We Run This City: Best Training Routes in Philadelphia
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!
I would 100% agree on Kelly drive. I like seeing the zoo balloon, boathouse row, Art Museum and love park in my course.
I used to run the Ben Franklin a lot but my knees can’t take the down hill.
No love for the Wissahickon? Starting at the Art Museum and running to Forbidden Drive and back is a great way to take in some of the City’s best aspects and get the mileage you need as your runs get longer.