The third Sunday of November doesn’t just mean we’re four days from Thanksgiving -- it’s also the yearly date of the Philadelphia Marathon, and 2010 is no different.
Philadelphia Marathon: 17th Annual Race Begins Sunday With 11,000 Runners
The 17th annual Philadelphia Marathon begins Sunday at 7 a.m. ET, at 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklink Parkway (near the Philadelphia Museum of Art). Roughly 11,000 runners are expected to attempt the 26.2 mile course that winds through the heart of the city -- “Center City to Penn’s Landing, University City, and Manayunk before winding along Kelly Drive and back to the Art Museum.”
Last year’s race was won by John Crews of Raleigh, NC, in 2:17:15. Jutta Merilainen (Ontario, Canada) won the women’s division in 2:46:44. But this year, the course has changed and is now flatter. And flatter means faster.
“They changed the course this year, taking out one of the hills, so the times should be lower,” said [last year’s third-place finisher, Karl] Savage, who instead will run in the half marathon that goes off at the same time as the 26.2-mile race.
“This course is mostly flat and fast,” Savage said, “so runners in good shape should really do well.”
The weekend’s festivities begin Saturday, with the Rothman Institute 8K at 7:30 A.M. There’s also a Verizon Kids Fun Run and the Health & Fitness Expo at Pennsylvania Convention Center Hall D.
For more coverage, visit SB Nation Philadelphia, as well as the Philadelphia Marathon’s official site.
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