Thousands to participate in Philadelphia Marathon weekend
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Marathon returns this weekend, bringing thousands of runners from all over the country to race through the city's streets. Barriers and tents are already up along the Ben Franklin Parkway.
A press conference and ribbon cutting kicked off this eventful weekend as the Philadelphia Marathon returns for its 29th year. Runners from all over the country are expected to take over city streets for a good cause.
The three-day event starts Friday and ends Sunday, Nov. 20. It's rain or shine.
"It's tremendously important," Kathleen Titus, the race director of the Philadelphia Marathon, said. "You have to have this iconic sporting event that something the city owns, the city manages, the city produces, so we're proud to be here. It fills hotel rooms, the economic impact on the city."
Masks and vaccines are recommended, but not required. Approximately 20,000 runners are expected to compete.
Officials say things have only gotten bigger and better with the Philadelphia Marathon.
The event will now host the largest wheelchair division in race history, and include a nonbinary category.
The overall prize money for the marathon weekend has grown by $54,000, making the grand total $121,800, the highest it has ever been.
"I really fell in love with the Philadelphia Marathon," Mark Sullivan, a legacy Philadelphia Marathon runner, said. "It's a great course, great city. We have really good crowd support here. It's like no other city when you run here. A lot of people talk about New York and Boston, but there's something very special about being in Philadelphia and running in that crowd."
Parking restrictions will be in place this weekend.