I ran the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon—here’s what it was really like
The City of Brotherly Love showed its love to runners during the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon. Here’s what it was really like.
Taking on any marathon is always an extreme challenge, but if you can find a great place to run it in, it adds some excitement and fun to the mix. That’s why I chose to run the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon—a race I had been dreaming of running for several years now.
As a Midwesterner traveling in for the race (with Pennsylvania roots—my grandpa grew up in the Coal Region, and I have a lot of family in the Philadelphia area), I was so excited to experience the history of the area, try some of Philly’s best-known foods, and tackle 26.2 miles of the city’s streets during the race.
Registering for the race
Some races can be pretty costly, totaling several hundred dollars just for an entrance fee, before you even factor in the cost of new running shoes to replace your beaten-up ones, a hotel to stay in before the race, and possibly flying out to your destination. Part of that factored into my decision to fly to Philadelphia and take on this race, but I had also been wanting to run it for a long time, without knowing that it’s one of the more affordable marathons that I’ve come across (if you sign up early).
Knowing that I wanted to run it in 2025, I signed up the day after the 2024 marathon on the race’s website. It was a simple and straightforward process, and I was excited to be in Philadelphia within a year.
Training for the race
Training for a marathon is different for every runner. I’m not a natural runner—I don’t have the long legs and slight frame that make people like my brother, who is about a foot taller than me, seem like they can run with a natural ease and speed that I will never attain. I’m 5’2”, and had never really given running a go prior to 2017, so I take training pretty seriously and always go with a six-month program that builds on my long runs week-by-week.
I started training exactly six months before the race and built up to a point where I could run 20 miles, adding about a mile to my total each week.
The last few weeks of training are typically for tapering, where you gradually reduce the amount you’re running each week, going from a long run of 20 miles to 10 the next week, and then six. Tapering is an important, but stressful part of marathon training, because it allows your body time to recover and be in its best condition. Whenever I taper, though, I worry that I’m losing all of the fitness that I’ve spent five months working on (even though the science behind it proves otherwise). Going from running 20 miles at once to just six feels great physically but is a mental nightmare.
Philadelphia Marathon Weekend
Philadelphia doesn’t disappoint when it comes to their marathon weekend—and it does entail a full weekend. The race’s expo begins on Friday, while the shorter runs (half marathon and 8K) are held on Saturday.
Almost everywhere you go in Center City, you’ll see some sort of advertisement for the race weekend, which helped make me excited for the race, instead of just the intense nerves that I was feeling beforehand.
Race challenges
One of the coolest features of the Philadelphia Marathon is its three challenges. Runners can take on any of the races that are offered throughout the weekend—an 8K, a half marathon, or the full marathon—or they can compete in a challenge and do a combination of the runs.
The Independence Challenge consists of running the 8K on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. Anyone competing in the Independence Challenge receives medals for both races, as well as a separate Independence Challenge medal.
The Liberty Bell Challenge is for runners who want to take part in the race’s half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. Runners who participate in the challenge will receive medals for both races, as well as a separate medal for completing the Liberty Bell Challenge.
For runners who have never-ending endurance, the Freedom Challenge offers participants a chance to take part in all three races: the half marathon at 7 a.m. on Saturday, the 8K run at 11 a.m. the same day, and then the full marathon on Sunday. Participants in that challenge will get four medals: one for the half marathon, one for the 8K, one for the full marathon, and one for completing the Freedom Challenge.
The marathon was more than enough for me, but if I did the race again, I would definitely be interested in trying out the Independence Challenge.
The Expo
Every marathon has some sort of expo in the day, or days, leading up to it, where marathoners can pick up their race bib, their t-shirt, and any other goodies and merchandise they want to purchase along the way. Philadelphia was no different, offering a balloon-lined route to the back of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City, where we picked up all of the gear we would need to start the race on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Marathon expo also offers a chance to pick up some product samples from local vendors and race sponsors, like Yakult, which gave us tiny bottles of its probiotic milk drink.
Carboloading
Eating a lot of carbs is a must when it comes to getting ready for a big race. Carbohydrates help to maintain the body’s energy stores during prolonged exercise, like running 26.2 miles, and stocking up the night before helps you to start your race strong.
My dad, who traveled to Philadelphia with me to support me during the race, and I decided to indulge in some of our favorite carb-heavy foods the night before the race, and stopped by George’s Pizza, a no-frills local pizza place, which served us some delicious pies. We got a plain and a pepperoni, and were entertained by owner George Ofidis while we waited, who told us about the inspiration behind the restaurant’s Greek-inspired decor, and offered us shots of ouzo.
Getting to the start line
It was tricky to find a place to stay near the start line, so we instead booked an Airbnb in Northern Liberties, close to the SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transit system. The race kicked off at 7 a.m., and SEPTA started running at 5 a.m., giving us ample time to make it to the starting line. We took the L line from Girard Station to 15th Street/City Hall Station, and then walked for about 15 minutes to get to the start of the race.
What’s the race like?
The Philadelphia Marathon is, first and foremost, a fun race, especially if you’re a back-of-the-pack runner like me. If you’re not concerned about your time and just want to experience the course, this is the ideal race to join.
There are people all along the route, handing out snacks, hoisting hilarious signs, and even offering alcohol, and I mean a lot of alcohol. At nearly every mile, there was someone offering runners free whiskey, tequila, and beer.
The marathon also felt like an extremely local race. At one point, an announcer asked who was rooting for the Eagles in the Eagles-Cowboys football game being played later that day, and it seemed like every person around me started cheering. Everyone that I talked to in the corral leading up to the race was from Philadelphia or nearby suburbs.
I’ve previously run my hometown race, the Chicago Marathon, as well as races like the Paris Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon, all of which attract a crowd of runners from all over the world. I’m positive I wasn’t the only person who traveled in for the race, but it was cool to be a part of something that seemed to be so supported by the residents of the city.
The course
The best part of running the Philadelphia Marathon is experiencing the course. I was a bit nervous before it started, because unlike other races that I’ve done that weave through several neighborhoods, the Philadelphia Marathon has runners spending a long time in the city’s parks, and running alongside the Schuylkill River. My worries were for nothing, though, because the planned course provided a scenic and thoroughly enjoyable way to check out so much of the city.
The race starts on Parkway, in front of the Art Museum, and heads into Center City, and then Old City, passing by some of the city’s most well-known historic spots, like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It cuts across Philadelphia and over the Schuylkill River, going through the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University’s campuses, then passing the Philadelphia Zoo before entering Fairmount Park, where the race mostly stays for the rest of its duration.
Right before it ends, the course goes along Boathouse Row, a scenic and historic site along the Schuylkill River, with 15 boathouses housing the vessels for different rowing clubs in the area. The route curls along to the front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, where runners make their way through the finish line.
What happens after the race?
After crossing the finish line, runners are immediately given their finisher medals and foil wrappers, which help runners as they regulate their body temperature after putting in such a tremendous effort.
Then, you’re led through an area that has snacks like bananas, muffins, candy, and anything else that can help quell runners’ hunger and restore the salts and fluids that the body needs after running 26.2 miles.
When I finished going through the snack area, I found a bench to sit on and put on some sandals my dad brought to the finish line for me. Then we slowly walked to nearby McCrossen’s Tavern, where we could watch the end of the Chicago Bears game alongside a crowd of Philadelphia Eagles fans.
Afterwards, we kept walking and made it to Reading Terminal Market, where my hunger got the best of me, and we chowed down on cookies, and for me, a vegan cheesesteak from Luhv Vegan Deli, my way of embracing the city’s culinary highlights, while being a vegetarian. Then, we made it back to our Airbnb by Uber, and I fell asleep hard at 8:30 p.m.
My experience
I could barely feel my hands or feet when my corral, H, finally crossed the starting line at 7:40 a.m. I spent the first mile thinking something was either wrong with my shoe or my feet were just completely numb, but despite that, the intensity and excitement of the start line led me to run my first mile four minutes above my pace.
I was excited about how quickly I was moving through Center City, but I knew that I needed to slow down if I wanted to make it 26.2 miles. Slowing my pace, I was able to take in much more of the city, including the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects Philadelphia with Camden, N.J., and the Delaware River.
When I hit mile 16, in Fairmount Park, I felt an intense, stabbing pain in the arch of my foot. I thought “that’s not good,” but figured I could carry on and see how it goes. After running 16 miles, I was in no mood to quit the race. I stopped at mile 20 for a bathroom break, and when I started running again, I realized that I couldn’t run anymore because my foot pain was so severe.
I called my dad, who was waiting at the finish line, and told him that his wait might be a while longer because I was going to have to walk a majority of the last six miles. It’s often said that the first 20 miles of a marathon are a physical challenge, while the last six are a mental challenge. I’ve found that to be spot-on for other races I’ve done, but it wasn’t the same experience during the Philadelphia Marathon.
Mentally, I felt great. The crowd support in Manayunk, and along the rest of the course, which hugged the Schuylkill River, was incredible, and I loved seeing so much of the city. Physically, I felt absolutely horrible. I would be high-fiving the remaining viewers along the street, and singing along to the music I was blasting in my nearly 20-year-old iPod, while simultaneously wincing and gritting my teeth as another sharp pain came racing through my foot.
I asked a volunteer on the street if we would still get medals if we came in after the 7-hour cutoff—something I was extremely worried about—and she said, “Of course,” but added that we might be asked to move to the sidewalks. That was reassuring, and no problem for me, but ultimately something that I didn’t have to worry about. I finished the race, gritting my teeth because of the pain in my foot as I actually jogged the last mile, one minute short of the cutoff time.
Although my foot hurt badly, I’ve never had so much fun with a race before, thanks to all of the people on the streets cheering, the impressive historical sites along the course, and the gorgeous scenery. While I’m not able to fully walk yet, let alone start thinking about another marathon, running Philadelphia again is definitely on the radar.
Want to register?
Registration for next year’s race, scheduled for Nov. 22, is already open. Anyone interested in running the 2026 Philadelphia Marathon, or the accompanying 8K or half marathon races, can register on the race’s website. The marathon costs $151.89, the half marathon costs $125.70, and the 8K race costs $52.83, although runners can save money by signing up for one of the race challenges, where they can run a combination of the marathon and either (or both) of the other races throughout the weekend.
Runners can also sign up to run with a charity, where they instead fundraise a certain amount to enter the race.
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