The Expo/Pre-Race Prep
Since we were staying just outside of Philadelphia, we took the bus into the city for the expo to avoid parking. The expo takes place at the convention center, right in the middle of downtown. The place was pretty packed on the Saturday afternoon before the race. But that was to be expected. I was initially really excited to visit all of the booths, but as soon as we set foot in the room, I couldn't wait to get our packets and get out there. Packet pick up went really smoothly. I loved the swag that came with our registration: long sleeved shirts complete with the race course map on the back so you could differentiate between the halfers and the marathoners, a plastic/mesh drawstring bag, and the best part, a 26.2 sticker! The expo was a pretty comprehensive, if you did want to stick around and check out all the free samples. One free Lara bar and I was good to go.
We did a quick visit of the Constitution Museum with every Boy Scout in Pennsylvania and got on the bus home just after dark. Nerves were definitely starting to set in. It was also really exciting to be in downtown Philly, though, since the place was buzzing with runners. Since I was paranoid we would freeze to death in the hour we waited at the start, we went to Wal-Mart and bought the most stylish sweatsuit we could find. Spoiler alert: we didn't need them the next morning. After a home cooked meal by our friend's mom, and organizing our things for the morning (Read: setting out my flat runner), I was in bed by 9:45. Talk about early.
Race Morning
Start time was at 7 a.m. Due to security checkpoints at the start, they recommended runners get there no later than 5 a.m. My first thought was, excuse me?! The last thing I wanted to do was stand outside in the cold nervously awaiting the start of my first marathon.
The Race
The race started pretty close to right on time. As our corral moved towards the start we heard Eye of the Tiger quite a few times. Not going to lie, it definitely got the adrenaline pumping. I could really believe I was about to run a full marathon! Mike and I decided to run together, walk together, die together (only kind of kidding). The first half of the race ran through downtown to the Delaware River and then back through to University City, passing by the Zoo and then back along the Schuylkill to where we started. This was definitely the most populated part of the course. People were out along the course cheering us on. As expected, it was a bit difficult to keep in line with our predicted pace. We wanted to go faster, but we settled right at the pace needed for a 5 hour marathon. I think my favorite part of this course was running through University City. College students and fraternity houses galore cheering us on, complete with beer in hand. They were definitely having more fun than us. I had read that there was a "hill" somewhere during the second quarter of the race. With every small incline we would wonder if "this was it". Well, we found it, just after mile 10. I have to say, if that was my first half marathon, that hill might have killed me. While it was pretty gradual, I could see the top and I knew there was an end. We powered up it pretty well, and looking back on it, I think that is where I felt the strongest throughout the entire race.
As we neared the 13.1 mile mark, Mike and I joked that we could just veer to the right and just end it right there. But I knew that if we did that, we would regret it.
As we passed by the hype of the finish line, we started the longest out and back of my life along the river. Before this, I used to tell people that I "liked out and back courses because I knew how much I had left to go when I turned around". Yea, well, forget that. As we were heading out, the elites were heading back to the finish line. It was pretty inspiring to see these people hauling it to the end. I think it was more inspiring, though, to see the wave behind the elites. Normal, every day people who ran a marathon faster than I could ever dream of in my life. I couldn't wait until I was in that spot on the course, within 1 mile of the finish line.
At about mile 17 the course took a quick jog across the river and back again. I'm not sure how I felt about it, as it seemed to just be a way to get in some additional mileage. Up until this point, we were trucking along slowly. We would walk through the water stops and keep up our speed as much as we could throughout the rest. Around mile 17, our walk breaks started to become longer than our running. We passed the infamous beer stop right after mile mile 18. Not really sure who those people are who want beer at mile 18, but more power to them. At mile 19 the only thing I could think of was finding a port-a-potty. After a quick stop, I was ready to get this thing over with. The turn around point was in Manayunk. Crowd support on Main Street was pretty great. People drinking mimosas and having brunch lined the streets. I highly considered sitting down for one myself and taking a taxi back to the finish. Between mile 20 and mile 26, Mike and I definitely entered a new level of ridiculousness. I decided I could no longer walk, so I started to jog as slow as humanly possible while Mike (who's legs are a foot longer than mine) walked next to me. At mile 24, Mike said "so when do people usually hit the wall". I answered with "oh, anytime now is normal". I gladly took a fruit snack from a nice girl waiting for us slow pokes, and we debated when we should start running again. We decided mile 26 would be good.
As we came up on the mile 26 sign we could hear the finish line up ahead. Mike took off ahead of me and I tried to keep up. As I saw the finish line come into view, I couldn't believe I had done it! I was a marathoner! I gave the mayor of Philadelphia a high five, collected my medal from a volunteer and downed a bottle of water. After too few photos, we headed to the food tent. I think my favorite part of the day was the free chicken broth at the end.
Post Race Survival
The best idea we ever had was to book a room at the Embassy Suites 2 blocks from the finish line. It was 2 hours before check-in time, but they were nice and gave us our keys early. Probably because they didn't want us smelling up their lobby. After a shower, chugging some chocolate milk and ordering room service from TGI Fridays, a nap was in order.
If you run this race, I highly recommend staying at this hotel. This is mostly because they host a manager's happy hour every evening. Read: Parading around the lobby with your marathon medal on while drinking free wine. Please and thank you.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think this would be a great race to run your first marathon. The race was just the right size: big enough to feel the excitement but not too big to feel overwhelmed at the start line. The expo and day of support were very well organized. While I didn't enjoy the out and back second half, I think the first half makes up for it. It does seem like the first half was very well thought out, and the second half was just thrown in to get the remaining mileage. Regardless, the course was relatively flat and well laid out for a first time marathoner. Philadelphia was a welcoming city to runners and I would definitely recommend this race!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think this would be a great race to run your first marathon. The race was just the right size: big enough to feel the excitement but not too big to feel overwhelmed at the start line. The expo and day of support were very well organized. While I didn't enjoy the out and back second half, I think the first half makes up for it. It does seem like the first half was very well thought out, and the second half was just thrown in to get the remaining mileage. Regardless, the course was relatively flat and well laid out for a first time marathoner. Philadelphia was a welcoming city to runners and I would definitely recommend this race!
