today, was established under the name of the Philadelphia Marathon in 1994 under then Mayor Ed Rendell as an annual running event that took place entirely within the City of Philadelphia.

This yearly event takes place on the 3rd Sunday in November or “the Sunday before Thanksgiving”. The Marathon is a top U.S. running event and top Boston qualifier with 30,000 runners participating in one or more of 5 featured events. During Marathon Weekend over 60,000 spectators and over 3,000 volunteers provide valuable race day support. Working along with volunteers from local schools, colleges and universities and the community actively participate to organize cheer zones, manage replenishment stations, monitor the course and provide support to help runners have their best possible runner experience while in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection”.

As a major City event, the Marathon was produced by the Office of the City Representative. In 1995,a group of dedicated runners and Dr. Peter Sharkey of the Rothman Institute, a top Philadelphia orthopedic practice, sponsored a smaller running event as part of the Sunday Marathon event. Now, 23 years and 3,000 runners later, the Rothman 8K is an integral part of Marathon Weekend and an enjoyable event for beginners or those who just want to run. It is also for some, a warm-up for the longer distances. In 2006, a half marathon was added to the Sunday line up by Janis Pierce, the City Representative at that time, and a runner.

In 2011, two competitors died. One was a 21-year-old student; the other was a 40-year-old experienced triathlete.

In 2013, Gore-Tex was announced to be the title sponsor for the next three years.

In 2017, American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) was announced to be the title sponsor for the next three years for the full marathon.

In 2017, Dietz and Watson was announced to be the official sponsor for the half marathon.

In 2017, the Rothman Institute agreed to continue its sponsorship of the 8K event. The Rothman Institute has been part of the Philadelphia Marathon for over 19 years, dating back to when Drs. Richard Rothman and Peter Sharkey began sponsoring the 8K as part of their community outreach efforts.

In 2017, Dunkin' Donuts was announced to be the official sponsor for the Dunkin' Munchkins Run.

The course begins and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Philadelphia Marathon course is relatively flat and offers a view of many historical landmarks that include Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House and the Liberty Bell. The course travels the streets of Old City on Penn’s Landing, parallel to the Delaware River, along the Schuylkill River and out to Manayunk. The highest elevation in the course is approximately 148 feet. The terrain presents many uphill and downhill challenges for the runners, though the course itself is very flat compared to other large scale marathons.

The event also serves as a qualifying race for entry into the Boston Marathon for participants whose times meet age group bracketed standards. The race also features a state of the art timing system, using a small chip that attached to the back of each runner's bib that provides a 'chip time' for when the person has crossed the start and finish lines, as well as giving a traditional 'gun time'.

Health and Fitness Expo - Runners pick up their race packets that include a race bib, timing tag, T-shirt and bag at the free two-day health and fitness expo located in the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Cheer Zones – Spectators can select from more than 20 cheer zones throughout the course to show support to the runners.

Transportation - Detours throughout parts of the city begin at 3AM and run until 1PM

Several cash prizes are awarded for the full marathon.

All marathon runners receive a Philadelphia Marathon T-shirt, a Finisher Medal and a finisher certificate (available online after the race).

The Half Marathon was added to Race Weekend in 2006 and winds through Philadelphia’s most scenic and historic neighborhoods. From the history-steeped streets of Old City, through one of the liveliest stretches of Center City, across the Schuylkill, up through the bucolic trails of Fairmount Park, and back down to canvas the banks of the river. The course is also sanctioned by USA Track and Field. Dietz and Watson is the current sponsor for the half-marathon portion of the Philadelphia Marathon weekend. Each runner receives a t-shirt, a finisher medal and a finisher certificate (available online after the race).

The Rothman Institute sponsors an 8-km (about 5 miles) companion race to the Philadelphia Marathon. This race follows a shorter loop of the marathon, starting off on the expansive Benjamin Franklin Parkway before taking a turn on the scenic banks of the Schuylkill River and Martin Luther King Drive. Each runner receives a T-shirt, a finisher medal and a finisher certificate (available online after the race).

The Philadelphia Marathon, who collaborated with Green Mountain Energy partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement to turn the race into an eco-friendly sporting event.

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