Pittsburgh Marathon | |
---|---|
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 Kagwe Women: 2:29:50 (1988) [a] Margaret Groos |
Official site | Pittsburgh Marathon |
Participants | 3,418 finishers (2019) [1] |
The Pittsburgh Marathon (also known as Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual road marathon usually held on the first Sunday in May in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, first held in 1985. The hilly course runs through the city center and crosses each of Pittsburgh's three main rivers. Generally, over 3,000 runners finish the marathon each year. The weekend's events also include a half marathon, marathon relay, and 5K.
The marathon was first announced on October 3, 1984, with U.S. Steel and PNC Bank as sponsors. [2] [3] The inaugural marathon was held on May 5, 1985. [4]
The Pittsburgh Marathon hosted the United States Olympic Marathon Trials for women in 1988 and for men in 2000. [5] [6] The trials used the same course that the main marathon did, but were considered separate events from the main marathon. [4] In addition, Pittsburgh has served as the site for the United States men's national championship three times, the National Wheelchair Championship in 1986, as well as the Olympic Marathon Trials for both Finland and Denmark in the 1980s.
In 1996, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) became the title sponsor, replacing Giant Eagle, and the race was renamed the UPMC/City of Pittsburgh Marathon (or a variation thereof) for a few years. [7] [8] In late 2003, serious financial difficulty within the City of Pittsburgh municipal budget and UPMC's withdraw from the title sponsorship led to the suspension of the race from 2004 to 2008. [7] In 2009, the event was revived with a new title sponsor, Dick's Sporting Goods. [9]
In 2010, a small microwave oven containing a suspected explosive device was found on the sidewalk near the finish line. [10] [11] Because a car bombing attempt in New York City had emptied Times Square the previous day, authorities were on high alert and delayed the race for about 10 minutes while a bomb squad robot neutralized the oven's contents by blowing up the microwave. [10] [12] Ravioli was found among its contents, and police later believed the oven had never contained any explosives. [10] [13]
The 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants having the option to either run the race virtually or obtain a refund. [14] [15] [16]
Historically, the course has wound through the unique and hilly topography of the city. Crossing five different bridges, the course traverses all three rivers of Pittsburgh at least once. The start and finish lines have changed many times, but have always been in either Downtown or the North Shore. Previous finish lines have included Point State Park, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and the 50-yard line of Heinz Field. [17] The current finish line is on the Boulevard of the Allies near Point State Park. Numerous other historic and well-known Pittsburgh neighborhoods are along the route, including the South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, East Liberty, Highland Park, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, and the Strip District.
Aside from the main marathon event, several races occur during the weekend of the marathon, including a half marathon, two to five person marathon relay, 5K race, and "kids marathon". All races except for the "kids marathon" and 5K utilize the same starting time and largely the same course as the marathon.
Attendance and popularity of the events has risen greatly since the 2009 revival. The 2012 race had the largest field in the history of the race. Registration for 2012 closed with roughly 25,000 participants between all races, with 6,000 entrants in the full marathon, 13,000 entrants in the half marathon, and 800 teams in the marathon relay, with the remaining entrants registered for the 5K. [18] [19] Additionally, an estimated 60,000 spectators lined the course, and 4,000 volunteers provided assistance. [20] 2012 also marked the earliest sellout in the race's history with all events except the 5K selling out on or before March 6, 2012. [19]
Throughout the course, thousands of neighborhood residents show their support by lining the streets of the course and volunteering at aid stations. [21] Neighborhood organizations are awarded financial grants for community-engaging celebrations along the route. [21] Sixty bands, almost all of which are from the Greater Pittsburgh area, line the streets throughout the course, spanning a range of musical genres. [22]
Key:
Ed. | Date | Men's winner | Time [c] | Women's winner | Time [c] | 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 | [4] [23] |
[a] | 1988.05.01 | — | — | Margaret Groos (USA) | 2:29:50 | [4] |
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 | [25] [26] |
[d] | 2000.05.07 | Rod DeHaven (USA) | 2:15:30 | — | — | [4] [27] |
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 financial issues | [7] [9] | |||
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 | [e] |
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 | [14] [15] | |||
31 | 2022.05.01 | Álvaro Abreu (DOM) | 2:16:07 | Nicole Hilton (USA) | 2:49:51 | [29] |
32 | 2023.05.07 | Tyler McCandless (USA) | 2:16:08 | Margo Malone (USA) | 2:41:56 | [30] |
33 | 2024.05.04 | Andrew Bowman (USA) | 2:15:52 | Jennifer Brewer (USA) | 2:49:39 | [31] |
The U.S. Steel Tower, also known as the Steel Building, or USX Tower (1988–2001), is a 64-story skyscraper at 600 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The interior has 2,300,000 sq ft (210,000 m2) of leasable space. At 256.3 m (841 ft) tall, it is the tallest building in Pittsburgh. It held its opening dedication on September 30, 1971.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, originally known as A.J. Palumbo Center, is a 3,500-seat multi-purpose arena in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena originally opened in 1988 and is part of Duquesne University. It is home to both the Duquesne Dukes basketball and volleyball programs. Access to the building is available from both Interstate 376 and Interstate 579.
The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently with a half marathon and a 5 km race. The 2007 race included the first-ever satellite running of the event, run simultaneously in Fallujah, Iraq.
The San Francisco Marathon is an annual USATF-certified road running event held in San Francisco, California, that includes a full marathon, two half marathons, an ultramarathon, a 10k, and a 5K. With the exceptions of 1988, 1993, and 2020, the marathon has been held annually since 1977. The marathon starts and finishes on the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building and crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon.
The Little Rock Marathon, started in 2003, is an annual marathon held in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event, which is traditionally held the First Weekend of March each year, attracts participants from all 50 states and over 15 different countries. The mission of the Little Rock Marathon is to provide a premier event open to athletes of all abilities, while promoting a healthy lifestyle through running and walking and raising money for Little Rock Parks & Recreation. In January 2016, Runner's World named the Little Rock Marathon as a “Bucket List Race: 10 Great Marathons for First-Timers”. It also ranked #5 on American Town Media's "The Dream 26: The Best and Most Unique Marathons In America" list and voted one of the best Half Marathons in the nation on the 100 Half Marathons Club 2017 list.
The Miami Marathon is an annual marathon racing event hosted by Miami, Florida, since 2003. The marathon course also runs through the city of Miami Beach, Florida. The 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race is typically run on the last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February, at approximately 6:00 am. The event also includes a half marathon, and a wheelchair division for both races. Marathon finish times can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Shifting Gears United is partner for the disability division.
The Peachtree Road Race is a series of two 10-kilometer runs held annually in Atlanta on Independence Day. It was founded in 1970 and has been the world's largest 10k race, since the late 1970s. The race has become a citywide tradition in which over 70,000 amateur and professional runners try to register for one of the limited 60,000 spots. The event also includes a wheelchair race, which precedes the footrace. In recent years, the race also has a special division for soldiers stationed in the Middle East. The race attracts some of the world's elite 10K runners and has served as both the United States' men's and women's 10K championship.
The Frederick Marathon was the flagship race of several races held in Frederick, Maryland known collectively as the Frederick Running Festival.
The Illinois Marathon is a for-profit marathon which was held for the first time on April 11, 2009 in Champaign, Illinois. This was to be the first marathon ever held in Champaign. The course is very flat and it was expected to produce fast times, with only 85 feet (26 m) of elevation change. Race weekends have been held annually on the fourth weekend in April since 2009, with the only cancellation to date being the 2020 Race Weekend as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The races offered are:
The California International Marathon (CIM) is an annual road marathon held in Northern California since 1983. The net downhill course starts at Folsom Dam and ends at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The race is organized by the Sacramento Running Association.
The Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race, known most commonly as the Great Race, is a major 10 kilometer foot race organized and operated annually by the City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation (Citiparks) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was named in honor of former mayor of Pittsburgh Richard S. Caliguiri.
The Utah Valley Marathon (UVM) is an annual marathon foot-race in Northern Utah held on the first Saturday of June. The marathon course is USA Track & Field (USATF) certified and is a Boston Marathon qualifier.
Molly Huddle is an American long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. She held the American record in the 5000 meters set in 2014 in Monaco (14:42.64), which has since been lowered by Shannon Rowbury, Shelby Houlihan and Alicia Monson. Huddle held also the American record in the 10,000 meters set at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a time of 30:13.17, which has since been lowered by Alicia Monson.
The Carlsbad 5000 is an annual five kilometer road running event that takes place each spring in the city of Carlsbad, California, along the north coast of San Diego County.
Bakery Square is an open-air shopping and office development in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Larimer, adjacent to the neighborhoods of Shadyside and East Liberty in the city's East End. Bakery Square is located on 5.1 acres along Penn Avenue.
The El Paso Marathon is an annual running event held in El Paso, Texas since 2007. It is an official Boston Marathon qualifier and includes a half marathon as well as a 5K race. It is organized by the non-profit El Paso Marathon Foundation. Over 3,000 runners participated in the 2019 Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.
Kaye Anne Starosciak is an American long-distance runner.
The Mankato Marathon is an annual marathon race in Mankato, Minnesota, United States, that was first run in 2010. The race weekend now brings nearly 5,000 runners to the city for several races: the marathon, a marathon four-person relay, a half marathon, a 10K run, a 5K run, children's runs. The race course is certified by the USATF, making it a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon.
The Med City Marathon is an annual marathon in Rochester, Minnesota, started 1996. The race course is certified by the USATF and is one of the races in the US that can qualify a runner for the Boston Marathon. Although the race was formerly a point-to-point course from the Rochester International Airport, to the Mayo Civic Center in downtown Rochester, the 25th running in 2021 saw a course change to a two-loop route around the city. Previously, Mayo Clinic and Scheels were main sponsors of the marathon. In 2021, Rochester's Active PT and Sports became the main sponsor.
Kim Pawelek Brantly is a Vietnamese-American middle- and long-distance runner. She is the woman's 1999 US Marathon Champion.