Pennsylvania

Morning temps in mid-30's felt good as I strolled maybe a mile up Benjamin Franklin Parkway from my hotel to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, where Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps in Rocky). Given a slow-moving line for the porto-potties, I made it to the official start with maybe just five minutes to spare.

Philadelphia Freedom

The crowd of about 4700 headed toward downtown, looped around Logan Square, came back to the Museum to pass under the finish line, and then headed to the city again. The crowd had thinned significantly by the time I hit m2 and went east on Arch Street. From this point on I'd find very little spectator support, and frequent police escorts constantly reminded me of my far-back position. The course took me through Chinatown, Front Street, a cobblestone section, and west on South Street through a very pretty older section.

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I saw Independence Hall before turning left on Chestnut, going through town, and crossing the Schuylkill River. A right turn on 34th led uphill through Drexel University and a residential area. A long down-and-uphill led me past America's First Zoo. Another significant down-and-up led into Fairmount Park (below).

The course enters the park between the columns at left

At several points I could see other runners, at one point maybe 50 ft. away (going the other way, visible down the road to the left of the two marathoners at far right in the photo above), and others across the river, miles ahead on the course, on Kelly Drive headed to Manayunk. Dang annoying. Still, having finished all the significant uphills, I finally made the mental shift into gear. I enjoyed the miles through the park and downhill to run along the Schuylkill.

After crossing the river I made a slight climb to the Museum of Art. The course headed left immediately in front of the crowd who fixed their attention on the sub-3:00 runners crossing the finish line, in the lanes to my right.

See that finish line to the right? It's just over 13 miles away.
See those crowds to the left? Think they'll still be here when I finish
in about three hours? Hahahahahhh

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From the crest roughly an hour ago, I'd seen that all along Kelly Drive and into Manayunk I'd run north on the left as other runners headed south on the right. Though most of the many trees had lost more than half their leaves this late in autumn, I found this part of the course the most attractive, curving and mostly flat along the Schuylkill.

I stopped in maybe m15 to change to a dry prosthetic sock to prevent blistering. Gradually the crowd to my right, nearing their finish, grew smaller and slower. I began playing leapfrog with a few other participants for the rest of the event.

Kelly Drive out and back, the majority of the second half

Entering Manayunk the natural scenery yielded to the blandness of commercialism, which in turn yielded to the equally commercial but quaintly attractive old town. I admired its architecture and the feel, but I didn't care for the uphill that took me there.

I crested the hill and coasted down to the turnaround. Beginning the final return segment I found maybe a dozen more participants trailing me. The pleasant afternoon helped keep up my spirits. Work crews had begun dismantling aid stations and removing mile signs from m22 on.

Approaching the museum I got a little boost as I met several people wearing their medals. I revved up for the finish. Clocked my best time since Chicago last year (5:49).

I hitched a ride to the hotel, had some pizza, and later walked to Chinatown for take-out. I recognized Kiniki (who'd worn the "Yebo Swaziland" shirt in the race) sitting at dinner with two friends who did the 8K, two friends who cheered, and her marathon companion Kelly (whom the group now calls "Kelly Drive"). I sat to visit with the crowd a few minutes, bringing my race day to a pleasant close.

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