The crap that happened at the finish was foreseen by many at the thread below - thanks to that OP - he/she was DEAD ON
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3304758
I was watching my cousin run the full marathon. Being an athlete and spectator at many marathons - I've responded to the other (link above) thread regarding this potential criss-cross. I got an email back from the race director herself simply being a "reply all" to the others on the email list (reg2run@yahoo.com and philadelphiamarathon.com) saying "(name1) - can you please have (name2) address this email? Thanks". That was last Wednesday and I heard nothing back from anybody since.
My cousin (the runner) and I (the spectator) let it be and figured that at least they are aware of it and hopefully it won't be as bad as we make out these details to be sometimes
......fast forward to Sunday's race.....
I never thought it would be as bad as it was.
1) The announcers had NO CLUE what was going on. The half marathon winners were never announced - even though it was a really exciting finish - if you happened to be paying attention - unlike the announcers ... they were too busy cheering on the people running 8:00/mile in a 5 mile race than bringing home guys running 5:10/mile in a 13.1 mile race.
2) Same thing for the marathon winners. Just imagine this ..... You've trained day in and day out for a sport you LOVE to do. You wouldn't be out there if you didn't love it because there is next to nothing when it comes to appreciative, respectful, and well-educated fans of distance running. All of your stars align and you are having your best day - a day that will be over before you know it - you are going to win todays marathon against thousands that have also put in their fair share of work. You are turning the corner in front of the art museum finally able to sniff the finish line - anticipating your seconds of well deserved recognition that will cap off the grueling hours you just spent punishing your body and trashing your legs to be the best you can that day. NO!! NOT DONE YET!!!!!! YOU ARE RUNNING ~5:20ish/mile AND HAVE TO FOLLOW A BIKE THROUGH A SEA OF RUNNERS RUNNING ~8-9min/mile - HALF OF WHICH ARE CROSSING YOUR PATH TURNING LEFT AND HALF OF WHICH ARE FINISHING THE SAME COURSE YOU ARE!!!! AND THE ANNOUNCER AND THE CROWD HAS NO F**KING CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!
3) This same lack of respect and recognition was dished out to all the front runners. My cousin was 2:3x:xx and he was told to follow a BICYCLE through the crowd!!!! Their solution for a criss-crossing course was adding huge signs that got knocked over and bicycles!!!! It just got worse for the 2:40-3:00 finishers too. Half the people running 8-9min/mile have ipods on and are doing nothing, but I don't even fault them - it's the idiots who set up this finish area - everybody shouldn't have to worry about others running on a different area (13 miles difference) of the course.
This race is an absolute slap in the face to those that take the marathon as a serious racing event. It's not a parade or something to check off of a list before you die. It is obvious that the organization of this race is for and by people with minimal running experience and is an absolute shame that a city with as much potential and beauty as Philadelphia will drive away members of the competative running community.
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA - PLEASE SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE AND ALLOW PROFESSIONALS IN THE RUNNING COMMUNITY TO ORGANIZE YOUR RACE - YOU WILL GAIN MORE MONEY, CREDABILITY, AND RESPECT FROM EVERYBODY IN THE RUNNING COMMUNITY, BOTH COMPETATIVE AND RECREATIONAL.