A Fueling Plan Built Specifically for the Philadelphia Marathon

Every aid station on the course, what it serves, and the exact minute you reach it based on your goal time. Then a fueling plan built on this exact course, so every gel is placed where there is water to wash it down and you never hit the wall in the last 6 miles.

Build my Philadelphia plan Start with the course ↓
TIAA Philadelphia Marathon
Sunday 22 November 2026 · 26.2 miles
Water + DryWater 16 Gel depot miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3
Map of the Philadelphia Marathon course with the 16 aid tables marked
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation profile drag along the profile to scrub
26.2 miles ▲ 375 ft gain ▼ 354 ft loss +106 ft high -23 ft low
0 mi 5 10 15 20 26.2 mi +106 ft 0 mi 10 20 26.2 mi +106 ft

Aid tables from the official Philadelphia FAQ, checked 12 Sep 2026. Philadelphia publishes miles; kilometres are converted. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Why the course changes the plan

Why you need to adapt your fueling plan to the specifics of the course

Most fueling plans are generic: take a gel every 30 minutes, wash it down with water and drink your carb beverage in between.

But, what if your planned time to take a gel comes right in the middle of a hill? What if there’s no aid station close by to grab water from?

Often, where each gel goes on the course matters as much as how many you take

It’s these small, often ignored parts of executing a fueling plan that trip runners up and have them hitting the wall or slowing down because of an upset stomach, despite having a well-rehearsed fueling plan heading into the race.

4

things go wrong when you don’t account for the course in your fueling plan

1A planned gel with no water

You plan a gel at 60 minutes, but the next water station isn’t for another 15. That means you either have to wait, take it without water and have it sit, or take it with your carb beverage and take in too much sugar for your stomach to process.

2You miss a table

Philadelphia does not publish how many run its marathon, but race weekend expects 40,000 across all of its events and the marathon sold out earlier than it ever has. Tables that busy are easy to misjudge and not get the fuel you need. Without a plan for the next one you either double up later and pay for it, or run the rest of the race short.

3Your plan calls for a gel in the middle of a hill

As intensity increases, your stomach’s ability to process carbohydrates slows down. Couple that with breathing harder up a hill and you’ve got the perfect storm for a gel that can’t be digested fast enough.

4Miscalculating the fluid on the course

The distance between aid stations, the concentration of the carbohydrate drink, and how much you’re actually able to swallow all change how much glycogen you’re actually replacing every hour. Your plan calls for 60 g per hour, but if you only hit 40 g you’ll run out of glycogen before you finish.

So your fueling plan needs to start with one question, and everything after it follows.

Option 1

I am going to use what is on the course

Water at 16 tables, DryWater at all of them, gels at miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3.

What that adds up to, and what you still carry.

Fuel off the course ↓
Option 2

I am going to carry all of my own fuel

Your products, your timing, nothing riding on a cup you might miss.

What the course still decides for you.

Fuel from your own kit ↓
Option 1

If you are going to use what the course hands you

Philadelphia is a good course to do this on. Water and DryWater come at all 16 tables. Below is where you’ll find each station.

Philadelphia Marathon course strip Elevation relative to the start across 26.2 miles, the 16 aid tables marked by mile with what is at each, and the 12 feeds of the reference plan as numbered dots. +106 ft -23 ft 2.3 3.7 5.1 7.1 8.5 10.2 11.8 14.4 16.2 17.8 18.9 19.8 20.2 21.3 22.3 24.2 mi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Water + DryWater Gel depot Feed in the 3:45 plan, on a table Feed with no table, water carried

Elevation is stretched to emphasis location. The numbered dots are your recommended fueling options for your 3:45 goal.

Source: the official TIAA Philadelphia Marathon, checked 12 Sep 2026

1What is on the course

What is provided at Philadelphia, and where

Water is provided at all 16 tables, from mile 2.3 to mile 24.2.

DryWater at every table, but there is very little carbohydrate in it: half a litre an hour of it is about 3 g. Gels at miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3, Crank Sports e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel.

The course climbs 375 ft in total and its steepest grade is 2.5%, under the 3% where a climb starts to move a feed. So CarbRate still places yours by the water tables, and the arrival times below carry a minute or two of slack on the climbs.

The Philadelphia course, table by table
Water stations
16

every table, mile 2.3 to mile 24.2

DryWater
16

every table from mile 2.3 to mile 24.2

e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel
3

miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3, water at each

2Your goal time

Every table, and the minute you reach it

Put your goal time in and when you arrive at every aid station on the course recalculates. This is the list to put in your pocket, and the one CarbRate builds your feeds on.

Arrival times assume even pace, which is a fair guide on a course with 375 ft of climbing. At 3:45 you reach the first gel station at 1:41.
Build my Philadelphia plan
All 16 tables at 3:45
mikmTableWhat’s at the tableYou arrive
2.33.7Columbus Blvd south of Race StwaterDryWater0:20
3.76.0Front St & Washington AvewaterDryWater0:32
5.18.26th & WalnutwaterDryWater0:44
7.111.431st & WalnutwaterDryWater1:01
8.513.734th St & Fairmount AvewaterDryWater1:13
10.216.4Avenue of the Republic at BelmontwaterDryWater1:28
11.819.0Lansdowne Dr @ Sweetbriar LnwaterDryWatere-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel1:41
14.423.2Edgley Dr before Power Corps HQwaterDryWater2:04
16.226.1Kelly Dr @ Kelly Statue (station 9, 1st pass)waterDryWater2:19
17.828.6Kelly Dr & Ferry St (station 10, 1st pass)waterDryWatere-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel2:33
18.930.4Main St & Ridge Ave (station 11, 1st pass)waterDryWater2:42
19.831.9Main & Cotton (station 12, 1st pass)waterDryWater2:50
20.232.5Main & Cotton (station 12, 2nd pass)waterDryWater2:53
21.334.3Main St & Ridge Ave (station 11, 2nd pass)waterDryWater3:03
22.335.9Kelly Dr & Ferry St (station 10, 2nd pass)waterDryWatere-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel3:11
24.238.9Kelly Dr @ Kelly Statue (station 9, 2nd pass)waterDryWater3:28
3The course drink

How much glycogen does the DryWater on the course provide

DryWater is 0.6 g of carbohydrate per 100 mL. A typical cup contains about 200 mL.

But, you likely won’t actually drink that much. Volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

On average, you can expect a net intake of about 60 to 90 mL per cup

This is the part most runners don’t account for in their fueling plan, so CarbRate builds it directly in your plan.

We’ll tell you exactly how many cups at each aid station to drink based on how much glycogen you need and how much you’ll be able to supplement with gels.

What the drink is worth per hour
Glycogen left
200 → 60–90 mL

A cup holds about 200 mL. Half-filled, spilled and sipped on the run, 60 to 90 mL of it actually goes down.

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you run out here Planned full cups Real 60–90 mL a cup full empty start finish
Glycogen left across the race, a plan built on full cups against what a cup actually delivers. Illustrative, not your plan.
4What you carry

How many gels you still carry

After you’ve calculated how much of the course drink you’ll likely take at each aid station, you’ll need to fill in your glycogen needs with gels along the course.

A typical gel contains about 25 g of carbohydrate, so use the chart here to calculate how many you’ll need.

If you’ve practiced fueling in training, you can target 75 to 90 g per hour. If you haven’t trained your stomach, err closer to 60 g per hour.

Here’s more on how to practice your fueling schedule to maximize your gut tolerance.

25 g gels to carry, after the course
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal
3:004to46to68to8
3:305to68to810to10
4:007to79to911to12
4:308to810to1113to13
5:009to912to1215to15
5The products

The 2 products Philadelphia hands you

The gel is Crank Sports e-Gel, the biggest single handout of any course here at 37 g, and the drink is DryWater, which carries sodium and almost no carbohydrate. Practise with the gel before race day so mile 11.8 is not the first time your stomach meets it.

If e-Gel does not sit well with you, the closest matches are Maurten Gel 100, Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel and SiS Beta Fuel Gel. Pick one before race week and train on it.

On the Philadelphia course
Sodium
230 mg
Caffeine
not published
Glucose : fructose
complex carbohydrate and fructose
Sodium
380 mg / 12 oz
Caffeine
0 mg
Glucose : fructose
fruit and coconut-water powders, no added sugar

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Philadelphia

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Philadelphia plan
Option 2

If you are going to carry all of your own fuel

Even carrying your own fuel, the Philadelphia course influences 4 things about your fueling plan: the timing of your gels, fluid intake, electrolytes, and caffeine.

1Timing

Set your feed times to Philadelphia’s tables, unless you carry water

The common advice is to take your gels every 30 to 45 minutes, but that might not coincide with when you hit an aid station.

If you’re not carrying your own water with you, you’ll need those aid stations to wash down your gel.

For a 3:45 finisher, Philadelphia’s tables arrive 20, 32, 44, 61 and 73 minutes in, then every 3 to 22 minutes.

So, you need to factor this into your fueling plan.

Enter your goal time in the input box below and we’ll show you when each aid station will arrive for your given pace.

If you want a fueling plan with all of these built in, CarbRate does this for you. Start building your plan here.

Feed times assume even pace, which is a fair guide on a course with 375 ft of climbing. Everything below recalculates from 3:45.
Your watch against Philadelphia’s tables
Gel alarms with water
4 of 11 alarms

For a 3:45 finisher, 4 of 11 twenty-minute alarms land within 2 minutes of a table. Highlighted tables take a gel in a 75 g an hour plan; the first goes down before mile 2.3 from a bottle you carry.

Gel alarm every 20 min Philadelphia tables, 3:45 pace 3.7 5.1 7.1 10.2 11.8 14.4 16.2 18.9 21.3 24.2 start 1:00 2:00 3:00 finish
alarm within 2 min of wateralarm with no watertable taking a geltable not taking a gel
How many 25 g gels that is, carrying everything
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal91214
3:008911
3:3091113
4:00101215
4:30111417
5:00121518
2Water

A gel needs more water than a cup holds

Research has shown that the optimal carbohydrate concentration is 6 to 8 percent carbohydrate to water.

That means you’ll want about 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water for every 8 grams of carbohydrate you take in. A typical gel contains 25 g of carbohydrate, so you’ll want to aim for about 300 mL (10 oz) of water with each gel.

A good estimate is that each cup of water will provide you 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water. That’s because volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

So, if you’re not carrying your own water, have your gel open and prepared to take at the start of the aid station so you can take it early with a cup of water and still have time to grab another cup or two.

What a gel needs and what a cup delivers
One 25 g gel needs
300 mL
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cupsempties fast, no sloshing8%concentration300 mL+2 cupsstill too thick to empty13%concentration200 mL+1 cupsits in your stomach25%concentration100 mL
3Sodium

The course drink covers your sodium, if you drink it

DryWater carries about 1,070 mg of sodium per litre (250 mg per 8 oz) as the maker mixes it, and it is at every table.

Aim for 600 mg of sodium per litre (150 mg per 8 oz) of what you drink. So, if you drink the course drink at the tables, you’re covered without adding anything to your gels.

If you’re carrying your own water instead, that sodium has to come from your gel or your bottle. If it’s a hot day or you’re a salty sweater, you should aim for a bit more.

CarbRate can provide your exact amount based on your individual sweat rate and can help you adjust your fueling plan if the weather is hot.

Where the sodium is
Sodium per litre you drink
600 mg / L

DryWater at the tables is above the target on its own. Carry water instead and the sodium in your race is whatever your gel or your own drink carries.

NaPhiladelphia’s tables1,070 mg / LNaAim for600 mg / LNaHot day, salty sweater800–1,000
the target for what you drinkthe hotter, saltier end, where CarbRate sets yours from your sweat rate
4Caffeine

Time your caffeine so it helps you when you need it the most

If you plan to use caffeine, it’s best to time it so the benefits kick in when you need them the most.

Caffeine peaks in your blood about an hour after you swallow it, then it slowly falls.

In that analysis of 4.2 million marathon results, the runners who slowed sharply began to do so just before mile 18.6 (30 km).

With a goal finish time of 3:45 that would place your caffeine at mile 16.2 (26 km).

This should provide you with peak benefits from the caffeine right when you need it the most.

When the caffeine is working
Caffeine table, rolling course
mile 16.2
2 hours 19 minutes into a 3:45

Blood caffeine peaks about an hour after the dose, so a mile 16.2 gel peaks near mile 23 for a 3:45 finisher, after the wall has started. In 4.2 million marathon results, the late slowdown began near mile 18.6.

the wall starts mile 18.6 avg, 4.2 M results dose at the start mile 16.2 table · 2:19 peak ≈ mile 23 0 mi 5 10 15 20 26.2 mi peaknone
dose at the mile 16.2 tabledose at the startwhere the wall starts on averagecurve shape illustrative, timings from your goal time

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Philadelphia

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Philadelphia plan
Built for your exact course

What a finished Philadelphia plan looks like

This is a real CarbRate plan rather than an example we wrote out: a 68 kg runner, 3:45 goal, trained stomach, drinking the DryWater and taking the course gel, 14 °C at the start. Adjusted finish 3:48. Target 81 g an hour, 307 g in total, as 12 feeds of 25 g.

11 of the 12 feeds land on a real Philadelphia aid table, so there is water in your hand for every one of them.

#ClockmiWhereWhat
10:091.1No table here · mile 1.1 (water in hand)One 25 g gel, your own
20:313.6Front St & Washington Ave · mile 3.7One 25 g gel, your own
30:455.26th & Walnut · mile 5.1One 25 g gel, your own
41:037.231st & Walnut · mile 7.1One 25 g gel, your own
51:2810.1Avenue of the Republic at Belmont · mile 10.2One 25 g gel, your own
61:4411.9Lansdowne Dr @ Sweetbriar Ln · mile 11.8e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel from the depot
72:0414.3Edgley Dr before Power Corps HQ · mile 14.4One 25 g gel, your own
82:2216.3Kelly Dr @ Kelly Statue (station 9, 1st pass) · mile 16.2One 25 g gel, your own
92:4318.8Main St & Ridge Ave (station 11, 1st pass) · mile 18.9One 25 g gel, your own
103:0421.2Main St & Ridge Ave (station 11, 2nd pass) · mile 21.3One 25 g gel, your own
113:1522.4Kelly Dr & Ferry St (station 10, 2nd pass) · mile 22.3e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel from the depot
123:3124.3Kelly Dr @ Kelly Statue (station 9, 2nd pass) · mile 24.2One 25 g gel, your own

The first feed comes before the first table on purpose: CarbRate starts you early, with the water you carry from the start line. Say you are carrying your own instead and it rebuilds this same timeline with your products and more feeds, on the same tables. On race day the app calls each feed by voice as you reach it.

This is one runner. Yours will look different.

CarbRate builds yours from your weight, your sweat rate, your goal time, the gels you already train with, and the race-day forecast. Answer a few quick questions and it is built, with the Philadelphia course already loaded.

Build my Philadelphia plan
What CarbRate says about Philadelphia

What CarbRate flags on a Philadelphia plan

These are the warnings CarbRate attaches to a Philadelphia plan, word for word, for the 3:45 runner above.

Plan to carry

Philadelphia hands out e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel at 3 points. You need about 12 feeds, so that covers roughly 36% of your carbohydrate. Take them if you want them, and carry the other 9.

Plan to carry

Philadelphia has DryWater (Lemon Lime), which carries 0.6 g of carbohydrate per 100 ml. Drinking 500 ml an hour that comes to about 3 g/h against your target of 81. Drink it for the fluid and the sodium. It is not going to replace a gel.

Only at 5:00 pace

The longest stretch without water on Philadelphia runs 2.6 miles, from mile 11.8 to mile 14.4. At your pace that is about 30 minutes. Carry fluid through it rather than waiting for the next table. Under 5 hours that stretch takes less than 27 minutes, and CarbRate stays quiet.

Quiet on purpose

The first table is at mile 2.3. CarbRate allows 45 minutes for the opening stretch instead of the usual 27, because you start hydrated and fed. So Philadelphia’s first 2.3 miles never trigger a warning.

Sodium: on the course

DryWater carries about 1,070 mg of sodium per litre as mixed, above the 600 mg per litre target. The race does not publish its own dilution, so that figure is the maker’s standard mix.

Drink it at the tables and your sodium is covered. Carry your own water instead and CarbRate works out how much you need from your sweat rate and the forecast, and puts it on the same schedule as your gels.

Shows inside 10 days
71 days to go

From 12 November the start-line forecast appears here, with what it changes in your plan. On a warm day: more fluid and more sodium.

The short answers

Philadelphia Marathon fueling at a glance

Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.

Race
TIAA Philadelphia Marathon, 22 November 2026
Distance
42.195 km / 26.2 mi
Aid tables on the course
16
First table
mile 2.3 (km 3.7)
Spacing after the first table
every 0.4 to 2.6 miles
Water
at every table
Sports drink
DryWater (Lemon Lime), at every table
Drink strength
0.6 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
Gel handout
Crank Sports e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel, mile 11.8 (km 19), mile 17.8 (km 28.6) and mile 22.3 (km 35.9), 3 points
Food on course
none published
Personal refreshment
not accepted for the mass field
Published sodium
1,070 mg per litre in the course drink, maker’s mix
Total climb
375 ft, steepest grade 3.9%
Typical carbohydrate target
60 to 90 g an hour
Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
8 to 8 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything

Philadelphia fueling questions, answered

Is there DryWater on the Philadelphia Marathon course?

Yes. DryWater (Lemon Lime) is at every table, mile 2.3 to mile 24.2, alongside water. Crank Sports e-Gel Electrolyte Energy Gel is handed out at miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3.

Where are the gel stations at the Philadelphia Marathon?

Miles 11.8, 17.8 and 22.3, which is km 19, km 28.6 and km 35.9. There is water at each of them. Plan to carry the rest of your own.

How many gels do I need for the Philadelphia Marathon?

It depends on your carbohydrate target and how much of the course drink you take. At 75 g an hour a 3:45 finish needs about 280 g. Drinking one cup of DryWater at every other table covers roughly 10 g of that, which leaves about 11 gels of 25 g, 3 of them handed out on the course, so carry 8. Drinking half a litre of DryWater an hour, carry 8. The grid above works this out for any finish time.

Is the Philadelphia Marathon flat?

Mostly. Our course profile shows 375 ft of climbing across 26.2 miles, a net change of +20 ft, and a steepest quarter mile of 2.5%, under the 3% where a climb starts to move a feed. So CarbRate still places every feed by the water tables, and even pacing is a fair guide with a minute or two of slack on the climbs.

Does Philadelphia have electrolytes or sodium on the course?

Yes. DryWater carries about 1,070 mg of sodium per litre as the maker mixes it, which is above the 600 mg per litre target. The race does not publish its own dilution. If you carry your own water instead, bring your own sodium plan.

Is there food on the Philadelphia Marathon course?

Philadelphia publishes none. The tables carry water and DryWater and nothing else.

How far apart are the water stations at Philadelphia?

The first table is at mile 2.3. After that they come every 0.4 to 2.6 miles. The longest gap after the start is mile 11.8 to mile 14.4, about 4.2 km, which is 24 minutes at 4:00 pace and 30 minutes at 5:00 pace.

When will I reach the gel station at mile 11.8?

At even pace: 1:35 into a 3:30 race, 1:41 into a 3:45, 1:48 into a 4:00, and 2:15 into a 5:00. Enter your own goal time in the station table above to see every table.

Where are the aid stations at the Philadelphia Marathon?

There are 16, at miles 2.3, 3.7, 5.1, 7.1, 8.5, 10.2, 11.8, 14.4, 16.2, 17.8, 18.9, 19.8, 20.2, 21.3, 22.3 and 24.2. All 16 have water. Every one of them also has DryWater (Lemon Lime).

Can I carry all of my own fuel at the Philadelphia Marathon?

Yes. Philadelphia does not take personal bottles from the mass field, so everything you carry starts on you at the gun, with water at every table to top a flask from. Carrying everything at 75 g an hour is 12 gels of 25 g for a 3:45 finish, or 9 if you take the course gels.

How much carbohydrate should I take during the Philadelphia Marathon?

60 to 90 grams an hour, set by your body size and by how much your stomach has practised absorbing. Start at the rate you have already trained at rather than the rate you want: 90 g an hour is a target to build toward over a training cycle before you race on it.

Do I need to carry water at the Philadelphia Marathon?

Only for the opening 2.3 miles. The first table is at mile 2.3, about 20 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 0.4 to 2.6 miles. If your first feed comes before mile 2.3, carry the fluid for it from the start line.

What should I eat before the Philadelphia Marathon?

1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before the start, from food you have already eaten before long runs. A 68 kg runner eating 3 hours before the start needs roughly 130 to 200 g of carbohydrate.

Your Philadelphia plan

Build your Philadelphia plan with the course already loaded

The tables, the DryWater and the course profile above are already in. Add your weight, goal time, sweat rate and the gels you like, and CarbRate builds your feed-by-feed plan for Philadelphia, then calls each feed by voice on race day.

Build my Philadelphia plan

The plan is free. Live race-day guidance and the practice schedule are in the app, $9.95 a month or a one-time $49.95 Race Pass that expires after your race.

Fueling guides for the other courses

Philadelphia, 22 Nov 2026
Free plan, course loadedBuild my Philadelphia plan