The Philadelphia Marathon (aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon) is an annual marathon sporting event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the third Sunday of November each year since 1954. The Philadelphia Marathon ranks among the top ten in the nation's largest marathons with over 30,000 runners, 60,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers. The 30,000 runners come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and over 42 countries. The marathon course is professionally certified at by the Road Running Technical Council of USA Track & Field.
History
The roots of the Philadelphia Marathon (aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon and today known as the AACR Philadelphia Marathon) can be traced back to 1954, the race's unofficial inaugural year. The marathon then largely was a suburban event and went by many different names; the Greater Philadelphia Independence Marathon (1981–82) and the Fairmount Park Marathon (1988–89). The marathon today, was established under the name of the Philadelphia Marathon in 1994 under then Mayor Ed Rendell as an annual running event that took place entirely within the City of Philadelphia.
This yearly event takes place on the 3rd Sunday in November or “the Sunday before Thanksgiving”. The Marathon is a top U.S. running event and top Boston qualifier with 30,000 runners participating in one or more of 7 featured events. Those events include, the AACR Philadelphia Marathon, Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon, Rothman Orthopaedic 8K and four challenges where runners compete in completing multiple race combinations over two days. The Philadelphia Marathon Weekend has over 60,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers who provide valuable race day support. Working along with volunteers from local schools, colleges and universities and the community actively participate to organize cheer zones, manage replenishment stations, monitor the course and provide support to help runners have their best possible runner experience while in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection”.
As a major City event, the Marathon is produced by the City of Philadelphia, Managing Director's Office. In 1995,a group of dedicated runners and Dr. Peter Sharkey of the Rothman Institute, a top Philadelphia orthopedic practice, sponsored a smaller running event as part of the Sunday Marathon event. Now, 23 years and 3,000 runners later, the Rothman 8K is an integral part of Marathon Weekend and an enjoyable event for beginners or those who just want to run. It is also for some, a warm-up for the longer distances. In 2006, a half marathon was added to the Sunday line up by Janis Pierce, the City Representative at that time, and a runner and in 2016 the race moved to a two day event with the half marathon and 8K on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday.
In 2011, two competitors died, which were the first deaths to occur in the Philadelphia Marathon in over a decade. The first was Jeffrey Lee, a 21-year-old Nursing and Wharton student attending the University of Pennsylvania. Having collapsed after crossing the finish line of an apparent heart attack, the cause of his death actually remains unknown. Although the cause of death was officially diagnosed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, after further examination of the autopsy, it was concluded that the diagnosis may not have been accurate since the size of his heart would have been normal for an athlete. Therefore, medical professionals believe his death may have been caused by an underlying heart condition, not a heart attack. The second death was of Chris Gleason, a 40-year-old experienced triathlete from Clifton Park, NY. Gleason collapsed a quarter-mile from the finish line from heart attack.
In 2013, Gore-Tex was announced to be the title sponsor for the next three years.
In 2017, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) was announced to be the title sponsor for the next three years for the full marathon.
In 2017, Dietz & Watson was announced to be the official sponsor for the half marathon.
In 2017, the Rothman Institute agreed to continue its sponsorship of the 8K event. The Rothman Institute has been part of the Philadelphia Marathon for over 19 years, dating back to when Drs. Richard Rothman and Peter Sharkey began sponsoring the 8K as part of their community outreach efforts.
In 2017, Dunkin' Donuts was announced to be the official sponsor for the Dunkin' Munchkins Run.
In 2018, Garmin joined the team of sponsors for the Marathon, and was named the official timer and running watch for that year's marathon.