This was my first time running the Rothman 8k. It takes place on part of the same route that many Philadelphia races use, so I was already familiar with the route, making planning my race strategy easier. But...

I decided to run with friend and BibRave ambassador MD. We figured that we'd hit a certain average pace together. I made a promise to finish with her no matter what. Our goal was probably 11-11:30 pace. This never really happened, as the course never opened up from where we started. We did a lot of bobbing-and-weaving, threading-the-needle, but, as we were running intervals (30-30, my idea), we never found space to really break away from clumps of people.

Aid stations were fairly standard, nothing special. Water and gatorade, along with the usual mess of cups. Some races in this area will have sweepers cleaning up frequently. I never saw that.

We finally came up the hill around to the Art Museum, where the finish line for many races is located. We saw "A" finish line and decided to sprint it out, but it was the finish line (off to the side) for the Dunkin Donuts kids' race. The real line was about .25 miles ahead, right at the start. That messed with us a bit, but we finished together.

Overall, a good race, well-organized. I'd recommend it for those looking for a longer route than the typical Philly 5ks.