In early 2020, when the world shut down in the face of a catastrophic pandemic, Michael Gagliardi (aka, Gagz), mapped out turn-by-turn directions for a 76-mile clockwise running route around the perimeter of Philadelphia. His goal for creating it was to provide a safe runnable route for anyone who wants to challenge themselves and experience the city in a whole new way. Gagz ran the 76-mile route on April 25, 2020 in 16:14:44 (see the 1st photo, and activity link: https://www.strava.com/activities/3353655855). Several others have run the same or similar route since that time, but it had not been submitted as an FKT route until now (with Gagz’s blessing). Note that the running route differs from the 100+ mile segmented walking route titled Walk Around Philadelphia, created by JJ Tiziou (https://www.jjtiziou.net/project/walk-around-philadelphia/), but you may see some of their stickers along the way.
I ran the route counterclockwise with Erin Jaskiewicz on July 4, 2023, which produced the GPX file that is linked here (https://www.strava.com/activities/9390740648). The route could be done clockwise or counterclockwise, but I recommend the latter as it allows you to pass through southwest Philadelphia in the morning hours. I utilized Gagz’s turn-by-turn directions to reverse the route, and created detailed counterclockwise directions. An ideal start and finish point is the Pennypack Park entrance at 8635 Pine Road, where there is ample parking on Pine Road itself.
There are endless opportunities for crewing and support throughout the route if you select the Supported category, as well as publicly available resources such as Wawa and water fountains if you prefer Self-Supported or even the Unsupported category. This route truly provides a unique and unforgettable perspective of each part of Philly. Some memorable sections include the Manayunk trail, Cobbs Creek trail in west Philly, Platt Street bridge (don’t look down!), the Navy Yard, Delaware River Trail under the Ben Franklin Bridge, and more.
There are a few short sections with very little space on the side of the road, so always use caution and wear reflective gear for visibility to cars. Erin and I chose to run the route on a holiday when there would be less traffic on the streets during most of the day. July 4th also offered a festive vibe and very cool series of fireworks displays in the evening.
- submitted by Michelle Goldberg (with permission from Michael Gagliardi)
