Philadelphia Marathon course and route
The Philadelphia Marathon starts and finishes by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, at 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It runs through the historic district, University City and Fairmount Park, then out along Kelly Drive to Main Street in Manayunk around mile 20 and back beside the Schuylkill River. It climbs only about 6 m net.
USATF certified
TIAA Philadelphia Marathon
Philadelphia, PA
- Distance
- Marathon
- Net climb
- 6m20 ft
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from philadelphiamarathon.com
The Philadelphia course, mile by mile
The organizer's map is an image, but its hydration-station list gives the course by mile and street address. These are the 2026 stations, in order.
| Mile | Where |
|---|---|
| Start | 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near the Philadelphia Museum of Art |
| 2.9 | Columbus Boulevard, south of Spruce Street |
| 5.1 | 219 S 6th Street |
| 7.1 | 3025 Walnut Street |
| 8.3 | 34th Street and Mantua |
| 10.2 | Avenue of the Republic, Carousel House (gel just before) |
| 11.8 | Lansdowne Drive at Sweetbriar Lane |
| 13.5 and 15.3 | Fountain Green Drive and Reservoir Drive |
| 17.8 and 22.3 | Kelly Drive and South Ferry Road (gels at about 17.7 and 22.4) |
| 18.9 and 21.3 | 5026 Ridge Avenue |
| 19.8 and 20.2 | 4266 Main Street, Manayunk |
| 24.6 | Kelly Drive, just south of Fountain Green Drive |
| Finish | Toward the steps of the Art Museum |
Source: TIAA Philadelphia Marathon race page. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation and certification
The organizer calls it a beautiful, fast and scenic course and does not state an elevation figure in its race-page text. The USA Track and Field certificate for the 2026 course, PA24019JHP, lists a drop of -0.14 m per km: the finish is about 6 m higher than the start over 42.195 km.
The organizer states the race weekend events are USATF sanctioned and course-certified, and that it works with the Boston Marathon to verify qualifying times. For the standards themselves, see Boston qualifying times.
How to pace the Philadelphia Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the organizer's.
- Run the first half at goal pace. The city miles and the park come before halfway, and the organizer's hydration list puts a station at least every three miles. Use them to settle, not to make up time.
- Use the out-and-back. The hydration list names Kelly Drive at South Ferry Road at miles 17.8 and 22.3, Ridge Avenue at 18.9 and 21.3, and Main Street at 19.8 and 20.2. You run that stretch out to Manayunk and back, so you see the road ahead twice. Pace the way out so the way back is the faster half.
- Join a pace group. The organizer lists groups from 2:50 to 5:30. If you are chasing a Boston standard, run with the group just under it.
- Fuel at the gels. Gels come just past mile 10, at about 17.7 and at about 22.4. Practise taking them on that spacing in long runs.
Splits for any goal are in the marathon pace chart, and the race time predictor turns a recent race into a realistic target.
Entry, records and the 2026 race
The 2026 race on Sunday, November 22 is sold out. The organizer announced on July 24, 2026 that the marathon and half marathon had sold out earlier than in any of the 33 years the marathon has run, and it expects 40,000 participants across race weekend. Official charity partners may still have bibs. We found no 2027 date on the organizer's site as of 11 October 2026.
The course records are 2:13:28 for men (Mike Chesire, 2021) and 2:28:34 for women (Leslie Sexton, 2021). For your own training, our 16-week intermediate marathon plan is the base the plan bridge builds from.
Training for Philadelphia?
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16-week marathon plan
Intermediate · 4 runs a week
Starts next Monday
Level
Length
- Longest run
- 20mi
- Biggest week
- 42mi
- Whole plan
- 464mi
Train for this in Runsy
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The app builds your own plan when you set it up; this preview is a guide.
Week by week · 16 weeks · in miles
| Week | Phase | Long run | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | 9.9 | 22 |
| 2 | base | 11 | 24 |
| 3 | base | 12 | 27 |
| 4 | cutback | 8.7 | 19 |
| 5 | build | 14 | 30 |
| 6 | build | 15 | 32 |
| 7 | build | 16 | 35 |
| 8 | cutback | 11 | 24 |
| 9 | build | 17 | 38 |
| 10 | build | 19 | 41 |
| 11 | peak | 20 | 42 |
| 12 | peak | 20 | 42 |
| 13 | taper | 13 | 27 |
| 14 | taper | 8.7 | 19 |
| 15 | taper | 5.6 | 12 |
| 16 | race | 26.2 | 31 |
Train for the out-and-back, not just the distance
Knowing the course is the easy part. Runsy builds the marathon block for your race date and adapts it around the weeks life interrupts. $12.99/mo after a 7-day free trial. iPhone only.
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Fair questions
Is the Philadelphia Marathon an easy course?
No marathon is easy, but Philadelphia is a fast one on paper. The organizer calls it a beautiful, fast and scenic course, and the 2026 USATF certificate puts the finish only about 6 m higher than the start. The out-and-back along Kelly Drive to Manayunk runs between about miles 17.8 and 22.3.
How many people run the Philadelphia Marathon?
The organizer expects 40,000 participants across the whole 2026 race weekend, which includes the marathon, half marathon, 8K and kids' run. It does not give a marathon-only figure on the pages we checked. The 2026 marathon and half sold out on July 24, 2026.
Where does the Philadelphia Marathon start and finish?
At 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The organizer describes the finish as speeding toward the steps of the Art Museum.
What time does the Philadelphia Marathon start?
In 2026, runners and walkers start at 7:00 a.m. and push-rim wheelchairs at 6:55 a.m., on Sunday, November 22.
Is the Philadelphia Marathon a Boston qualifier?
The organizer states the race weekend events are USATF sanctioned and course-certified, and says it works with the Boston Marathon to verify qualifying times. The 2026 course has USATF certificate PA24019JHP.