Registration Date Announced for the Philly 10K

And everything else you need to know about this year's race.

The Philly 10K | Photo by Matt Stanley

The Philly 10K | Photo by Matt Stanley

I’ve got some very, very, very exciting news, people! As you probably already know, the second annual Philly 10K is coming up August 30th, and we’ve got all the insider info. First off, set an alarm for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 11th, because THAT, my friends, is when registration for the race will open.

As Philly 10K co-founder Ryan Callahan tells us, this year’s race will hold 1,500 more people than last year’s inaugural race, with 4,500 participants — and that’s not the only change they’ve made. Instead of starting and ending on East Passyunk, this year’s race will start and end at 8th and South Street.

Why the move? As Callahan explains, “The Philly 10K has always been about the neighborhoods and showcasing the diversity of the neighborhoods in Philly. By changing the start location, we can change up that story.”

And the course will look different, too. As Callahan says, “From day one, we approached this race as, How do we create this awesome running experience? Whereas a lot of races are just how do you create a race. Year one was a huge success and people totally understood what we were doing. The course was great, but there were a couple of places we felt we could change it up to amplify the runner’s experience.”

All in all, Callahan says the course is about 60 percent the same as last year, and 40 percent new ground. And essentially, he tells me, what they did, along with moving the start and finish, was shift the race south a bit. The farthest north the course goes this year is Chestnut Street (they got feedback that the stretch along Spring Garden was really, really sunny and hot) and they made sure to include Pine Street — because, as Callahan says, it’s one of the most beautiful running streets in the city — as well as Washington Square.

Callahan says, “We evolved the course and evolved the race to make it an even better experience and get this race as close to perfect as possible. I want to make sure every year it’s meaningful and special to new runners and old runners alike.”

Like last year, the race will end with a giant festival, complete with a beer garden, free Philadelphia Brewing Company beer and free Shake Shack custard — this year with goodies from Federal Donuts mixed in! — plus, a Philly-focused food-vendor area with folks like Honeygrow, P.S. & Co., and more.

Registration will run you $62 and includes a soft cotton t-shirt, a beer and Shake Shack custard. And remember, registration kicks off at 10 a.m. on May 11th . Last year, the race sold out in just 70 minutes, so you are going to want be ready the minute the clock strikes 10! Come May 11th, you’ll be able to register on the Philly 10K website.

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