Inspired by the popular Rocky film franchise, Rocky Run is a pair of races, a 5K and a 10 Mile along with the “Italian Stallion Challenge” that has runners running both races back to back to equal 13.1 miles – a half marathon (though finish the 5K fast enough and you’ll have a break before the 10 Mile starts). The event was extremely well organized with amazing communication through email and the race’s social media outlets. All of the booths at “Runner’s Village”, from info and merch to packet pickup and medal pickups, were well staffed and ran quickly and smoothly. It was great to see the event running so smooth.

Both of the courses started and finished in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps (known to fans as “The Rocky Steps”). The courses were designed as an out and back and are relatively flat except you see a small dip in elevation in the beginning of the 5K (and then up when you return). If you're running the 5K you won't hit any true hill work. The course will be a mile and a half out and back along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The course’s one true hill came at Mile 3 in the 10 Mile race. This hill was nicknamed “Mount Drago” and had Ivan Drago quotes on signs as you climbed up. This mile stretch of the course was entirely uphill and is clearly the toughest part of the course. Keep those legs pumping at a nice even pace and you’ll make it up this monster.

After climbing that monster hill, which climbs about 165 feet in elevation, you have a great downhill for Mile 4 and then back to the flat course until the finish. The scenery as you run up Martin Luther King Jr. Drive through Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill River is absolutely beautiful, especially on a crisp November morning. You have the beautiful trees to one side of you and the river on the other. They are the perfect pieces of Pennsylvania scenery to have on a long run.

The race had a lot of volunteers so the water stations were well staffed and there were even volunteers holding giant signs in the shapes of the various Rocky characters’ heads cheering on runners to keep spirits high. Also, the one thing that I really enjoyed was that not only did the race have Rocky music playing in the “Runner’s Village” and at the Start and Finish lines but they also had music tents about every mile or so playing Rocky music to keep runners pumped as they progressed through the course.

I really have to say that I loved running these races. They were a lot of fun, very well organized, and the course was beautiful. Participants received a Rocky Run cotton t-shirt with the option to upgrade to a tech shirt. Finishers received some amazing medals. There is a 5K, a 10 Mile, and an Italian Stallion Challenge medal. If you run the Challenge you get all three which is fantastic. One of the great things is that after you have conquered the races there are some great spots to take photos by including the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps and the Rocky Statue from the films. I highly recommend that all runners look into running this event in 2020.

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