Philadelphia Marathon 2015: Route, Course Map, Times, Road Closures, Details

A field of 30,000 runners will flock the historic streets of Philadelphia this weekend for the annual Philadelphia Marathon. 

Though not among the world marathon majors, the Philadelphia event is still considered one of the more prestigious races in the country.

The route begins and ends on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and weaves west through many of the city’s historic and outdoor scenic passes. There are at least 26 road closures, which can be viewed via PhiladelphiaMarathon.com. 

Here is a view of the course map, courtesy of the City of Philadelphia: 

Start time: 6:57 a.m. ET, Sunday, Nov. 22

TV: Not nationally televised

Here are the start times:

Category	Start time (ET)
Wheelchair	6:57 a.m.
Runners	7 a.m.

Mother Nature isn’t expected to rear an unfavorable running environment—conditions call for a 10 percent chance of rain and partly cloudy skies, according to the Weather Channel. The 13 mile per hour projected winds could play a factor, however. 

Fans are encouraged to watch from the Benjamin Franklin Parkways between 18th Street and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Kristina Jenkins of UWishUKnew.com provided a handy notebook of locations to observe.

Eva Arce and Emily Leaman of Philadelphia Magazine forecast traffic to be hefty and gave recommendations to viewers hoping to see the start/finish line:

"

We cannot stress this point enough: Take public transportation or, if you can't, try to avoid parking in the Art Museum area. SEPTA has confirmed that several bus routes that travel in and around the Art Museum area and the Route 15 trolley will be detoured. The subway trains have run on a normal weekend schedule. 

[...]

If you plan to drive, know that there will be no on-street parking available in the starting-line area beginning Saturday before the race.

"

Security is expected to be as tight as ever, Mayor Michael Nutter told Chad Pradelli of ABC 6:

"

We are working diligently and collectively to make sure that our operations teams both in advance and on site are well-prepared, integrated and mobile.

"

Entries will open a half hour earlier at 5 a.m. this year to account for beefed security, according to Pat Loeb of CBS Philly. Participants and viewers are encouraged to pack light.

The city expects more than 100,000 to take part in the weekend festivities, a massive number that shows how high interest is for big-time marathons.

Information courtesy of PhiladelphiaMarathon.com unless otherwise noted.