Philadelphia Distance Run

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Philadelphia Distance Run
Philadelphia Half Marathon 2010.jpg
Runners gathering at the 2010 race
DateSeptember
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Event type Road
Distance Half marathon
Established1978
Official site Philadelphia Distance Run

The Philadelphia Distance Run (PDR) is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States on the third Sunday of September.

Contents

The competition was established in 1978 as the Philadelphia Distance Run and was founded by Gene H. Martenson, and was held under this name until 2009. From 2010 when Competitor Group Inc. bought the rights to the race, until 2020 it was part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series of running competitions. It has subsequently been presented by a consortium of local runners. [1]

The race quickly became a top level race with international competition: four-time Olympic champion Lasse Virén of Finland won at the second edition and he was followed by further foreign Olympic medalists in New Zealand's Rod Dixon and Michael Musyoki of Kenya. Joan Samuelson took consecutive victories in the women's race in 1983 to 1985, which included world record times of 1:09:14 hours and 1:08:34 hours in 1983 and 1984. The latter mark stood as the American record for over twenty years and was broken by Deena Kastor at the 2005 edition of the Philadelphia Distance Run, with her winning time of 1:07:53 hours. [2] The men's race has also seen historically fast times: Michael Musyoki's winning time of 1:01:36 hours in 1982 was a world record and in 1985 Mark Curp ran a world record time of 1:00:55 hours. [3] On top of this, Dionicio Cerón's winning time of 1:00:46 hours in 1990 was recognised by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians as their world best mark, as per their stricter criteria. [4]

The current course records were set in 2011 and both are the fastest times ever recorded for the half marathon on American soil: Mathew Kisorio ran the fourth fastest time ever (58:46 minutes) while Kim Smith's women's record of 1:07:11 hours made her the seventh fastest female ever in the half marathon. [5]

The 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. [6] [7]

In 2021 three running community leaders announced the return of the PDR with a focus on equity and inclusion. The three community leaders and new PDR race organizers were Ross Martinson, owner of Philadelphia Runner; Ryan Callahan, President of Runhouse [8] and Co-Founder of the Philly 10K; [9] and Andy Kucer, Executive Director of Students Run Philly Style. [1] [10]

Nonbinary Division

In 2021, the Philadelphia Distance Run made history as the first U.S. road race to establish a nonbinary gender division up to the elite level. [11] [12] Race organizer Andy Kucer said "we're looking at every angle of this race from an inclusivity standpoint, and making people feel included is so important to the character of the race." [10] In 2021, Kucer and staff at Students Run Philly Style, including C.C. Téllez, Associate Director of LGBTQ Programming for Students Run Philly Style and founder of Lez Run, a Philadelphia running team aimed at providing LGBTQ athletes with safe and supportive running spaces looked at ways to make the PDR more inclusive. [13] Téllez and Lez Run began working with local race directors to include the nonbinary division starting in 2018. “When we imagined an elite nonbinary division, we imagined it would be years and years in the future. We were struggling to just see this change at the local level,” Téllez told Runner’s World. [14] Kucer and the race organizers announced that the 2021 Philadelphia Distance Run would become the first road race in the U.S. to establish a nonbinary division all the way up to the elite level, with equal prize money awarded to winners of the male, female, and nonbinary categories. [14]

Following the 2021 Philadelphia Distance Run, major races across the U.S. and world modeled the PDR policy. In 2022, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run and the Philadelphia Marathon, plus five of the six World Major Marathons including the New York City Marathon, [15] [16] Boston Marathon, [17] Chicago Marathon, [18] London Marathon, [19] Berlin Marathon, [20] adopted the PDR's policy. [21]

Winners

Catherine Ndereba of Kenya has won the women's race seven times, including five straight wins from 1998 to 2002. 2005 WC Marathon Women 456 Catherine Ndereba.jpg
Catherine Ndereba of Kenya has won the women's race seven times, including five straight wins from 1998 to 2002.
Multiple Chicago Marathon champion Khalid Khannouchi has won three times in Philadelphia. 20071103 Khalid Khannouchi.jpg
Multiple Chicago Marathon champion Khalid Khannouchi has won three times in Philadelphia.

Key:  Course record

Ed.YearMen's winnerTime [lower-alpha 1] Women's winnerTime [lower-alpha 1]
1st1978Flag of the United States.svg Julio Piazza (USA)1:07:35Flag of the United States.svg Nora Johnson (USA)1:24:34
2nd1979Flag of Finland.svg  Lasse Virén  (FIN)1:04:48Flag of Sweden.svg Lena Hollman (SWE)1:20:06
3rd1980Flag of New Zealand.svg  Rod Dixon  (NZL)1:03:39Flag of the United States.svg  Jan Yerkes  (USA)1:17:56
4th1981Flag of New Zealand.svg  Rod Dixon  (NZL)1:02:12Flag of the United States.svg  Jan Yerkes  (USA)1:13:33
5th1982Flag of Kenya.svg  Michael Musyoki  (KEN)1:01:36Flag of the United States.svg  Judi St. Hilaire  (USA)1:13:13
6th1983Flag of Kenya.svg  Michael Musyoki  (KEN)1:02:49Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Samuelson  (USA)1:09:10
7th1984Flag of the United States.svg  Dean Matthews  (USA)1:02:14Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Samuelson  (USA)1:08:34
8th1985Flag of the United States.svg  Mark Curp  (USA)1:00:55Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Samuelson  (USA)1:09:44
9th1986Flag of the United States.svg  Mark Curp  (USA)1:01:43Flag of Sweden.svg  Midde Hamrin  (SWE)1:11:41
10th1987Flag of the United States.svg  Martyn Brewer  (USA)1:02:07Flag of the United States.svg  Sylvia Mosqueda  (USA)1:10:47
11th1988Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Steve Jones  (GBR)1:02:17Flag of the United States.svg  Lesley Lehane  (USA)1:10:47
12th1989Flag of Morocco.svg  El Mostafa Nechchadi  (MAR)1:02:01Flag of the United States.svg  Nan Doak-Davis  (USA)1:11:24
13th1990Flag of Mexico.svg  Dionicio Cerón  (MEX)1:00:46Flag of the United States.svg  Cathy O'Brien  (USA)1:09:39
14th1991Flag of Ecuador.svg  Rolando Vera  (ECU)1:03:00Flag of the United States.svg  Kim Jones  (USA)1:12:53
15th1992Flag of Ireland.svg  Noel Richardson  (IRL)1:03:13Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Wilma van Onna  (NED)1:10:59
16th1993Flag of Namibia.svg  Luketz Swartbooi  (NAM)1:01:26Flag of South Africa.svg  Colleen De Reuck  (RSA)1:10:26
17th1994Flag of Kenya.svg  William Kiptoo Koech  (KEN)1:02:04Flag of the United States.svg  Anne-Marie Lauck  (USA)1:10:03
18th1995Flag of Kenya.svg  Joseph Kamau  (KEN)1:01:30Flag of Ukraine.svg  Tatyana Pozdnyakova  (UKR)1:12:56
19th1996Flag of Kenya.svg  Joseph Kamau  (KEN)1:01:02Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:10:40
20th1997Flag of Morocco.svg  Khalid Khannouchi  (MAR)1:00:27Flag of South Africa.svg  Colleen De Reuck  (RSA)1:10:06
21st1998Flag of Kenya.svg  Peter Githuka Mwangi  (KEN)1:01:58Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:09:46
22nd1999Flag of Morocco.svg  Khalid Khannouchi  (MAR)1:00:47Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:10:31
23rd2000Flag of the United States.svg  Khalid Khannouchi  (USA)1:01:17Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:10:01
24th2001Flag of Kenya.svg  Ronald Mogaka  (KEN)1:01:25Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:08:30
25th2002Flag of Kenya.svg  Ronald Mogaka Boraya  (KEN)1:02:22Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:09:20
26th2003Flag of Kenya.svg  Laban Kipkemboi  (KEN)1:01:29Flag of Kenya.svg  Leah Malot  (KEN)1:11:20
27th2004Flag of Kenya.svg  Julius Kibet Koskei  (KEN)1:01:17.1Flag of Romania.svg  Nuța Olaru  (ROM)1:09:38
28th2005Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Gudisa Shentama  (ETH)1:02:23Flag of the United States.svg  Deena Kastor  (USA)1:07:53
29th2006Flag of Kenya.svg  Wilson Kebenei  (KEN)1:01:05Flag of Kenya.svg  Lineth Chepkurui  (KEN)1:10:09
30th2007Flag of Kenya.svg  Julius Kibet Kosgei  (KEN)1:02:02Flag of Kenya.svg  Pamela Chepchumba  (KEN)1:08:45
31st2008Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Yerefu Berhanu  (ETH)1:01:22Flag of Russia.svg  Liliya Shobukhova  (RUS)1:10:21
32nd2009Flag of the United States.svg  Ryan Hall  (USA)1:01:52Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)1:09:43
33rd2010Flag of Kenya.svg  Mathew Kisorio  (KEN)1:00:16Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Meseret Defar  (ETH)1:07:45
34th2011Flag of Kenya.svg  Mathew Kisorio  (KEN) 58:46Flag of New Zealand.svg  Kim Smith  (NZL)1:07:11
35th2012Flag of Kenya.svg  Stanley Biwott  (KEN)1:00:03Flag of Kenya.svg  Sharon Cherop  (KEN)1:07:21
36th2013Flag of Kenya.svg  Stanley Biwott  (KEN) 59:36Flag of Ukraine.svg  Lyudmyla Kovalenko  (UKR)1:08:59
37th2014Flag of Kenya.svg  Bitan Karoki  (KEN) 59:23Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Aberu Kebede  (ETH)1:08:41
38th2015Flag of the United States.svg  Tim Ritchie  (USA)1:01:23Flag of the United States.svg  Maegan Krifchin  (USA)1:09:51
39th2016Flag of Kenya.svg  Augustine Choge  (KEN)1:03:24Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Buze Diriba  (ETH)1:11:49
40th2017Flag of the United States.svg  Galen Rupp  (USA)1:02:18Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Meseret Defar  (ETH)1:08:45
41st2018Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Shura Kitana  (ETH) 59:16Flag of the United States.svg  Desiree Linden  (USA)1:11:48
42nd2019Flag of Eritrea.svg  Daniel Mesfun  (ERI)1:02:58Flag of Kenya.svg  Caroline Rotich  (KEN)1:10:59
2020cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
43rd2021Flag of Eritrea.svg  Tsegay Tuemay  (ERI)1:02:44Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Atsede Tesema  (ETH)1:10:42
44th2022Flag of Kenya.svg  James Ngandu  (KEN)1:02:01Flag of Kenya.svg  Monicah Ngige  (KEN)1:09:23

Notes

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References

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List of winners