ShutterButton: 15th Annual Philadelphia Marathon

Bright and early Sunday morning, 18,000 athletes congregated for the 15th annual Philadelphia Marathon.

Many more photos after the jump.

The first stretch of the run took place on the flag-flanked Benjamin Franklin Parkway; appropriately so, as a large proportion of the athletes represented the international community. This included the male and female winners of the race, who were both from Ukraine (the announcer at the finish line mistakenly referred to their country as Ukrainia, multiple times).

At approximately 7am, Mayor Michael Nutter provided the final countdown, releasing the hoard of runners into the city.

Runners, however, weren't the only ones braving the cold weather on Sunday morning. Families and friends lined the entire 26.2 mile course, cheering their loved ones all the way to the finish.

For others, however, the day was just like any other.

At the finish line — located in front of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art — athletes were overcome with happiness, a sense of triumph, and many tears of joy, for which you could not stop cheering.

For a few unfortunate runners, however, the pain was too much to bear.

All in all, the marathon was one of the most incredible events I have ever witnessed. The athletic achievements of the participants cannot be understated; while I was taking photos and having coffee breaks in between, these people had endured one of the most grueling physical tests on the human body.

Even more impressive for me, however, was the spirit and emotions of the event. Despite the pain, agony, and the cold early morning weather, I have never seen so many happy and supportive people in one place at one time. Throughout the course I saw and met amazing spectators and runners: a father came all the way from Toronto so that his children could see their mother in the race; a group of young students dressed in costumes stood on a corner on Chestnut Street and cheered for every athlete that ran by; experienced runners yelled words of encouragement until their voices were lost, fully absorbing themselves into the pain felt by complete strangers.

Congratulations to all those who participated in and supported the 15th Annual Philadelphia Marathon! To those who succumbed to the pain, my thoughts are with you and I wish you a speedy recovery.