The Philadelphia Marathon weekend returns, starting with a half marathon

Thousands of runners braved the fog, mud, and light drizzle Saturday for the return of the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon, one of three races on marathon weekend.

Before 7 a.m., participants were in their corrals and ready to go, waiting on the 2200 block of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just east of Eakins Oval. The weather did not favor them, but the jackets, winter hats, and layers of clothing covering their bodies would soon be discarded along the track and donated to the Salvation Army.

Corral by corral, racers headed out for the 13.1-mile route, with the light of City Hall’s clock in the distance and the Philadelphia Art Museum behind them.

After running through Old City and Center City, across the Schuylkill, past University City, and by Fairmount Park, Ariel Sanchez, 28, was back at Eakins Oval in an hour and a half. His mother, Aurelia Villegas, came from New York City for the day just to see him run.

“I don’t run at all, just when I am trying to make it to work on time,” Villegas said. “But this is my first time coming to see him run in Philadelphia, and I am so proud.”

Sanchez, a medical student, took on running as a break from the books and intense studying. He has been running for the last 387 days.

“It’s kind of nice to be outside. … It’s a really beautiful course,” Sanchez said. “Philly is an underestimated city, so it’s good that people can come and see it.”

A block away, a 3-year-old boy rose above the crowd on his uncle’s shoulders, looking for his mother, Leora Sauter, with a sign reading: “Go Mom! You are so fast.”

Sauter, 32, has run many races before, including the Boston Marathon, her husband, Daniel Sauter, said. But this half marathon is special: It’s her first race since their daughter was born in 2024.

“It is her way of recovering from postpartum and going back to the things she loves,” Daniel Sauter said. “She spends so much time taking care of us, it’s good she gets to do something for her.”

As the family’s eyes fixated on the runners, Leora Sauter ran by, prompting their cheers. Pushing through her last stretch, she made it to the finish line in less than two hours. The family will be back on the Parkway on Sunday to see Daniel Sauter complete the AACR Philadelphia Marathon.

Nearly 30,000 participants were expected to run throughout the weekend, including the marathon on Sunday, the half marathon, and Saturday’s Rothman Orthopaedics 8K. Some were professional runners, able to finish the half marathon course in less than an hour. Others were there for the memories.

“Started from the couch … now he’s here!” read a sign held by three Villanova college students. They came to support their friend Joe.

“It’s bittersweet. We are graduating this summer, so we are trying to squish every moment together,” said Sofia Arrascue, 21.

After four years of friendship, the half marathon became a way for the seniors to further bond as graduation day approaches. Over the last couple of months, they have been picking up their friend from training locations and giving him confidence to finish the race, so seeing him run by toward the finish line felt like a full-circle moment.

“Everything feels so uncertain; some of us are applying for jobs, others are applying to school, so all we have right now is each other,” said Majo James, 22.

That same desire to show up for loved ones spurred Jose and Mayra Rodriguez to take a plane from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia to see their daughter, Monica, cross the finish line.

“De pura cepa,” Mayra Rodriguez screamed upon spotting her daughter at the finish line, a reference to her Puerto Rican strength.

After running for two hours and 21 minutes, Monica Rodriguez greeted her parents with a hug, banana and water bottle in hand.

“It was hard. My thighs feel like two pieces of ham,” said Monica Rodriguez, 29. “But this is something you have to do at least once, even if it’s just a one-time experience. You are always going to remember it.”