Philly Marathon Recap: Sub 3:30 PR Achieved!

Elation. Exhaustion. Relief.

Above everything else, I would say I felt relief as I crossed the finish line for the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon. I had put in more time and miles than any previous training block. I put more preparation into my pre-race routine and marathon fueling plan than I'd care to admit. And when the miles got tough in Manyunk and Kelly Drive, I dug deep and kept pushing my pace until the end. I always tell people a lot can happen over the course of 26.2 miles. I knew my body had what it takes to not just finish the marathon, but to snag a PR and finally cross the 3:30 threshold I have been chasing since I finished in 3:34 in the 2022 Wineglass Marathon. So when I checked my watch and saw "3:29" at the finish line, I was relieved that everything I put into the race paid off in achieving my goal.

I've detailed my training, progress, and intentions toward hitting a 3:30 at the 2025 Philly Marathon. This was my 9th marathon, and my 5th earnest attempt to hit 3:30 (between my first couple marathons and my Dopey Challenges, I certainly wasn't setting lofty goals for finish times). My first attempt ended in a 3:34 at the 2022 Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY, where I stayed on pace for 20 miles before fading in the last 10k. Subsequent attempts landed me between 3:39 and 3:43, where I similarly kept good paces early before sliding late. The main factors in falling short of my goals was suboptimal training and inadequate fueling during the race.

I tried addressing my training by choosing a more aggressive plan in the Pfitz 18/55. Previously I followed a Hal Higdon plan, which was great in getting me through my races but did not prescribe any speedwork. The Pfitz plan was much more intense, as the mileage ramped up quickly and stayed high. There was a variation of weekly speed days with lactate threshold (a fast speed sustainable for only 30-40 minutes) and VO2 (5k speed or faster for about half or three-quarters of a mile at a time) workouts. There were also one or two mid-week runs between 10-12 miles in addition to the weekly long run. Staying on plan was tough, especially when juggling work and family life, but I stayed flexible and got in my miles.

I also knew I needed to improve my race day fueling strategy. I trained and acclimated myself to SIS gels, and I loaded up on the Beta versions (40g of carbs per gel), gels with electrolytes, and gels with caffeine. I also started using the Beta drink mixes, which carried 80g of carbs per packet. I was determined to use of mix of the gels every 3.5 miles (about every 28 minutes) through the first 21 miles and supplement the last stretch with my handheld bottle. I figured I would get my electrolytes through my gels, and take the on-course water at each stop. With my training and fueling plan in place, I was ready for race day.

Pre-race

The marathon was kicking off of 7am, which meant I was up at 3am to get some breakfast in my system. I ate my usual bagel with peanut butter, and opted for two shot of espresso instead of sipping on a coffee. I had been hydrating for several days with water and electrolytes, so I tried to only take small sips of water with breakfast so I could decrease my bathroom breaks. I grabbed a banana on my way out the door and drove into Philly. Luckily I worked about a mile away from the race area so I parked at my office and got a chance to warm up in my office gym. Around 5:45 I met up with some friends running the marathon and we took an Uber to the starting area. Security was surprisingly easy to get through (it's been notoriously difficult in past years), and after one more pre-race bathroom break (which took about 25 minutes to get through the port-o-potty line), I made my way to my starting corral.

Race

Conditions for the race were perfect: about mid-30s at the start, partly cloudy, very little wind. I usually run hot, so I went with shorts, a singlet, gloves, and a headband. I went with my Saucony Endorphin Elite shoes which helped me to my 1:37 half marathon a few weeks earlier. I was a bit cold at the start, but knew I would worm up as soon as we got moving.

At around 7:15am our corral finally started and we were off on the course. The first mile of any marathon is its own special challenge. There were over 12,000 runners on the course, and it was a challenge to find enough space to get up to speed without doing too much weaving around slower runners. After the first couple miles I finally found myself in a sweet spot at my pace of slightly faster than 8 minutes per mile. As I expected, I warmed up quickly and could finally feel my feet at around the 3-mile mark, so that was a bonus! The crowd was amazing throughout the day, and I had to keep watching myself to make sure I wasn’t going out too fast from the cheers around Old City and Center City.

The beginning portion of the course is all relatively flat until you cross into University City and start moving uphill past Drexel and UPenn and into the Fairmount Park area. I had done a lot of training runs over the Ben Franklin Bridge, so I was ready for the hills and was able to keep my pace while I saw several other runners fading back. The Philly Marathon is essentially a giant, weaving loop throughout the city, so you just have to keep telling yourself that the tough uphill climbs with be offset by downhills. I found that keeping my eyes trained on the crests of hills helped keep me moving.

I kept to my fueling plan with gels every 3.5 miles, and I cruised through the first half marathon at around 1:44:32. Starting around mile 5 I was feeling the urge to use the bathroom, but I wanted to get as far as I could go in hopes the feeling would dissipate. I was also mindful of the extra bit of mileage I was going beyond the mile markers. Through the first half I found my watch was registering about a quarter-mile more than the mile markers, which is fairly normal in a crowded course with lots of early turns. Going by the mile markers, I knew I was going to be really close to my goal if I kept running a bit long. Around mile 15 you enter the long out-and-back on Kelly Drive into Manayunk, meaning I wouldn’t “lose” much more mileage so long as I limited any weaving.

Around mile 19, just as I was ready to enter the throng of spectators along Manayunk, I finally decided to duck into a port-o-potty. I was still on the edge of where I needed to be, timewise, but I figured I’d be in better shape feeling unencumbered while I gave it a final big push. I found an empty one (many prior ones had lines, and I certainly didn’t want to lose time by just standing still), and I was in and out in about one minute. Very efficient! I popped out and began my last sprint uphill.

As I mentioned earlier, the Philly crowd came out in full force for the marathon. It seemed bigger than when I ran it in 2023, and I am always blown away by the dozens of people cheering you on by name from your bib. Where I have traditionally started losing steam around mile 19 or 20, I kept pressing my pace as I turned around for the last six miles. I took my last gel at mile 21, and had plenty left in my handheld bottle to take a couple sips each mile the rest of the way. I kept an eye on my watch through the rolling hills on Kelly Drive and saw continued sub-8 miles as I kept moving. Little pains started popping up here and there, but I kept moving through them.

Around mile marker 23, I checked my watch and saw I was around 3:03. If I maintained my 8 minute per mile pace I would make my goal, but I couldn’t let up. I was tired but my legs still felt good. A little past mile 24 I finally allowed myself to feel excited about reaching goal. I kept chugging along and finally found myself passing mile 26. Even that last quarter-mile felt like it took forever to complete, and as I tried to sprint to the finish I found I could only keep my current pace. I saw the finish line and powered through, stopping my watch a couple seconds later.

3:29:15.

I secured my sub-3:30. I was happy and relieved that everything I put into the race paid off. This feeling was quickly replaced with my usual mix of exhaustion and slight illness, as I desperately wanted to sit or lay down but knew I would not be able to get back up again (I learned during my first marathon). I shuffled my way through the finishing chute, grabbing my medal, a mylar blanket, and an assortment of drinks and quick snacks. I waited in the finish area for my friends, and when we eventually reunited we hobbled all the way back to my office and I headed home for a celebratory meal.

Post-race

I finally reached my goal of sub-3:30, but now what? Do I move the goalposts back to an ambitious 3:20? Find a non-local destination race? Try for longer distance? Given the intensity of the training plan, I’m not sure I’m ready to sign up for that again. At least not a few days out from the race. While I won’t be running the Dopey Challenge in January 2026, I am signed up for the Princess Weekend in February and plan on tackling Dopey again in 2027. For right now I’m happy to say I ran my 3:29, and I’m looking forward to focusing on my runDisney trip in a few more months.