2026 Athlete Guide
2026 Philadelphia Distance Run Athlete Guide
The 2026 Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon and 5K is almost here!
Race weekend begins with the Philadelphia Distance Run Expo presented by Brooks Running where athletes can pick up their bibs, race shirts, hang out with fellow athletes, and experience the activations and energy leading to race day!
The Philadelphia Distance Run Expo presented by Brooks Running will take place at WHYY Public Media Commons located at 150 N. 6th St. Philadelphia, PA. Schedule below:
Friday 9/18 from 11:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday 9/19 from 9:00am – 5:00pm
This year, race weekend begins at WHYY, Philadelphia's leading nonprofit public media organization and a longtime champion of storytelling and community. As the new home for packet pickup and race weekend activities, WHYY provides the perfect setting to bring runners, race partners, and local businesses and organizations together all under one roof. WHYY is easily accessible by PATCO, multiple SEPTA bus and subway lines, and nearby Indego bike stations.
All participants must pick up their Race Bibs & Race Shirt at Packet Pick Up unless they paid for race day pick up when they registered.
If you are picking up a bib for a friend, please bring a picture of their ID and a note that states permission for you to retrieve it.
BROOKS RECOVERY ZONE
Prepare for Race Day with Brooks Running at the PDR Expo! Compete in Brooks' classic Skee-ball activation for a chance to support Students Run Philly Style, have fun and win a prize!
PHILADELPHIA RUNNER
Philadelphia Runner will offer exclusive PDR merchandise for sale as well as any last-minute items you may need to succeed on race day!
Start Race Week with Philadelphia Runner x Brooks!
Celebrate race week with some easy miles at our community group runs:
Wednesday, September 16th @ 6PM - PR University City 3621 Walnut Street
Thursday, September 17th @ 6PM - PR Center City 1711 Walnut Street
Meet fellow runners, try the latest from Brooks Running, pick up any last minute race day essentials, and get into the race week spirit. All paces are welcome!
SHOE RECYCLING
Bring your old running or walking shoes and give them a second life. Together with Sneaker Impact, we'll collect shoes in any condition. Gently used pairs will be redistributed, while worn-out shoes will be transformed into new products like flooring, playground surfaces, and more.
Stop by the Sneaker Impact booth to drop off your shoes, learn more about the recycling process, and help keep footwear out of landfills
Students Run Philly Style will receive a small donation for every pair of shoes collected.
SILENT AUCTION, RAFFLE AND SHOEBOXED WINE SUPPORTING STUDENTS RUN PHILLY STYLE
Bid on Sixers & Eagles tickets, enter the raffle to win prizes from local businesses, or take your chance at Shoeboxed Wine to win a bottle valued at $300. All proceeds benefit Students Run Philly Style, an equitable partner of PDR.
SHAKEOUT RUN/WALK & COMMUNITY CONVERSATION On Saturday, September 19 at WHYY, join your community for a shakeout run, led by Students Run Philly Style and Queer Run. Join fellow runners, PDR Race Ambassadors, PDR Student Ambassadors from SRPS, and several Brooks Hansons Athletes who will be competing on Sunday.
7:45 AM – Arrive early to demo Brooks shoes
8:00 AM – Shakeout Run Start led by Queer Run
9:00 AM – Community Conversation
After the run, stick around for refreshments from GU and MadeGood and a Community Conversation that brings together voices from across Philadelphia’s running community, including an SRPS student Justin, SRPS alum Diyu, PDR Ambassador Bryce Hurst, and Brooks athlete and former PDR women's winner Susanna Sullivan.
Moderated by Billy Penn reporters Nick Kariuki and Violet Comber-Wilen, the conversation will explore what runners across generations and experiences can learn from one another, how we can build a more inclusive running community, and the future of running in Philadelphia.
The PDR Expo will also be open throughout the morning, so come for the run and stay for the conversation and expo. Free and open to the running community.
RACE DAY PACKET PICKUP
Any runner that has pre-paid for Race Day Packet Pick Up will be able to pick up their Race Bib and Race Shirt at the Packet Pick Up tent located in Eakins Oval on Sunday, 9/20 from 5:30am-7:00am.
5K START TIME AND LOCATION
ALL 5K PARTICIPANTS WILL START @7:00AM.
Please plan on arriving on race day, Sunday, September 20, no later than 6:00am to give yourself enough time. The 5K Race Start is located on Ben Franklin Parkway, NW of 22nd Street, just below Binswanger Triangle. The 5K Course can be found here.
HALF MARATHON START TIME AND LOCATION
HALF MARATHON STARTS @7:30AM, ALL HALF MARATHON PARTICIPANTS MUST BE LINED UP IN THEIR CORRALS BY 7:10AM. Please plan on arriving on race day, Sunday, September 20, no later than 6:00am to give yourself enough time. Please check your bag at Gear Check located in Eakins Oval and walk to the start. Race Start is located on Ben Franklin Parkway, NW of 22nd Street, just below Binswanger Triangle. The first wave will begin at 7:30am. The Half Marathon Course Map can be found here.
* Please note that if for any reason you cannot finish the race, please wait at the nearest water stop and the Water Stop Captain will radio for a Sag Wagon to pick you up and bring you back to the Finish Area in Eakins Oval.
PARKING
Parking is available in the following areas found here. We suggest you plan to take Septa if it is available (Market-Frankford Line to 15th Street or 30th Street Station) Uber, Lyft and Citi-Bike are also alternatives.
COURSE SUPPORT
There will be 8 water stop locations along the half marathon course, approximately every 1.5 miles. The 5K course will feature one water stop at 1.5 miles. Lemon-Lime Gatorade will be available between miles 4 through 10. Vanilla (caffeine) & Raspberry Lemonade (no caffeine) GU will be available at Mile 7.
PACE GROUPS
We are thrilled to be partnering with the Philadelphia Runner Pace Team! There will be pacers available for the Half Marathon for the following finish times: 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, and 3:30. There will be pacers available for the 5K for 7 min/mile, 8 min/mile, 9 min/mile, 10 min/mile, 11 min/mile, 12 min/mile, 13 min/mile, 14 min/mile. No need to sign up in advance- just look for runners in singlets that say PACER and are holding a time-sign in the corrals at the start line!
ON COURSE ENTERTAINMENT
The course entertainment has been a highlight over the last few years and this year will be our best lineup yet! There will be 12 fantastic performance locations planned to create a non-stop entertainment experience on both the Half Marathon and 5K Courses. The entertainment locations can be found here.
AWARDS CEREMONY
The Award Ceremony will begin at 9:30am in Eakins Oval between the Brooks Recovery Zone and YARDS Beer Garden.
PDR POST RACE PARTY@ BROOKS RECOVERY ZONE
Make your way through the post race walk off area and into the Brooks Recovery Zone, featuring PDR merch and more. Brooks Running will be offering free massages from local business, Phila Massage, YARDS Root Beer & Rita’s Water Ice, Oh My!
YARDS BEER GARDEN
Must have a valid ID to enter the Beer Garden. Hope to see you all at the Yards Brewing Co. PDR Beer Garden for a post-race cold one, you deserve it! Non-Alcoholic Beer will also be offered. Keith, our favorite bartender at PDR, will have everything chilled and ready to go by the time you finish!
VOLUNTEERS
Last call for Volunteers. We’re still looking for a few additional hands to help out at Packet Pick Up on, Friday 9/18, from 10:00am–2:30pm or 2:00pm-6:30pm and Saturday 9/19, from 12:00pm–5:30pm to hand out Race Bibs and T-Shirts and wish our runners well. Volunteers receive an official PDR Volunteer Tech Shirt, a Philadelphia Runner Gift card, food, and appreciation from Team PDR and our runners. Register here!
MarathonFoto
Pre-purchase race day photos in advance here!
ATHLETE TRACKING Track athlete's real-time progress, Receive updates and estimated finishing times and find the best viewing spots along the course!
To note: participants will show only after being assigned a bib number. For anyone who registered after September 8th, this may be after you pickup your bib.
GET HYPED!
We are so excited to be bringing this race to you and look forward to seeing your smiling faces on race morning! We’ll be cheering you on all weekend.
