ING Philadelphia Distance Run Vs. Philadelphia Half marathon

[ReAnSt]

So for those of you who have run the ING Philadelphia Distance Run 1/2 Marathon in September and the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November, which did you prefer and why? Which race would you recommend?

Or if you have run one or the other what did you like and dislike about it?

If it makes a difference, I am a beginner and have never run a half marathon before.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

 

[mla1977]

Becky,

I don't know where you live, but Philly in September can be just as bad as Philly in July. I did the Rothman 8k as part of the marathon in November. It was really cold at the start, but felt great once we started moving.

 

[ReAnSt]

Becky,

I don't know where you live, but Philly in September can be just as bad as Philly in July. I did the Rothman 8k as part of the marathon in November. It was really cold at the start, but felt great once we started moving.

Thanks!
I am in Berks county so about an hourish away depending on traffic, the weather, etc. I know it can be pretty hot in September.

 

[lourodrigis]

I have run the PDR and the full Philly Marathon the past 2 years. The full and the 1/2 run the same 13.1 miles so I basically ran the 1/2 course twice.

The courses are basically the same. You start and finish at the Art Museum and run the first part of the race in Center City and the second part around the Schuylkill River.

In my opinion, the PDR is a better race if you are looking to make running a half a goal. The PDR is a great race period and the whole focus of the race is all about running a 1/2 marathon. There is a lot of excitement at the start and finish. Running the 1/2 in November seems kind of anti-climatic because you run 13.1 miles with a big crowd of people and then a portion of the runners break off for the 1/2 finish and a larger portion head towards the 2nd half of the full marathon. Most of the crowd is obviously there to cheer on and see the full marathon runners.

The PDR also has a bit of a Rock n Roll theme but I haven't been too impressed by the bands around the course. The Eagles Fight Band has been the best act the past 2 years.

The weather for the PDR the past 2 years has been awesome (45/dry in 2007 and 55/dry in 2008). Obviously it can get warm but lately we haven't been getting very warm temps late into September in Philly.

I love running in Philly so you really can't go wrong with either race.

Lou

 

[jbucci]

I am also a very new running and live in the Philia area. My DH and I ran both of these races and our 2nd and 3rd half marathons. I liked the PDR a bit better for the reasons Lou listed and because it was a flatter course. Don't get me wrong, the Philia half was not terribly hilly, but definetely had more inclines for my newbie legs. It was also really cold this year in Nov and all of the water stations were ice slicks-- I know you can't really predict the weather year to year, but the ice was not fun. Both races did give you a nice view of the city-- PDR spent a bit more time along the river and the marathon a bit more in the city itself.