The weather was warming up throughout the morning as Pittsburgh Marathon runners took off in high spirits Sunday for their annual trek through the city’s neighborhoods.
The temperature was just 35 degrees at the start, but the cold conditions didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the runners or spectators. Crowds continued their enthusiasm all morning, cheering from the starting line, around the city and to the finish on Boulevard of the Allies.
Will Loevner of Indiana Township won the men’s full marathon with a time of 2:14:50.
Pittsburgh native Will Loevner finishes first in the men’s Pittsburgh Marathon. pic.twitter.com/EE3XOXWteU
— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
“The Pittsburgh Marathon is one of the most special days of the year for me,” Loevner said at a press conference Friday ahead of the race. “Competing in my hometown, I get so much support along the course. I know these streets so well. I’ve been running them since high school. It is always an incredible experience.”
Loevner, a Winchester Thurston and Penn State graduate, works at his family’s Indiana Township farm that makes award-winning cheese, Goat Rodeo. A member of the Pittsburgh Track club, he was the men’s full marathon runner-up in 2024.
Jane Bareikis, a native of Kenya and an American citizen, claimed first place among the women in the full marathon. It’s her third consecutive win — a record. She finished with a time of 2:30:33, beating last year’s time of 2:36:01 and 2024’s 2:37:37.
Jane Bareikis wins the Pittsburgh Marathon for the women. That’s her third consecutive win, a record. pic.twitter.com/wpoU5Ssnv0
— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
At a press conference on Friday, Bareikis talked about how much she likes running in the Pittsburgh Marathon.
“I am just so happy to be running here again and running against so many other great runners,” she said. “There is just something about this city. All of the neighborhoods I am running through are just so beautiful, and the support from the spectators, everyone, cheering me on gives me energy.”
First-time participant Mohammed El Youssfi crossed the finish line of the half marathon with a time of 1:01:43, and Buze Diriba Kejela set a new record for women in the half marathon with a time of 1:08:37.
Cheering on friends
Friends and coworkers Madina Yoldosheva, Olivia Debski and Emiley Kushner stood at the start to cheer on Maddie Olsen, who was running the marathon.
They planned to try to hit a couple spots along the route to encourage her through the race. While the trio was waiting to spot her, they held signs and shouted at runners.
“You’re so beautiful, you’re so strong,” Kushner said.
Yoldosheva held a sign that said: “You’re running better than the government.”
It seemed to get laughs out of some of the runners. One came by smiling and pointing at it: “That’s right, that’s right,” he said.
The excitement remained high across the Allegheny River as runners snaked through the North Side and North Shore. Around the Mile 4 marker, a few stopped to give supporters, and even people they didn’t know, kisses and hugs. Some dropped off gear while others refueled.
Cowbells clanged in the shade of overpasses and music played. Many supporters were tracking their favorite runners through an app that provided approximate location and time.
Finishers of both the half and full marathons are getting medals after finishing their races pic.twitter.com/HTrm4iYF3t
— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
Half marathon runners are streaming across the finish line. The first marathon runners should start coming through soon. pic.twitter.com/hLdHuZB91W
— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
Half marathon runners were streaming across the finish line around 9:15 a.m. Some cheered their accomplishment while others looked as though they were going to cry. All look tired.
More and more marathoners came through the chute as time passed Sunday morning.
Crowds of supporters cheered them to their final steps before they picked up their medals.
Approximately 26,000 people were running Sunday. That number was about double for the entire weekend of events.
“This is the largest marathon we’ve ever had in the City of Pittsburgh,” Mayor Corey O’Connor told participants before the race began.
The scene earlier in the day
Thousands of runners, and thousands more supporters, gathered at the Downtown starting line on Liberty Avenue as the sun rose Sunday.
Some took off for the full marathon — 26.2 miles — while others raced in the half-marathon — 13.1 miles. The handcycle division took off at 6:50 a.m., while the elite runners began at 7 a.m., followed by the various corrals of runners. The corrals continued to start through 7:40 a.m.
And they're off!#PGHMarathon pic.twitter.com/5kMnpH39cr
— Michael Love (@Mlove_Trib) May 3, 2026
And they’re off.
The first group of runners in the Pittsburgh Marathon are on the course.
I’ll be following along all morning for @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/UMDwLSoBhh— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
While the skies were clear and the sun was shining, the starting temperature was a brisk 35 degrees, with a feel-like temp of around 33. It’s the city’s coldest marathon start since at least 2009, the furthest back officials provided. The previous low was 42 degrees in 2017.
According to TribLive news partner WTAE, conditions will continue to warm up throughout the morning, reaching into the mid-50s around noon and an eventual high of 60 degrees around 5 p.m. The morning looks like clear skies with clouds rolling in around 11 a.m.
Pittsburgh Marathon start temp was 35 degrees. It seems to be warming up a bit now with the sun but that’s the coldest since at least 2009. pic.twitter.com/TcucVgDpju
— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
A sea of runners passing Mile 4 to plenty of cheers.
Several runners have stopped for hugs and kisses from their supporters. pic.twitter.com/HpJYxddFTF— Renatta Signorini (@ByRenatta) May 3, 2026
Sunday’s races include a marathon relay, a master’s division and 11 handcyclists rolling through the full marathon.
A total of $102,000 in winnings are up for grabs.
With fireworks kicking off each staggered starting group, the marathon route makes a loop around the city. It begins at Liberty Avenue and 10th Street in Downtown and wends its way through more than a dozen neighborhoods before ending back Downtown on the Boulevard of the Allies, guiding runners to some of the city’s most iconic sights.
A celebration for finishers is held nearby at Point State Park.
Road closures are in place and most will end around 2:30 p.m.
The group of elite runners led the way into the Strip District before headed across the Allegheny River into the North Side.
The race comes one week after the men’s marathon world record fell: Sabastian Sawe of Kenya finished the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds, becoming the first person to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition. The time is in the process of being certified by World Athletics.
Experts told TribLive there are various factors driving faster times, both for elites and weekend warriors. They agreed improvements in training and recovery methods, nutrition, access to information, science, equipment and technology are making a difference.
