Posted by a fan, Mayor Nutter cheers on finishers of the Philadelphia Marathon.

 What an amazing day for the Philadelphia Marathon. As I sit here and look out onto the finish line, there are so many stories that continue to emerge.

“Today is a great day for a marathon,” said Mayor Nutter. “Our course is flat, fast, scenic and historic. Philadelphia continues to be one of the best cities in the country for running.”

This is my second time working at the Philadelphia Marathon and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly the sport of running continues to grow. I really believe that if our race doubled in size, we would still sell out registrations.

Keeping up with the excitement in the crowd, Mayor Nutter admired the marathoners for their tremendous dedication and courage, physically and emotionally.  As far as running it, he smiled and said he would “stick to being mayor.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog posts and hope to continue read this beyond the race.  Thanks again for your comments, suggestions and continued interest.

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John Crews, 25, and Amy Kelly, 23, first met as teammates on the track and cross country teams at North Carolina State. The pair share a love for running, and today, top finishing times.

Finishing at 2:17:15, less than 30 seconds short of the men’s record, John Crews won his first Philadelphia Marathon title and third overall. The NC State mechanical engineering graduate student finished to the sound of a dozen friends and family members screaming his name as he crossed the finish line.

Included in that crowd is his biggest fan, Philadelphia native Amy Kelly, his fiancée.  Kelly herself just finished her first Rothman 8K in third place with a time of 28:54, which, to put it in perspective, is an average pace of 5 minutes and 18 seconds, or a little faster than 11 miles per hour.

“Running has taught me so much about life,” Kelly noted. “I’ve learned discipline, persistence and, overall, how to be a good person.”

When I asked the to-be-married couple whether they envision their children to be runners, both answered with an enthusiastic nod. After all, Kelly’s father is also her running coach and her mother is a long distance runner.

Back in Raleigh, Crews teaches an engineering class to undergraduates when he’s not studying. He returns to the South this week and hopes his students have followed his progress.

“I have some runners and tri-athletes in my class, so I hope they’ll be proud of me,” said Crews.

Both Crews and Kelly hope to return next year to run as husband and wife. Fittingly, their wedding party is composed of runners on both sides and a pre-nuptial run is in the works before the big day.

“I loved the course. It was a nice, fast run, and very scenic,” continued Crews. “The last mile was emotional; it’s still sinking in that I won.”

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Just a few minutes ago I had a chance to speak with half marathon top finisher Mia Swenson, a 24-year-old New York City native and first-time runner in the Philadelphia Marathon.

While Swenson has been running since she was 11, she made the decision to run her first half marathon last fall. She chose Philly because it was a fast course and friendly to marathon newbies.

And her finishing time wasn’t bad for a first-timer: fifth place in the half marathon female division with a final time of 1:20:56.

“The finish line and fans cheering for me on Chestnut Street were my favorite parts,” said Swenson. “When I finished I was relieved and tired, but excited.”

Swenson has no formal plans to run another marathon again, but something tells me another marathon is in her future.

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Good morning, runners!

As race participants are already off, we’ve truly been blessed with a beautiful day. It’s sunny and about 41 degrees now, but it will heat up to about 58 degrees — perfect race weather!

Today I’ll be blogging live from the Philadelphia Marathon, so stay tuned for my interview with Runner’s World Chief Running Officer and author Bart Yasso and many others.

Best of luck to everyone and see you at the finish line!

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When Mark Sullivan ran the Philadelphia Marathon back in 1994 with his wife, Robin, he always knew the race had the potential to grow into the race it is today.

From humble beginnings of only 1,500 runners, this year’s race will involve 20,000 participants and more than 100,000 spectators along 26.2 miles of history in Philadelphia.

Sullivan, of course, should know.  He’s run every single Philadelphia Marathon since its founding and tomorrow, he hopes to complete his 16^th marathon in Philly and 138^th overall. He’s also the founder of irunicoach.com, a running coaching and consulting company in his hometown of Freeburg, Pennsylvania and online.

He credits his long list of marathon finishes with a six-day running routine before race day. Roughly, his race routine breaks down to the following schedule:

• Day 1:  Run 40 minutes at a comfortable pace with 20 minutes of one-minute pick-ups (alternating one minute of running fast with one minute of easy running)
• Day 2:  REST
• Day 3:  Run 40 minutes at a comfortable pace then 20 minutes followed by 30-second pick-ups
• Day 4:  Run 30 minutes at a comfortable pace
• Day 5:  REST
• Day before race:  20 minutes at a comfortable pace

A hearty breakfast on race day also helps.

“I eat about 1,000 calories for breakfast on race day,” said Sullivan at the Mayor’s reception on Friday night at JW’s Steakhouse at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. “Some people eat more, some eat less, but for me 1,000 calories seem to work best.”

As for tips on the course of the Philadelphia Marathon, which is known as one of the fastest races in the country because of its mostly level course, Sullivan has a few.

“Around mile seven and a half where Chestnut Street turns into 34^th Street, don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re running uphill. I find it’s good to prepare mentally and reserve some energy for that point,” suggested Sullivan. “I also find that staying positive after crossing the finish line is important because the second half of the race is very different from the first half.”

And while his favorite part of the course is still crossing over the finish line, he also enjoys the diversity of the course, familiarity and recognizable faces along the race route, including one fan who has cheered him on for the past 12 years. 

Tomorrow Mark will be one of 10,000 marathoners, 8,000 half-marathoners and 2,000 Rothman 8K participants to put their best foot forward in the 16^th Annual Philadelphia Marathon.

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Just an hour ago, City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, City Representative and Philadelphia Marathon Executive Director Melanie Johnson, members of Students Run Philly Style, sponsors and fans gathered at the legendary Rocky statue to discuss the details of the upcoming 2009 Philadelphia Marathon Weekend.

Some of the highlights included today’s successful completion of the inaugural Philadelphia Marathon First Wave Warrior Race abroad, the unveiling of this year’s medal design, the City’s ongoing commitment to sustainability during the marathon and the announcement of the Rothman 8K race migration to Saturday during the 2010 Philadelphia Marathon.

While 20,000 participants will race here on Sunday, hundreds of men and women serving our country finished the Philadelphia Marathon this morning in the Bavarian region of Germany. This opportunity was facilitated by legendary race announcer Rob Powers and supported by the City of Philadelphia. We should be receiving some photos soon, so as soon as I receive a few, I’ll be sure to post them on this blog.

In the crowd, audience members wiped away tears as Isaiah and Jessica, local high school students and participants in the Students Run Philly Style program, shared their stories about their personal and athletic evolution. Both will be running in the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend.

For those who won’t be running on Sunday, cheer zones are set up in each neighborhood along the marathon’s 26.2 miles.  You’ll see mascots, musicians and other surprises along the route.  Also, I encourage you to upload photos to our Facebook Philadelphia Marathon Fan Page to show us parts of the course that our team isn’t able to cover.

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks at the Philadelphia Marathon. I’ll be blogging on Friday to give you an all-access look into a private awards reception, attending the Runners’ Buffet on Saturday and interviewing participants, coaches and other race greats such as Bart Yasso, Runner’s World Chief Running Officer and marathon coach, Bill Rodgers, former Olympian, 22-time marathoner and winner of the 1974 Philadelphia Marathon.

And of course, on race day, check back here for updates throughout the day.

I wish everyone luck as race day approaches and hope to see you this weekend!

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The 16^th annual Philadelphia Marathon will be a banner year for our city with 20,000 runners of all levels participating from around the world.  This race also involves hundreds of others behind the scenes to make the event a great success: volunteers!

Last year because I could not run the race (I was recovering from a tendinitis injury), I decided to “be a part of it” and volunteer.  I met elite athletes, top area runners, people who have overcome all odds to realize their dream in running in a marathon and many, many other interesting people.

Volunteers are needed in all areas of the race — Health & Fitness Expo assistance, course marshals to help direct runners, hydration stations to provide water to racers and post-event finisher medals and heat sheet distribution.

Our partner, Philadelphia Cares, is asking interested volunteers to sign up via email at volunteer@gpcares.com and recruit others to do their part in making this historic event a success again this year.  You can volunteer for shifts on Friday, November 20; Saturday, November 21; or on race day, Sunday, November 22.

And here’s the best part: all volunteers receive a Philadelphia Marathon sweatshirt. I still wear mine proudly and encourage you to do the same after the race.

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It all began when I was a youngster stealing sips from my mother’s cup. First it was a sip without her noticing and then before I knew it I was starting my day with a three-cup fix. Soon I was yearning for ice cream made with it.

For decades, caffeine and I have enjoyed a loving relationship, mostly through coffee.

When I need a little boost, there is my cup of Joe full of caffeine. On nights out, you can find me with a soda in hand.  So it would make sense that this relationship would transcend my pre-work routine into my workouts.

Many runners swear by a cup of black coffee before a run because they say it gives them a boost and allows them to run faster for a longer amount of time. I can attest to this theory because, after a friend recommended it to me, I noticed that I was able to run without fatigue and now I’ve made it a regular part of my long runs.

According to research, drinking coffee or ingesting other forms of caffeine is said to improve a runner’s time by 10-15 percent. While this struck me as odd, I tested it during two Sunday afternoons. Sure enough, my times improved when I drank a cup of coffee 30 minutes prior to running, but it was closer to eight percent, not 10.

Caffeine is said to have three main advantages: it helps burn body fat as fuel instead of glycogen, it releases calcium stored in muscles which assists in an athlete’s endurance and speed, and it lowers the rate of perceived exertion, as stated in Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer’s book, The World of Caffeine. On the down side, caffeine causes your stomach to produce more acid, thereby potentially leading to indigestion; it affects the quality and length of sleep time; and the biggest downfall, it makes urination occur more frequently.

While greats like ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes prefer coffee or caffeine before a workout, others remain skeptical. The International Olympic Committee, for example, listed it on its prohibited substances. (To be clear, the Olympic Committee banned excessive caffeine, with an equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine or more. In layman’s terms, that’s about five cups of coffee per day when “caffeine in moderation” is defined as three cups a day.)

Despite the cons, I write this as I enjoy my cup of Old City Coffee and prepare for another enjoyable run.

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While you are training for your personal record (PR), the Philadelphia Marathon is reaching its own PR!  Faster than ever, the full marathon has sold out and the half marathon just closed days ago.
 
Since its founding in 1994, the Philadelphia Marathon has grown steadily through the years. The first race began with only 1,500 participants — known among Philadelphians as “The Little Race That Could.” Last year, 18,000 runners “Kicked Asphalt” during the Philadelphia Marathon’s 15th anniversary.  And now, the reachable goal of 20,000 runners is in view as 18,000 runners have registered to show us what “Running Means,” the theme of this year’s race. 
 
I’ve already began receiving emails and phone calls from fellow runners (and walkers) who missed their chance to run the full or half marathon. Many people figured that the race didn’t fill up until closer to the race date, but this year registrations were up by more than 6,500 than this time a year ago. For those who still want to be a part of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon, the Rothman Institute 8K and team is still open.
 
And if long-distance running or walking isn’t for you, don’t forget, being a spectator not only keeps the race participants engaged throughout the race, but it serves as day-long entertainment. The zany costumes, cheetah-like elite runners and the familiar faces of your friends and family keep the Philadelphia Marathon from reaching a dull moment.

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I’ve been receiving a lot of queries as the Philadelphia Marathon nears about a suggested training route. While I think this is a pretty subjective question, I’ll offer my top three places to run in Philadelphia.

Kelly Drive: This is a favorite for most runners because the scenery is absolutely spectacular. I also enjoy running this route because it’s mostly flat, demarcated for distance and pretty heavily trafficked for people watching. Kelly Drive is a leg of the Philadelphia Marathon course so it also serves as some practice prior to the race. While most routes can get somewhat rote after some time, I’ve been running along Kelly Drive for years and I still feel a sense of pride every time I run along Boathouse Row.

Ben Franklin Bridge: An out and back run along the Ben Franklin Bridge is a little more than 3.5 miles. It’s a great spot to run because there are uphill and downhill stretches which make for a great workout. I’m not a huge fan of running on a bridge (and the Ben Franklin is noted as the “World’s Largest Suspension Bridge”) because I dislike heights, especially over a large body of water, but it is pretty exhilarating when you’re finished. The Ben Franklin Bridge also has more than one thing in common with the Philadelphia Marathon other than real estate. It was designed by famous architect Paul Cret, who also designed the Ben Franklin Parkway —  the location of both the starting point and finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon.

Penn’s Landing: While most people from out of town may think that this is the most popular training route, I always think of Penn’s Landing as the race route less travelled. It’s much less crowded than Kelly Drive, but it’s just as flat and also is home to some really great sights. It’s a straight shot of 10 blocks between Vine Street and South Street and if you want to continue further into FDR Park and to the sports stadiums, it’s not that far.  I also like to reward myself for a job well done with a cannoli from the Italian Market, but that’s fodder for another time.

If you want to explore more training runs, favoriterun.com is a great Web site to visit. Definitely check it out when you have the time.

And, as a heads-up, the Philadelphia Marathon is almost full, so register now if you haven’t already!

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