Event Description
The Blue Cross Broad Street Run has been a proud Philadelphia tradition for nearly 40 years. On May 3, 2020, racers will run down the heart of Philadelphia, Broad Street, through diverse communities and neighborhoods, while excited spectators cheer from the sidelines. It’s the largest, fastest, and most popular 10-mile race in the country drawing more than 35,000 participants from all over the world. For 2020, the event will begin at 7:30 a.m. (note new time!)
Race and Course Information
Start area
When you arrive at the start area, feel free to warm-up at the Central High School Athletic Field on Broad Street and Somerville Avenue. There will be more than 300 portable toilets located throughout the field. A group stretch will also take place one hour before the start of the race.
Tips for before the race:
Arrive at the start area early to allow yourself enough time to check your gear, use the facilities, and stretch before the start.
Hydrate! Look for water flags for water stations.
Stay off the surrounding streets.
Be respectful of the residents of the area by keeping off their lawns, steps, and porches.
Corrals
We use a corralled, wave system at the start of the race. We base corral assignments on the anticipated finish time you provide when you register. You will receive your corral assignment by email in late April.
The starting line is located at Broad Street and W. Fisher Avenue. The corrals begin at the starting line and line up along Broad Street going north.
All runners must be in their proper corral by 7:10 am.
Any runner not starting in the proper corral may not get scored for the race and their time may be withheld from the results. If you are planning to run with a slower runner, please line up in their corral. Slower runners should not move up to a faster corral.
Remember, this is run, not a walk. All runners are expected to run a sub-15 minute-mile pace. Any runners not keeping this pace will be directed to sidewalks to allow traffic to re-open in a timely manner.
If you’re planning on running a slower pace, please line towards the back of your corral.
Course restrictions
The following are restricted on the course for your safety and insurance considerations:
Animals (except for seeing eye dogs)
Baby joggers
Bicycles
Portable media players (i.e., iPods or mp3 players. Runners must be able to hear voice commands, vehicle sirens, and horns.)
Skateboards
Roller skates or blades
Wheeled conveyances (other than wheelchairs*)
Water stations
Water and Gatorade® will be available along the course and at the finish. Look for blue water flags for water stations. At the four stations where Gatorade is available, look for the bright green cups on the first tables of those stations on both sides of the street.
Water stations will be located at the following mile marks:
Start area
2.2 miles (Gatorade station)
4.2 miles
5.2 miles
6.3 miles (Gatorade station)
6.9 miles
7.8 miles (Gatorade station)
8.5 miles (Gatorade station)
9.1 miles
Finish line (Bottled water available, one per runner.)
Emergency services
Ambulances will be located along the course. If you get sick or are injured, remain calm until help arrives. If any runner comes upon an emergency and no help is in the area, please report it to any police officer along the course.
The following hospitals are located along the course:
Temple University (N. Broad Street and W. Tioga Street)
Hahnemann University (N. Broad Street and Vine Street)
Methodist (S. Broad Street and Wolf Street)
Course entertainment
Music groups, high school bands, cheerleading squads, church choirs, and drill teams are invited to perform along the course to energize the runners and spectators.
If your organization would like to participate, call 215-683-3594 or email info@broadstreetrun.com.
Finish line
The finish line is located about one-quarter mile past the main gate of the Navy Yard, at the southern end of Broad Street.
In order to provide a better finish line experience, after you finish the race please proceed through our finish area in a cooperative manner. This year you will be directed by our volunteers to one of our two runner food tents. After moving through the food tent you will get your RACE MEDAL at the rear of the Food Tent. Once you go through the food tent and pick up your medal, please proceed to gear buses, the Marine Parade grounds or the Shuttle Buses. Once you have left the refreshment area, you may not return.
Locating the Gear Buses at the Finish
Gear pick up at the Navy Yard will be located at the south end of the Marine Parade Grounds in the parking lot directly across Constitution Avenue.
Shuttle Buses at the Finish Line
After the race, Shuttle Buses will be available to take runners and spectators back to the stadium parking lots or FDR park. These buses will be located on Normandy Place east of 13th.
To catch a shuttle bus, please exit from the northeast or southeast exits of the Marine Parade Grounds.
Pick Up Lot:
In an effort to accommodate those runners who wish to be picked up after the race and to avoid congestion in the Navy Yard with unauthorized vehicles, we have established a parking lot similar to a cell phone waiting lot at the airport. The hours for this lot are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Runners wishing to be picked up in this manner should board the FDR shuttle buses to be transported to the pickup lot located on West Pattison Avenue between 20th Street and the NovaCare Complex (Eagles training facility). The shuttle buses to FDR park and the pickup lot will be located at 1th Street and Normandy Place.
Instructions for drivers picking people up are as follows:
Family members or friends only coming to pick up runners at the completion of the race are urged to use this cell phone waiting lot. Drivers must enter this lot from the west at the Police checkpoint located at Pattison Avenue and Penrose Avenue. Drivers communicate to the Police that they are there to pick up runners. All drivers must remain with their vehicle the entire time. ANY VEHICLE LEFT UNATTENDED WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TOWED.
All spectators at the Navy Yard will be required to go through security check points to enter the Marine Parade Grounds. No backpacks, duffel bags or coolers are permitted in the Navy Yard. If you bring items into the Navy Yard, they must be in one gallon size clear bags. All items are subject to search by security.
Restrictions
Please, no dogs or alcoholic beverages are permitted in the Navy Yard. We also ask for your cooperation in keeping the Navy Yard clean by putting all waste in the proper receptacles.
Lost runners
All runners should plan to meet family and friends at the Lost Runners Information Tent in the center of the Marine Parade grounds. We will not make any announcements about missing people from the Awards Stage. If someone is missing, go to the nearest information booth for instructions.
Door prizes
All registered runners are eligible for random drawings, which will be held throughout the day. You must be present to win any of the door prizes. Winners will be announced at the Awards Stage at the Navy Yard.
Drug testing
Athletes who take part in the competition may be subject to formal drug testing under the IAAF Procedural Guidelines for Doping Control or the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code. Drug testing and the adjudication of positive findings will be carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Athletes found to have committed a doping violation will be disciplined according to USADA Protocol and suspended, if appropriate, according to IAAF rules. Such penalties may result in a period of ineligibility as well as disqualification from the event. Any substance taken by an athlete is at his/her own risk and may result in a positive sample. (This includes cold medicines, nutritional supplements, and some over-the-counter medicines).
Information on drugs and drug testing may be obtained by calling the USADA Drug Reference Hotline at 1-800-233-0393 or visiting usantidoping.org.
*The term “wheelchair” as used in this event means “push-rim wheelchairs” only. For safety reasons, hand-crank bicycle types of equipment are not permitted.
