I ran this year because the Pittsburgh Half has been a bucket list race for me. It's 2.5 hrs from Cleveland and with family outside of Pittsburgh, I have a free place to stay (and free laundry afterwards to boot!). The expo: really, one of the better expos I've been too. You pick up your shirt and bib on one side and your swag bag on the other side of the expo (obnoxious in my opinion, but it seems to be a common theme to get you to walk through the expo). You could sign up for other races if you wanted (to sign up for the 5K the day before was $50). Tons of vendors and races, a lot of race/city specific decorations, etc. There's a T-shirt exchange as well if you want a different size, but there are more women's sizes than men's sizes to be exchanged Getting to the race: if you're staying with family on the outskirts, take the T (public transportation). It drops off/picks up right at the start and finish and saves you the time of trying to park (there's always construction and knowing me since I'm not familiar with downtown Pittsburgh, I wouldn't have been able to get out). There's garages if you drive in Pre Race: plenty of porta potties. Easy to get to the Corrals. Things are kind of spread out in terms of bag drop off, etc. If you check a bag, you pick a fed ex truck to drop it off at (#1-14). They have stickers to put on your bib/markers so you remember. The course: HOLY BRIDGES! Regardless of half or full, you go over all 5 bridges in downtown Pittsburgh. I have a tendency to block out things I don't like (i.e. bridges, which include gradual inclines). There are gradual hills and inclines, so hill training would have helped me out. I was drained by mile 9-10 and my legs didn't want to run any more. Maybe the half marathon 8 days ago and the 15K 2 weeks ago also played a role. You really get to see Pittsburgh and the crowd support is good. Post Race: you finish and have enough room to keep on walking through the chute to pick up your medal, food, beverages, and a bag to put everything in. I wish races would have food already in a bag and just hand it to you, it would make things so much easier. Plenty of medical staff for people who needed it as well. I wondered around the post race party they had. More food vendors, etc there, but you had to pay for that food. There was some bottle neck of families waiting for runners where we exited, which was kind of crappy. The weather: nothing that the race can control. Started out really nice. After 2.5 hrs of running, it was in the 70s. I was feeling it for sure. It was good weather, but I felt for the marathoners who were still going read more

Pittsburgh Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The (Dick's) Pittsburgh Marathon is one of the most prominent marathons in the country as well as the world. In fact, it attracts the cream of the crop runners from the far corners of the world. The race includes runners of all skill levels and ages. There is an option to run the full or half martahon, relays, etc. The entire city comes out to cheer folks on with live music, funny signs, chants, and all sorts of ways to show support for those running. read more

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Excellent race! Well planned and organized, down to the signage on streets. Fun array of races to get the whole community involved - from pet walks and toddler trots to half and full marathon and tons in between. Crowd support was phenomenal and the post-race food was the best we've had at any large race. We'd recommend this as a travel race. The city is good for visiting and the race is a great experience. read more

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Tramps like us, baby we were born to run!* Ok, so the Boss is from Jersey but this race makes tramps like us (or just me) want to run and would make Bruce wish he was from Pittsburgh! This is the 4th year I've run the half marathon and the race keeps getting better every year. For example, it didn't rain this year. Also, they change the course a little each year and that makes it nice when you run it year after year. I liked the course a lot this year. The organization is excellent. I run a lot of races all over the US (and in Canada) and this is one of the best organized. It rivals those put on by New York Road Runners, in my opinion. Expo is great, starting corrals are very well monitored. Volunteers are awesome, finish line is managed very well. Biggest shout out goes to the people of Pittsburgh who come out in force and cheer on the runners. Without a doubt, this race gets more crowd support than 99% of the races I run. There are people all along the course clapping, cheering, ringing cow bells, blowing those annoying vuvuzelas... And the music! I've run a couple of Rock n Roll races and I think there are more bands on this course than on the RnR I've run. Love this race and I will definitely be back. _______________________________ *here he is. he still rocks at 60+ http://youtu.be/IxuThNgl3YA read more

Pittsburgh Marathon - great sign on bridge near mile 5 - Races & Competitions Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The course sucked. It just sucked. There were so many hills, even a slight one right at the last 0.2 stretch which made this run an absolute nightmare. I'm from Pittsburgh and I've ran a few of these, but it felt especially hard this year. Do A LOT of hill training before running this course. I would have given a 4 star, but that would not be fair to all the best volunteers and spectators that I have encountered Cons: This is a really hilly course. It was extremely challenging. You're easiest part is only gonna be that mile on East Carson Street. Watch out for that hill(s) going up Forbes towards Oakland. There's a slight hill which goes on forever, followed immediately by a giant one. Pros: -AWESOME volunteers and spectators. Hands down, they are the best out of the 13 or so different marathons I have ran. There was so much positive energy. The spectators would use their own money to support the runners like buying pretzels, oranges, fun size water bottles, and even watermelon and pineapple. Definitely a special shout out to those who came out for the moral support. Lots and lots of little kids out wanting to give the runners high fives - very sweet and cute -non-diluted gatorade at hydration stations -fresh oranges along the course -really well equipped with porta potties. -post marathon snacks? WOW. Bananas, chips, pretzels, Eat-n-Park smiley cookies, flavor and flavors of Panera Bread mini bagels, fruit cups, water, gatorade....AMAZING. Leave it to the yinzers to show you other marathons how it's done. ;) -Expo bag is really nice. It's not all cheap and plastic. It's actual windbreaker fabric - whatever that material is called. Polyester? With 8.4 oz red bull silver? YUMM. read more

I have run the Pittsburgh Marathon 5 times now with the most recent one being a couple of Sundays ago. While this may be some hometown bias on my part, every year I find the Pittsburgh Marathon to be one of the best and most entertaining marathons that I have run. This comes even after having run 35+ marathons now everywhere from NYC to Chicago to Las Vegas and Napa and in a number of different Rock N Roll marathons. There are always a number of bands on the course and they easily outnumber the number that are on the Rock N Roll courses which I find funny since those races bill themselves as having a ton of live entertainment. The crowds in Pittsburgh are also always great. From the volunteers at the water stations to the locals handing out water on their own there is almost always a smiling face encouraging you onward. The Pittsburgh course will never be a PR race course as it is hilly like the city itself. As a native Pittsburgher I find that they have actually done a good job in making the course as "flat" as it is as nothing in Pittsburgh is really flat. I also love how we cross each of the Three Rivers that Pittsburgh is known for and also visit a number of the different neighborhoods in the city. My only real issue with the marathon is the cluster that is the finishing area. Granted it is signifcantly better than somewhere like NYC, it is not as good as Chicago and I think they have an opportunity to make it better by actually extending the finishing chute into Point State Park. Then you wouldn't have to fight through the crowds to get to the Family Reunion area. The bottom line for me is that I will continue running the Pittsburgh Marathon in the foreseeable future. It's such a great race that not only supports US running with the Ameican Development Program but also positively sheds light on Pittsburgh itself. read more

Half marathon review. I absolutely loved this race! Having completed over 20 half marathons since last summer, this was my first time returning to my neck of the woods in Western PA to finally run a race...and I'm so glad I did! Race expo: Held at the Lawrence Convention Center downtown, near the start of the race and within walking distance of my hotel. Yes, hotels in the city god-awful expensive during this weekend of 30,000 runners, but it's worth it if you don't have to drive anywhere on race day while dealing with road closures and parking issues. Anyway, the expo included the standard packet, t-shirt and bad pickup with numerous vendors all over the place. Since it was the last hour, it didn't take very long to get in and out before heading down the street for dinner. Race morning: Show up early to find your respective starting corral, which could be many blocks apart downtown. Also, so many streets are blocked off (literally fenced off), making moving to different course viewing area rather difficult for supporters and spectators. Find a good spot and be flexible when negotiating between the starting line and finish line. Race: Awesome tour of the city! Starting downtown and then moving through the Strip District, North Shore, Station Square, Southside and then back to the city, crossing five bridges along the way. The course is not extremely difficult with a couple of gradual hills until you reach the last two miles and have to make the long, slow climb across the bridge and around Duquesne hill. Some runners complain more than others about the end of the course, but having done more challenging courses in the past, I didn't think it was the end of the world from a difficulty perspective. More like just bad timing after already completing 11 up and down miles up until that point. Oh, but the best part? The last mile is all down hill, making for a fast finish (my second fastest Half to date, somehow). Throw in a ton of spectators cheering during most parts of the course, excellent course support by hundreds of volunteers, a beautiful finisher's medal, Eat N Park sugar cookies (Yes!) and fun finisher's party at Point State Park and I would invite any long-distance runner to easily add this as part of their annual racing schedule. More than once, even! read more

Pittsburgh Marathon - 2015 Half Marathon Finisher's Medal - Races & Competitions Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Disclaimer: The following review will be rather detailed and rather extensive. The Short: It was decent. The Long: .... Part 1 4:00 am Alarm blaring at 4:00 am. Normally this would be a sick joke to me but because it was the day of the Marathon...it was my current reality. You see about 12 months prior I had this crazy idea, I figured, 13ish miles was fun..how bad could twice that amount be? I was about to find out. So there I am, in the dark, rolling out of bed slowly. This was going to be a long day I figured, not to mention this was something I had been training for, for quite some time..race jitters were there aplenty only to be stifled briefly by the amount of water I was guzzling. Morning stretches were a must as to hopefully help my now war torn body cope with the beating it was about to take, one step on the pavement at a time. 7:00 am It was a bit before 7:00 am now, time to begin walking down. (Luckily for me, I live close to downtown so I wouldn't have to brave the horrid traffic that the out of town race enthusiasts had created) 7:20 am I arrive at the scene. A giant mob of people are around me. I make my way into my corral. Originally it had been my idea to try and sneak into a better corral closer to the start line but this year they checked your race bib at each corral entrance. Nice job Pittsburgh Marathon Volunteers, you kept my sneakiness at bay...this time...this time! I make my way to the front of my corral because you figure the less energy used to run around 1000's of people, the more energy you will have later. 7:30 am Post anthem and announcement, the roar of the gun goes off and the race begins...for the 1st corral's that is. The anxiety is building up at this point. Hopping in place, doesn't seem to be helping the matter. The line of volunteers dividing the corrals begins to direct us to move forward, I honestly can say I had never felt more like cattle in all my life. Anyways, we moo-ve to the start line. 7:40ish am And were are off. I press the play button on my shuffle for music...this is going to be a long trip. I being me, try and stay ahead of the mob behind me, feeling pumped from the song by the band Blur blaring through my headphones I unknowingly am running at a sub 5:30 pace...this is not good...not good at all. I figure at this point, I better actually use my pace watch and not just use it as a paper weight on my wrist, so I do. Mile 1 So many people, still in awe at the turnout and the fact that I am about to run my body into the ground like an idiot. Mile 2-6 I finally have my pace going steady which is great. I had a nice chat with a friend of mine along the way. He luckily was running the relay, I should have taken notes...but I didn't and instead am running the full. Running through my stomping ground is quite motivational. Normally I run not to get mugged on the North Side, this time it's a bit different...I don't have my wallet. Mile 6-11 I am able to cross into West End Village and start heading down East Carson St. I chug water like it's my job at every station just to make sure I don't regret not doing later. I see friends yelling my name along the way, it's rather nice. As I run down East Carson St. something occurs to me...I have been drinking a lot of water. In a typical situation one would just use the restroom, but seeing that I had made a couple bets on my finishing time, any delays would have me paying people in cases of beer..and this was not acceptable. (Did I mention that I am idiot?) So as to your guess, I do what one would not want, I pee down my leg. Mile 12 Holy Mother of Mary.....Oakland apparently has a hill...and it's a big one not to mention the Sun decides that today is the day it will scorch the earth with it's unrelenting rays as if it had just had it's car keyed. That's when it hits me. Why the crap don't I have a better hobby? Maybe collecting stamps would be better? Mile 13 Peed myself again. Mile 14-20 I am somewhere in Shadyside I think. Personally I don't care anymore. Location is not important, I have been running for miles up a damn hill and I can't still quite justify why this was a good idea. The sun has been make me it's female dog for quite some time now. I flash back in my head to a statement my girlfriend had made saying that this would be over before I knew it and it would go oh so quick. This is also the point where I realized she apparently enjoys sitting in a throne of lies....this sucks... Mile 20.5 At this point I am thinking, oh wow..this is awful, the only motivation keeping me going is the bad music along the way. I need to get away from them..that's all I know. I only stop running briefly to then have someone yell to me, "IT'S ALL DOWNHILL AT MILE 21!"..... I remember thinking...I don't care if mile 21 is a cliff we all drop off...I don't want to keep going... but alas..somehow I do. To be continued.... read more

It is just a great event! From the runners to the volunteers...it all adds up to amazing! And to see the crowds cheering the runners on, spectacular! And the neighborhoods get way into it! The West end had us doing the YMCA dance today:). Thanks for another Fantastic year! We runners love you for it!!!! read more

Pittsburgh Marathon - Another halfer!!!:) - Races & Competitions Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Part 2 Mile 21-23 The water stations are now all filled with warm water, not exactly my cup of tea unless I am craving hot tea of course. Apparently the Pittsburgh Marathon had not thought to address the recently occurring situation with the Sun and it's keyed car. Oh and I peed myself again. Mile 24 Rita's!!!!! Bless you child!! Actual ice..why is the whole race not just Rita stations??? Fantastic! Mile 25 Conjuring any strength I have left I make my way into the city. I don't care about the finish anymore..all I care about is appeasing the girlfriend as she works the medal's section of the volunteering. I figure, what's worse than full body pain? the wrath of a female due to you not showing up, that's what. Mile 26 I am hovering within my own body at this point. My legs feel anything but attached but I figure as long as they are working, might as well let them do their thing. Friends are cheering me on as I approach the finish line but all I can think about though is how soaked my left foot is and how dry my right one is. I can finally see it... the end... The Finish I cross the line...barely..head bobbing, knees giving out and arms dragging...and I make it...right into the arms of two kind gentleman that have decided that I am probably not 100%. The Medical Tent Next thing I know, I am being thrown into a wheelchair pushed by my medal giving girlfriend to the nearest medical tent. Apparently..I was a bit dehydrated. Volunteers rush to grab me and throw me on table and jab some sort of IV in my arm. I being just happy not running and completely okay with just about anything they throw at me. In hindsight, this was not the best mentality since the next thing I remember is them prodding me with a probe as to take my temperature. Typically I had envisioned my finish to be full of glory as I crossed the finish line...instead I was now surrounded by nurses being probed up my rear....how dreamy. The T After about 30 minutes of this procedure they decided I was fit enough to get home from there so I grab my medal and shame covered pride and proceed to walk to the nearest T station to get home. Well next thing I know, I am not feeling too good. Despite all the medical care, they had neglected to feed me any food so I could feel my body giving out as if a black hole had decided to make camp inside me. Tons of people cram in on the T, it was rather unexpected. I originally had been excited as this was my first time on the T so I figured it would be a memorable experience. Sadly I only remember about a minute of it before passing out mid ride due to the heat and lack of nourishment. A few passengers carry me off the T and lay me down while one other person calls 911 for an ambulance. I was barely coherent but even a barely coherent me doesn't want to pay unneeded medical bills. After much pleading and some bites from a stolen cliff bar (compliments of the girlfriend) I manage to get them let me go. From there is was a short trek back full of recovery and a shower of course.. All in all it was quite the experience. Can't say it was awful but I will say it was unique. Pittsburgh handled a lot of different runners that day most of which I am sure had quite a wonderful time. read more

...the new "dynamic" pricing system is a money-making scheme that screwed a lot of people according to all the apologies the race director had to write. I entered my information and the price jumped by 20 fucking dollars. If their idea of a first contact with a runner was for you to drop your shorts this was it. All you'll get from the numbnuts over at the race director's office is a lot of boo-hooing with no satisfaction. How much easier would it have been to just state a discounted price for the first day and leave it at that? read more

I have participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon activities over the past 5 or so years. I have done the half marathon, relay, medical volunteering and volunteering for the kids race. The volunteers are absolutely amazing year after year. For how massive the event is, it is very well organized. I will continue participating as much as I can for many years to come! read more

Half Marathon Review I've ran 6 half marathons (Pittsburgh 3 times) and I love this course! It takes you through some of the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh (starts downtown, then Strip District, North Side, West End, Station Square, South Side, then back downtown) and over 5 fabulous bridges. Not the easiest course, but not the hardest. I would describe this course as "rolling" with small ups and downs, with the most substantial hill at mile 12. But...the last mile is a nice downhill to the finish. Highly organized, lots of hydration, tons of moral support along the course, and lots of positive energy. Props to all the volunteers...fabulous job! At the end of the course there was plenty of room for runners to cool down and get snacks (bananas, water, fruit cups, Smiley cookies, Panera bagels). Great medal. This is one of my favorite races and would recommend it to any runner! read more

I couldn't have asked for a better first marathon experience! As someone who loves Pittsburgh and loves exploring all of our distinctly different and sometimes quirky neighborhoods, I was bound to have a good time. Got the day started by driving downtown at 5:30 am, finding parking relatively quickly and close to the starting line. Traffic wasn't too bad. Had plenty of time to use the bathroom, get my gear situated, and mentally prepare myself for the 26.2 miles I was about to take on. I thought the corrals were about as organized as could be, with plenty of volunteers around to check bibs and make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. The race got started right on time, and before I knew it, I was running down Liberty and on my way! The crowd support was awesome, saw plenty of funny signs ("Worst. parade. ever."), people giving high fives, and yelling encouragement to the runners. TIP: Make sure your name is visible on your bib or shirt, spectators will yell out your name for a little extra encouragement! Plenty of bands and entertainment along the course. This is one race when you should definitely take out your earbuds and enjoy the sights and sounds around you. The water and gel stations were very well-manned and are also very clear about whether they're giving out water or gatorade. I never had a hard time getting fluid when I needed it. The volunteers handing out gels were also awesome and were yelling out the flavors they were holding. Pretty great on their part. The course itself took us through the Strip, across the 16th St Bridge, through the North Side and West End (also crossing over the 9th and 7th St. Bridges), down to Carson Street, across the Birmingham Bridge (half and full marathons split off at this point). It was then we tackled the killer hill up Forbes into Oakland. I believe they have pacers who run up and down the hill and will help you out if you're struggling. Spectator support was a little spottier for the full, but there are a few spots in Shadyside, Highland Park, and Bloomfield that make up for it. The part of the course that goes through Point Breeze, Homewood, and East Lib was a little tough. More specifically, miles 17, 18, 19. Fatigue was setting in, there isn't as much to look at, a few rolling hills...I definitely really appreciated everyone who came out for that part of the course! The rest of the race was pretty uneventful...saw spectators handing out beer (Church Brew Works?) but I was feeling pretty sick at that point and just wanted some water. Toward the finish, spectator support was up, pretzels were being handed out, and I was heading back into the city. Running down Blvd of the Allies, with the huge crowd and finish line in sight, was a huge adrenaline rush. My only complaint about the finish line was the lack of food...no bagels, no bananas, only fruit cups and chips...not very appealing after finishing a marathon. Oh well. We were on our way to a Grand Concourse buffet brunch soon (which I would highly recommend), so no worries here. Overall, this was a fabulous first marathon...very well run and organized, with a challenging but fun course. I had a great time and plan on running Pittsburgh again next year! - Just realized I forgot to mention the Expo, which was a huge, frustrating mess. I don't even want to think about it. read more

Very well run and organized marathon. I did the half marathon here for the first time. The route was very nice, mainly flat but with a few gentle slopes. I liked the fact that the biggest hill was around mile 12, with a long downslope following it to the end of the race. The finisher line was real nice. They let runners go through about a block without any spectators where we could take it easy and get snacks along the way. The snakes were good quality and well organized. The finisher festival is in a real nice area, at the park where the three rivers meet. I also liked the large crowds that came out along the course to cheer on the runners. There were more here than on the other races I've done. I'd definitely like to come back and do this race every year in this beautiful city by the three rivers. read more

I ran in the 2018 half marathon, which is my fourth such race and the second in Pittsburgh. (The others were at Jackson Hole and San Francisco.) I can't say enough good about this event in my former hometown. The race is extremely well organized. Detailed information about everything from the race schedule to parking is readily available through emails, online and in a booklet every runner gets in their packet. The route takes you from the heart of the city into Pittsburgh's unique neighborhoods, across some of its many bridges and past its famed sports stadiums along the Allegheny River. The best aspect, however, is the amazing community support. People are out on the streets, many with funny signs, shouting encouragement or offering high fives. Then there are the residents who become sidewalk disc jockeys and live bands to pump you up with music. It's just a wonderfully festive event. Props to the city, residents and the race organizers. read more