You start on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at seven in the morning, just east of Eakins Oval, and you finish on the same parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with the museum steps straight ahead. In between, you loop through the historic district, University City and Manayunk, where neighborhood residents come out to cheer, and the course's only two real hills arrive around miles seven and nine. The back section is a long out-and-back along the Schuylkill River through Fairmount Park, mostly flat, which is where you will want a steady pace and a warm layer in late November. The finish stays open seven hours. About 12,500 people finished the marathon in 2025, and the 2026 race sold out well before race day, so plan a year ahead.
Starts and finishes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: roughly a 16-mile loop through the historic district, University City and Manayunk, with the only two notable hills near miles 7 and 9, followed by a 10-mile out-and-back along the Schuylkill River through Fairmount Park. Course map ↗
The 2026 marathon, half and all Challenges are SOLD OUT as of 2026-10-13; the 8K and Kid's Run remain open. A waitlist application ran on Race Roster, and official charity partners may still have guaranteed-entry bibs. Deferrals (with an administrative fee) must be requested by Nov 1 and are valid only for the following year; bib transfers between individuals are not permitted. Register ↗
- The modern race was established in 1994 under Mayor Ed Rendell; the first edition had a little over 1,500 runners, and 2026 is the 32nd year. ↗
- In 2023 a combined 34,000 runners took part across race weekend, a participation record. ↗
- Course records are 2:13:28 (Mike Chesire, 2021) and 2:28:34 (Leslie Sexton, 2021). ↗
- The finish stays open 7 hours for the marathon, 3.5 hours for the half and 80 minutes for the 8K. ↗
- 8.7% of 2025 marathon finishers ran Boston-qualifying times on a course described as mostly flat to gently rolling. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.