The Philadelphia Marathon is this weekend and there is expected to be a record-setting 37,000 runners at this year’s race through Center City, Old City, University City, Mantua and Fairmount Park. Besides the races, there are also plenty of events packed in from Friday to Sunday.
The runners breakdown:
- 17,000 participants running the full marathon
- 15,000 running the half
- 5,000 doing the 8K
Here’s the rundown of what races are scheduled (FYI, it’s too late to sign up for most at this point), what other events are happening for runners and spectators, where you can cheer people on, and what the road closures will look like.
The races and events
There are four races over the course of the weekend: the Dietz & Watson-sponsored half marathon and the Rothman Orthopedics 8K on Saturday, then the AACR Philadelphia Marathon and Nemours Children’s Run on Sunday.
There are also challenges, in which runners complete multiple events:
- The Patriot Challenge for running the 8K and the half
- The Independence Challenge for the 8K and the marathon
- The Liberty Bell Challenge for the half and full marathons
- The Freedom Challenge for running all three races
Saturday
- The half marathon starts at 6:55 a.m. for those who use push rim wheelchairs, followed by the running athletes at 7 a.m. The start line is on 22nd and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, east of Eakins Oval.
- The 8K begins at 10:55 a.m. with the push rim wheelchair athletes, followed at 11 a.m. by the running athletes. It starts in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, near the Rocky Statue.
Sunday
- The full marathon starts at 6:55 a.m. with those who use push rim wheelchairs, followed by the running athletes at 7 a.m. The start line is on 22nd and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, east of Eakins Oval.
- The Children’s Run begins at 10 a.m. It starts at Von Colln Memorial Field, next to 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
All three races finish back at Eakins Oval on Kelly Drive, near Spring Garden Street.
Other events throughout the weekend include:
- The free Health and Fitness Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where runners will pick up their bibs and race packets. It will be kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Friday, then continue from 12 to 9 p.m. that day and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
- The Nemours Children’s Fun Zone, which will have family-friendly activities like face painting, a rock-climbing wall and a bounce zone, at the same time and place as the Expo.
Online registration has been closed for all the adult races since September, but there are still spots left for the Children’s Run — on-site registration can be done at the Expo or at the Fun Zone.
SEPTA has posted details on its route detours for the weekend and the best ways to get to the race. You can check for the latest alerts here before you head out. The marathon’s website also has information for the hotel shuttle service on race days.
When and where to cheer on runners
Runsignup.com recommends the following spots to see the runners for the half and full marathons, and when is the best time be at them. You can also set up race tracking to follow how your runners are doing — and send them audio cheers on their phone — here.
For the half marathon:
- Start Line: Benjamin Franklin Parkway (5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
- Miles .8 & 2.9: 16th and Arch streets at Café Cret (7:25 to 8:45 a.m.)
- Mile 1.8: 6th and Market streets (7:30 – 8:30 a.m.)
- Mile 2.6: 15th and Market streets, on the northwest corner (7:30 to 8:30 a.m.)
- Mile 3.1: Eakins Oval, on the riverside (7:45 to 9:10 a.m.)
- Mile 5.1: Sweetbriar and Martin Luther King Drive (7:45 to 9:15 a.m.)
- Mile 6.8: Martin Luther King Drive and Black Road (7:50 to 10 a.m.)
- Mile 7.8: Ford Road and Chamounix Drive (8 to 10:15 a.m.)
- Mile 9.1: Strawberry Mansion and Huntington drives (8:10 to 10:30 a.m.)
- Mile 10.3: Diamond and Reservoir drives (8:15 to 10:45 a.m.)
- Mile 12: Brewery Hill and Kelly drives, entering from Girard Avenue (8:20 to 11:10 a.m.)
- Mile 12.6: Kelly and Sedgley drives, at Lloyd Hall (8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
- Mile 13.1: The finish line at Kelly Drive near Spring Garden Street
For the full marathon:
- Start Line: Benjamin Franklin Parkway (5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
- Mile 1: 16th and Arch streets at Café Cret (6:55 to 7:40 a.m.)
- Mile 1.5: 10th and Arch streets at Friendship Gate in Chinatown (7 to 7:55 a.m.)
- Mile 2.2: Columbus Boulevard at Race Street near Fringe Arts (7 to 8 a.m.)
- Mile 3.8: Washington Avenue between Columbus Boulevard and Front Street (7 to 8:30 a.m.)
- Mile 4.5: 2nd and South streets at Bridget Foy’s (7:05 to 8:30 a.m.)
- Mile 5.1: 6th and Walnut streets (7:05 to 8:40 a.m.)
- Mile 6: Broad and Chestnut streets (7:10 to 9 a.m.)
- Mile 6.5: 21st and Chestnut streets at Caffeination (7:10 to 9 a.m.)
- Mile 7: Chestnut Square at 32nd and Chestnut streets (7:10 to 9:19 a.m.)
- Mile 7.5: 34th and Chestnut streets at Domus (7:10 to 9:15 a.m.)
- Mile 8: 34th Street and Fairmount Avenue (7:15 to 9:30 a.m.)
- Mile 8.3: 34th Street and Girard Avenue at the Philadelphia Zoo (7:15 to 9:30 a.m.)
- Mile 10: The Please Touch Museum at West Memorial Drive and Avenue of the Republic (7:15 to 9:45 a.m.)
- Mile 10.8: States Drive and Belmont Avenue (7:18 to 9:55 a.m.)
- Mile 11.9: Martin Luther King Drive and Black Road (7:20 to 10 a.m.)
- Miles 14.3 and 25.7: Sedgley Avenue and Kelly Drive (7:25 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- Miles 14.7 and 24.6: Kelly and Fountain Green drives (7:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.)
- Miles 17.2 and 22.9: Hunting Park and Kelly Drive at Laurel Hill Cemetery (7:35 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)
- Miles 17.7 and 22.4: Kelly Drive and Ferry Street (7:35 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.)
- Miles 18.3 and 21.9: Ridge Avenue and Kelly Drive, near the I-76 off ramp (7:40 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.)
- Miles 18.9 and 21.1: Main Street and Ridge Avenue (7:40 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Miles 19.8 and 20.2: Main and Cotton Streets at Winnie‘s LeBus (7:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.)
- Mile 20: Main and Carson streets (7:45 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.)
- Mile 26.2: Finish Line, Kelly Drive near Spring Garden Street
Road closures
- On Friday, the inner drive lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway will be closed in both directions from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- The outbound lanes will be opened after 2:45 p.m. for afternoon rush hour, along with the inbound lanes from 22nd Street to Logan Circle.
- After evening rush hour, all inner lanes will be closed again from Binswanger Triangle to 20th Street, with cross traffic allowed on 22nd and 21st streets.
- Starting from 2 a.m. on Saturday, vehicles along the race route will be moved and the city’s “No Parking” regulations will be strictly enforced.
Saturday’s road closures for the half marathon and the 8K will be the following:
2 a.m. Closures
- 2000-2400 for the inner drives of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Spring Garden Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 23rd Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 22nd Street, from Winter Street to Park Towne Place (with local access to Park Towne Place)
- 21st Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Winter Street
3 a.m.
- I-676 off-ramp at 22nd Street, westbound
- 31st and Spring Garden streets, which will be a soft close
- Eastbound I-76 at Spring Garden Street.
5:45 a.m
- Columbus Boulevard, Callowhill Street to Walnut Street, southbound only
6 a.m.
- 17th Street, from Arch Street to Vine Street
- 18th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 19th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 20th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 21st Street, from Arch Street to Spring Garden Street
- 22nd Street, from Arch Street to Spring Garden Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 16th Street to 20th Street
- Market Street, from 6th Street to 16th Street
- Chestnut Street, from 5th Street to 8th Street
- 6th Street, from Market Street to Chestnut Street
- 5th Street, from Chestnut Street to Race Street
- South Penn Square
- Juniper Street, from Chestnut Street to Market Street
- John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from Juniper Street to 17th Street
- 15th Street, from Race Street to Chestnut Street
- 16th Street, from Chestnut Street to Race Street
- Race Street, from 6th Street to Columbus Boulevard
- Columbus Boulevard’s southbound lanes, from Callowhill Street to Washington Avenue
- The Southbound off-ramp of I-95 at Washington Avenue
- Washington Avenue, from Columbus Boulevard to Front Street
- Front Street, from Washington Avenue to South Street
- South Street, from Front Street to 7th Street
- 6th Street, from Bainbridge Street to Locust Street
- Lombard Street, from 5th Street to Broad Street
- 13th Street, from Bainbridge Street to Chestnut Street
- Walnut Street, from 12th Street to 34th Street
- 33rd Street, from Walnut Street to Spring Garden Street
- 34th Street, from Walnut Street to Girard Avenue
- Spring Garden Street, from 32nd Street to 34th Street
- Girard Avenue, 33rd Street to 38th Street
- 33rd Street, from Girard Avenue to Cecil B. Moore Avenue
- Reservoir Drive, from 33rd Street to Diamond Drive
- Pleasant Drive
- Fountain Green Drive
- Kelly Drive
6:45 a.m.
- Columbus Boulevard, Callowhill Street to Washington Avenue (southbound)
- Columbus Boulevard, Snyder Avenue to Callowhill Street (northbound)
Many Center City and West Philly roads will open as the race winds down and they are serviced and cleared, with all streets, except for Eakins Oval, scheduled to be reopened by 2 p.m.
Eakins Oval is scheduled to reopen at 5 p.m., but the inbound inner drive of the Ben Franklin Parkway, from Binswanger Triangle to 22nd Street, will remain closed.
Sunday 2 a.m. will see the same parking restrictions as the previous day, plus the following road closures:
2 a.m.
- The 2000-2400 inner drives of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Spring Garden Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 23rd Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 22nd Street, from Winter Street to Park Towne Place (with local access to Park Towne Place)
- 21st Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Winter Street
3 a.m.
- The I-676 off-ramp at 22nd Street, westbound
- 31st and Spring Garden streets, which is again a soft close
- Eastbound I-76 at Spring Garden Street
5:45 a.m. Closures
- Columbus Boulevard, CallowhilI Street to Walnut Street (southbound only)
6:00 a.m. Closures
- 17th Street, from Arch Street to Vine Street
- 18th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 19th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 20th Street, from Arch Street to Callowhill Street
- 21st Street, from Arch Street to Spring Garden Street
- 22nd Street, from Arch Street to Spring Garden Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 16th Street to 20th Street
- Arch Street, between 3rd Street and 16th Street
- 4th Street, between Arch Street and Vine Street
- Race Street, from 6th Street to Columbus Boulevard
- Columbus Boulevard’s southbound lanes, from Callowhill Street to Washington Avenue
- Southbound off-ramp, from I-95 at Washington Avenue
- Washington Avenue, from Columbus Boulevard to Front Street
- Front Street, from Washington Avenue to South Street
- South Street, from Front Street to 7th Street
- 6th Street, from Bainbridge Street to Market Street
- Chestnut Street, from 6th Street to 16th Street
- 15th Street from Chestnut Street to Walnut Street
- Walnut Street from Broad Street to 34th Street
- Chestnut Street, from 33rd Street to 34th Street
- 34th Street, from Walnut Street to Girard Avenue
- Girard Avenue, 33rd Street to 38th Street
- Lansdowne Drive, from Girard Avenue to South Concourse Drive
- South Concourse Drive, from Lansdowne to West Memorial Hall Drive
- East Memorial Hall Drive, from South Concourse to Avenue of the Republic
- Avenue of the Republic, from East Memorial Hall Drive to Catholic Fountain
- Belmont Avenue, Montgomery to Parkside Avenue
- States Drive to Lansdowne Drive
- Lansdowne Drive to Girard Avenue
- Girard Avenue Bridge, from Lansdowne Drive to 33rd Street
- 33rd Street, from Girard Avenue to Reservoir Drive
- Reservoir Drive, from 33rd Street to Edgley Drive
- Edgley Drive, from Reservoir Drive to Fountain Green Drive
- Fountain Green Drive, from Edgley Drive to Kelly Drive
- Kelly Drive
- The Falls Bridge
- Ridge Avenue, from Schoolhouse Lane to Manayunk Avenue
- Main Street, from Ridge Avenue to Conarroe Street
6:45 a.m. Closures
- Columbus Boulevard, Callowhill Street to Washington Avenue (southbound)
- Columbus Boulevard, Snyder Avenue to Callowhill Street (northbound)
