Here’s our list of the Top 10 sporting events in the Philly-area this summer

Philadelphia sports slow down in the summertime.

The 76ers, Eagles, Flyers, and the Big 5′s seasons are done by late June. It might seem that a few nice nights at Citizens Bank Park and the occasional Union game in Chester are all that’s left.

But, between a boxing champ’s homecoming, a popular pickup basketball tournament, and a few of the world’s greatest international soccer talents, there is plenty to see around the area over the next couple of months.

These are the top 10 sporting events coming to Philly this summer:

Considered one of the country’s top half marathons, the Philadelphia Distance Run brings runners to the city from across the nation. The race was founded in 1978 and hasn’t looked back since — over 2,400 runners participated in the 2023 edition, and many more lined the streets to cheer them on.

Starting on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, weaving past the Liberty Bell and City Hall, and finishing up outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the run provides a picturesque tour of Philly. It takes place annually on the third Sunday of September, which falls a few days before the end of summer in 2024. Whether running or spectating, this is a special, popular community-building event.

The inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup kicks off next month, and Subaru Park is hosting a pair of games in Group D. A battle between the Washington Spirit and Chivas on July 21 precedes a marquee matchup on July 28 when the Spirit face Gotham FC.

The Spirit and Gotham FC currently sit third and fourth in the NWSL, respectively, and with only the Group D winner getting the chance to advance in the tournament, a lot will be on the line at Subaru Park. Philly still doesn’t have a professional women’s soccer team, so the chances to see talents like those are few and far between.

The Danny Rumph Classic brings Philly basketball icons to the city for elite pickup games in front of packed gyms. After local star Danny Rumph suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while playing basketball in 2005, the tournament has taken place annually in Philadelphia to raise money for heart health. The Community College of Philadelphia is hosting this year’s event, which will see 13 games played over the course of five days, with the championship on Aug. 5.

Last year’s tournament brought the 76ers’ Paul Reed and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Bones Hyland, and, a year prior, Tyrese Maxey and former Villanova star Jalen Brunson made appearances. Cheap tickets and high-level basketball — don’t miss it.

Though it’s just a preseason game, this one is going to mean a lot. The Eagles are on the road in Baltimore and New England for their other two preseason affairs, so the Minnesota Vikings represent their lone dress rehearsal at the Linc.

Free-agent signing Saquon Barkley, a Penn State product, will be playing his first game as an Eagle in Philly. Birds fans also will get their first look at the rookie secondary pairing of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who figure to play a healthy chunk of the snaps. This is the last chance to catch Eagles football in August weather.

While the Union have stumbled in 2024, tournament soccer gives everyone a chance. The fourth edition of the Leagues Cup, which includes all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX, is in store later this season. The Union are grouped with Charlotte and Cruz Azul in East 4, from which two of the three teams will advance to the Round of 32.

If Jim Curtin’s men can’t get a positive result against Charlotte at home on July 27, their ultimate match with Cruz Azul will determine whether they go through. Judging by the Union’s recent home form, the nerves will be noticeable at Subaru Park on Aug. 4.

Philadelphia’s long history of boxing will welcome another chapter on July 13 at Wells Fargo Center. Jaron Ennis, a Mount Airy native and ESPN’s No. 3 welterweight, is scheduled to defend his IBF welterweight title against David Avanesyan.

While Ennis held 10 of his first 22 fights in Philly, he hasn’t returned for a match in his hometown since knocking out Raymond Serrano in 2018. The 26-year-old is 31-0 and will be stepping into the ring for the first time in 371 days when he goes toe-to-toe with Avanesyan. The home crowd will be raucous, and Ennis has knocked out 28 of his 31 previous opponents, so prepare for fireworks this July.

It’s worth knowing when the New York Yankees come to town — especially when they have Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and a starting rotation that rivals even that of the Phillies. The Yanks have the fourth-best record in baseball this season, and they will visit Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set at the end of July.

If the two teams remain neck and neck, this series may determine who holds the best record in baseball. The Phillies have dropped four of their last five to the Yankees, and this could be a sneak peek at the Fall Classic — there aren’t many regular season games in baseball with bigger stakes.

The Phillies are making every ballgame at Citizens Bank Park a must-watch this season, but a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers can’t be topped. The two best teams in the National League will square off in Philly from July 9-11 in a potential National League Championship Series preview.

It’s a midweek series, but with the first-place Phils battling reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani and former National League MVP Freddie Freeman, the Bank likely will be filled to the brim three days in a row. Ohtani and Bryce Harper are running away from the rest of the field in the NL MVP race, which will add even more fuel to the fire come July.

The Phillies aren’t the only team fans are scrambling to see at the Bank. The Savannah Bananas, widely labeled “the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball,” will take on the Party Animals on Sept. 21 in an exhibition game at CBP on, the very last day of summer.

The Bananas, based in Georgia, play an up-tempo version of America’s pastime that they call “Banana Ball.” The team choreographs on-field dances, games end sharply after two hours, there are no walks, bunts, or mound visits, and fans are part of the game — an out is recorded if a spectator catches a foul ball in the air.

Their antics brought in a sellout crowd at the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park in March, and the cheapest tickets for the game at CBP are selling for about $200 on StubHub more than two months before the Bananas come to town.

Liverpool and Arsenal challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title last season. Later this summer, they’ll be squaring off at Lincoln Financial Field.

European clubs don’t always play their star-studded lineups when traveling to the U.S., but you can expect goals either way — the Linc hosted three Premier League preseason fixtures last summer and the final scores read 4-3, 3-3, and 3-2. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Arsenal right winger Bukayo Saka should have no problem helping provide an encore.

And it won’t just be those two — Liverpool and Arsenal are expected to be busy during the summer transfer window, so there are sure to be some notable new faces making appearances at the Linc.

With narratives abound as two of Europe’s most storied clubs battle it out, this is Philly’s sporting event of the summer.