Philadelphia Distance Run

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

Philadelphia Distance Run
Runners gathering at the 2010 race
DateSeptember
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
 United States
Event typeRoad
DistanceHalf marathon
Established1978
Official sitePhiladelphia Distance Run

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. Starting in 2010 when Competitor Group Inc. bought the rights to the race, it has been part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series of running competitions. It is now a hybrid profit/non-profit model race.[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 February of 2021, a local group of race organizers announced the return of the Philadelphia Distance Run starting in September, 2021.[1]

Winners
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.

Key:   Course record

Ed. Year Men's winner Time[lower-alpha 1] Women's winner Time[lower-alpha 1]
1st 1978  Julio Piazza (USA) 1:07:35  Nora Johnson (USA) 1:24:34
2nd 1979  Lasse Virén (FIN) 1:04:48  Lena Hollman (SWE) 1:20:06
3rd 1980  Rod Dixon (NZL) 1:03:39  Jan Yerkes (USA) 1:17:56
4th 1981  Rod Dixon (NZL) 1:02:12  Jan Yerkes (USA) 1:13:33
5th 1982  Michael Musyoki (KEN) 1:01:36  Judi St. Hilaire (USA) 1:13:13
6th 1983  Michael Musyoki (KEN) 1:02:49  Joan Samuelson (USA) 1:09:10
7th 1984  Dean Matthews (USA) 1:02:14  Joan Samuelson (USA) 1:08:34
8th 1985  Mark Curp (USA) 1:00:55  Joan Samuelson (USA) 1:09:44
9th 1986  Mark Curp (USA) 1:01:43  Midde Hamrin (SWE) 1:11:41
10th 1987  Martyn Brewer (USA) 1:02:07  Sylvia Mosqueda (USA) 1:10:47
11th 1988  Steve Jones (GBR) 1:02:17  Lesley Lehane (USA) 1:10:47
12th 1989  El Mostafa Nechchadi (MAR) 1:02:01  Nan Doak-Davis (USA) 1:11:24
13th 1990  Dionicio Cerón (MEX) 1:00:46  Cathy O'Brien (USA) 1:09:39
14th 1991  Rolando Vera (ECU) 1:03:00  Kim Jones (USA) 1:12:53
15th 1992  Noel Richardson (IRL) 1:03:13  Wilma van Onna (NED) 1:10:59
16th 1993  Luketz Swartbooi (NAM) 1:01:26  Colleen De Reuck (RSA) 1:10:26
17th 1994  William Kiptoo Koech (KEN) 1:02:04  Anne-Marie Lauck (USA) 1:10:03
18th 1995  Joseph Kamau (KEN) 1:01:30  Tatyana Pozdnyakova (UKR) 1:12:56
19th 1996  Joseph Kamau (KEN) 1:01:02  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:10:40
20th 1997  Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) 1:00:27  Colleen De Reuck (RSA) 1:10:06
21st 1998  Peter Githuka Mwangi (KEN) 1:01:58  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:09:46
22nd 1999  Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) 1:00:47  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:10:31
23rd 2000  Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 1:01:17  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:10:01
24th 2001  Ronald Mogaka (KEN) 1:01:25  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:08:30
25th 2002  Ronald Mogaka Boraya (KEN) 1:02:22  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:09:20
26th 2003  Laban Kipkemboi (KEN) 1:01:29  Leah Malot (KEN) 1:11:20
27th 2004  Julius Kibet Koskei (KEN) 1:01:17.1  Nuța Olaru (ROM) 1:09:38
28th 2005  Gudisa Shentama (ETH) 1:02:23  Deena Kastor (USA) 1:07:53
29th 2006  Wilson Kebenei (KEN) 1:01:05  Lineth Chepkurui (KEN) 1:10:09
30th 2007  Julius Kibet Kosgei (KEN) 1:02:02  Pamela Chepchumba (KEN) 1:08:45
31st 2008  Yerefu Berhanu (ETH) 1:01:22  Liliya Shobukhova (RUS) 1:10:21
32nd 2009  Ryan Hall (USA) 1:01:52  Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 1:09:43
33rd 2010  Mathew Kisorio (KEN) 1:00:16  Meseret Defar (ETH) 1:07:45
34th 2011  Mathew Kisorio (KEN) 0 58:46  Kim Smith (NZL) 1:07:11
35th 2012  Stanley Biwott (KEN) 1:00:03  Sharon Cherop (KEN) 1:07:21
36th 2013  Stanley Biwott (KEN) 0 59:36  Lyudmyla Kovalenko (UKR) 1:08:59
37th 2014  Bitan Karoki (KEN) 0 59:23  Aberu Kebede (ETH) 1:08:41
38th 2015  Tim Ritchie (USA) 1:01:23  Maegan Krifchin (USA) 1:09:51
39th 2016  Augustine Choge (KEN) 1:03:24  Buze Diriba (ETH) 1:11:49
40th 2017  Galen Rupp (USA) 1:02:18  Meseret Defar (ETH) 1:08:45
41st 2018  Shura Kitana (ETH) 0 59:16  Desiree Linden (USA) 1:11:48
42nd 2019  Daniel Mesfun (ERI) 1:02:58  Caroline Rotich (KEN) 1:10:59
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
43rd 2021  Tsegay Tuemay (ERI) 1:02:44  Atsede Tesema (ETH) 1:10:42
44th 2022  James Ngandu (KEN) 1:02:01  Monicah Ngige (KEN) 1:09:23

Notes
  1. h:m:s

References
  1. Gina, Tomaine (February 5, 2021). "Say Goodbye to the Rock 'n' Roll Half, and Hello to the Return of the Philadelphia Distance Run". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved February 9, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Deena Kastor. USATF. Retrieved on 2011-10-05.
  3. "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). IAAF. 2009. pp. 546, 563, 565, 651, and 653. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  4. "World Best Progressions- Road". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  5. Rosenthal, Bert (2011-09-17). Kisorio blazes 58:46 at Philadelphia Half Marathon, fourth fastest ever. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  6. "Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia | Rock n Roll Marathon Series | Marathon H…".
  7. "Rock 'N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon Canceled for 2020, 2021". 12 August 2020.
List of winners
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