Pittsburgh Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pittsburgh Marathon |
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| Date | First Sunday in May |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K |
| Primary sponsor | Dick's Sporting Goods |
| Established | May 5, 1985 |
| Course records | Men: 2:10:24 (1995) John KagweWomen: 2:29:50 (1988)  Margaret Groos |
| Participants | 3,418 finishers (2019) |
The Pittsburgh Marathon is a big running event held every year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It usually happens on the first Sunday in May. This race started in 1985 and is known for its challenging course. Runners go through the city center and cross Pittsburgh's three main rivers. More than 3,000 people usually finish the full marathon each year. The event also includes a half marathon, a relay race, and a 5K run.
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What is the Pittsburgh Marathon?
The Pittsburgh Marathon is a long-distance running race. It's called a "road marathon" because it takes place on city streets. The main race is a full marathon, which is about 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) long. Many people also join shorter races during the same weekend. These include a half marathon (about 13.1 miles), a marathon relay (where teams run different parts of the marathon), and a 5K race (about 3.1 miles). There's even a special "kids marathon" for younger runners.
How Did the Pittsburgh Marathon Start?
The idea for the Pittsburgh Marathon was first shared on October 3, 1984. Big companies like U.S. Steel and PNC Bank helped pay for it. The very first race happened on May 5, 1985.
Over the years, the marathon has hosted important races. In 1988, it was the place for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials for women. In 2000, it hosted the men's Olympic Marathon Trials. These trials were separate events but used the same course as the main marathon. Pittsburgh has also hosted the U.S. men's national championship three times.
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Changes and Challenges Over Time
In 1996, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) became the main sponsor. The race name changed to reflect this. However, from 2004 to 2008, the race was paused. This happened because the City of Pittsburgh had money problems, and UPMC stopped being the main sponsor.
The marathon came back in 2009 with a new main sponsor, Dick's Sporting Goods. This brought new excitement to the race.
In 2010, something unusual happened. A small microwave oven was found near the finish line. People thought it might have something dangerous inside. Because of a recent event in New York City, authorities were very careful. They delayed the race for about 10 minutes while a bomb squad checked the oven. It turned out to be harmless, with only Ravioli inside!
The races in 2020 and 2021 were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Runners could choose to run the race virtually (on their own) or get their money back.
What is the Course Like?
The Pittsburgh Marathon course is known for being hilly and unique. It crosses five different bridges and goes over all three of Pittsburgh's rivers at least once. The start and finish lines have moved around over the years. They have always been in either Downtown or the North Shore.
The current finish line is on the Boulevard of the Allies. The route goes through many famous Pittsburgh neighborhoods. These include the South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, East Liberty, Highland Park, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, and the Strip District.
How Many People Participate?
The Pittsburgh Marathon has become very popular since it returned in 2009. The 2012 race had the most participants ever. About 25,000 people signed up for all the different races that year. This included 6,000 for the full marathon and 13,000 for the half marathon.
Many people also come to watch the race. In 2012, about 60,000 spectators cheered on the runners. Around 4,000 volunteers helped out during the event.
Throughout the course, people from the neighborhoods come out to support the runners. They line the streets and help at water stations. Local groups even get money for holding celebrations along the route. About sixty bands, mostly from the Pittsburgh area, play music along the course.
Who Has Won the Pittsburgh Marathon?
Many talented runners have won the Pittsburgh Marathon over the years. Here is a list of some of the past winners:
Key:
- This means it was a course record (the fastest time ever on that course).
- This means it was an American championship race.
| Ed. | Date | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time | Rf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1985.05.05 |  Ken Martin (USA) |
2:12:57 |  Lisa Ondieki (AUS) |
2:31:54 | |
| 2 | 1986.05.18 | Dean Matthews (USA) |
2:18:17 |  Laura Fogli (ITA) |
2:37:04 | |
| 3 | 1987.05.03 |  Rodolfo Gómez (MEX) |
2:13:07 |  Silvia Ruegger (CAN) |
2:31:53 | |
| 4 | 1988.05.01 |  Malcolm East (ENG) |
2:19:49 | Mary-Lynn Currier (USA) |
2:51:28 | |
| 1988.05.01 | — | — | Margaret Groos (USA) |
2:29:50 | ||
| 5 | 1989.05.07 | Ken Martin (USA) |
2:15:28 | Margaret Groos (USA) |
2:32:39 | |
| 6 | 1990.05.06 |  Dick Hooper (IRL) |
2:15:49 |  Conceição Ferreira (POR) |
2:30:34 | |
| 7 | 1991.05.05 |  Herbert Steffny (GER) |
2:16:21 | Lynn MacDougall (USA) |
2:42:45 | |
| 8 | 1992.05.03 |  Jorge González (PUR) |
2:17:33 |  Albina Gallyamova (RUS) |
2:32:02 | |
| 9 | 1993.05.02 |  Abel Gisemba (KEN) |
2:16:55 | Lizanne Bussières (CAN) |
2:35:39 | |
| 10 | 1994.05.01 | Abel Gisemba (KEN) |
2:13:51 | Tammy Slusser (USA) |
2:37:14 | |
| 11 | 1995.05.07 | John Kagwe (KEN) |
2:10:24 | Alina Ivanova (RUS) |
2:35:30 | |
| 12 | 1996.05.05 |  Rubén Maza (VEN) |
2:12:01 | Tamara Karlyakova (RUS) |
2:36:12 | |
| 13 | 1997.05.04 | Dave Scudamore (USA) |
2:13:48 | Tatyana Titova (RUS) |
2:37:41 | |
| 14 | 1998.05.03 | Keith Brantly (USA) |
2:12:31 | Albina Gallyamova (RUS) |
2:36:50 | |
| 15 | 1999.05.02 | Alfredo Vigueras (USA) |
2:14:20 | Tatyana Titova (RUS) |
2:40:00 | |
| 16 | 2000.05.07 | Kevin Taylor (USA) |
2:37:53 | Tammy Slusser (USA) |
2:53:30 | |
| 2000.05.07 | Rod DeHaven (USA) |
2:15:30 | — | — | ||
| 17 | 2001.05.06 | Elly Rono (KEN) |
2:17:15 |  Wioletta Kryza (POL) |
2:34:16 | |
| 18 | 2002.05.05 | Reuben Chesang (KEN) |
2:14:53 | Magdalena Lewy (USA) |
2:36:48 | |
| 19 | 2003.05.04 | Juan Camacho (MEX) |
2:12:05 | Lyudmila Korchagina (RUS) |
2:29:53 | |
| — | — | not held from 2004 to 2008 due to money issues | ||||
| 20 | 2009.05.03 |  Kassahun Kabiso (ETH) |
2:22:51 | Kristin Price (USA) |
2:36:33 | |
| 21 | 2010.05.02 | Kipyegon Kirui (KEN) |
2:17:12 |  Alena Vinnitskaya (BLR) |
2:42:34 | |
| 22 | 2011.05.15 | Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) |
2:16:40 | Yihunlish Delelecha (ETH) |
2:35:36 | |
| 23 | 2012.05.06 | James Kirwa (KEN) |
2:14:09 |  Malika Mejdoub (MAR) |
2:39:31 | |
| 24 | 2013.05.05 | James Kirwa (KEN) |
2:13:37 | Yihunlish Delelecha (ETH) |
2:41:30 | |
| 25 | 2014.05.04 | Gebo Gameda (ETH) |
2:16:30 | Clara Santucci (USA) |
2:34:06 | |
| 26 | 2015.05.03 | Stephen Njoroge (KEN) |
2:15:19 | Clara Santucci (USA) |
2:32:25 | |
| 27 | 2016.05.01 | Kipkoech Ruto (KEN) |
2:17:26 | Ayantu Dakebo (ETH) |
2:39:17 | |
| 28 | 2017.05.07 | Jacob Chemtai (KEN) |
2:15:25 | Ayantu Dakebo (ETH) |
2:36:20 | |
| 29 | 2018.05.06 | Fikadu Teferi (ETH) |
2:13:47 | Sydney Devore (USA) |
2:32:38 | |
| 30 | 2019.05.05 | Boniface Kongin (KEN) |
2:10:34 | Bizuwork Getahun (ETH) |
2:36:29 | |
| — | — | not held in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic | ||||
| 31 | 2022.05.01 |  Álvaro Abreu (DOM) |
2:16:07 | Nicole Hilton (USA) |
2:49:51 | |
| 32 | 2023.05.07 | Tyler McCandless (USA) |
2:16:08 | Margo Malone (USA) |
2:41:56 | |
| 33 | 2024.05.04 | Andrew Bowman (USA) |
2:15:52 | Jennifer Brewer (USA) |
2:49:39 | |
