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As the world-champion Phillies brought out crowds of happy fans, the 15th annual Philadelphia Marathon will attract a crowd, too - more than 18,000 runners.
The marathon Sunday "is a continuation of the historic events that have happened over the past month," said City Representative Melanie Johnson, the executive director. "This year, we have reached a record number of participants."
The Philadelphia Marathon, Half Marathon and Rothman Institute 8K race are taking no more competitors. And having to expand the Health and Fitness Expo, offered today and Saturday, to accommodate everyone is another sign of the run's popularity. There will be more than 123 vendors, and Johnson and others observed that current economic woes have had little effect on this prestigious running event.
With runners competing from across the United States and more than 30 countries, officials decided to highlight Philadelphia as a destination for marathon weekend, offering Marathon Fan Shopping Passes with 15 percent shopping discounts at businesses along the route.
"We are happy to report that about 70 shops and restaurants have signed up for this program so far," said race spokesman Randy Giancaterino. "Anyone who visits our two-day Health & Fitness Expo can get one [a shopping pass] - runners, their families and the general public."
Repeating an innovation introduced last year, the runners' times will be recorded by chips attached to their shoes.
Monitoring technology allows spectators to keep track of family members' and friends' times throughout the race. The times are recorded every five miles and sent to family members' cell phones.
"Timing is highly important to competitive runners," said Margaret Hughes, deputy city representative. "This is a great way for runners to keep track if they want to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon."
Contact staff writer Jenna Oskowitz at 215-854-5526 or joskowitz@phillynews.com
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