The Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race is about much more than running.

For Ashley Gerken, it’s a tribute to her mother, who died of amyloidosis in 2008.

The Great Race donates $1 per runner to amyloidosis research through the Richard S. Caliguiri Fund. The race is named in honor of the former Pittsburgh mayor, who died of amyloidosis — a rare protein disorder that can lead to fatal organ failure — in 1988.

Ashley Gerken of Bridgeport, W.Va., runs the 5K every year to raise awareness for amyloidosis research and to honor her mother, Gayle L. Biscoe. This year marks her 10th race.

“My mom was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2008 and I wanted to do something to commemorate her every year,” Gerken said. “I thought this would be a perfect way to keep her memory alive.”

Biscoe was awaiting a bone marrow transplant and other organ transplants when she died in December 2008, Gerken said.

“It was one of those diseases that, once she got it, it just claimed her body. It attacked her major organs and she had to have a machine pump her heart for her,” Gerken said.

Gerken reminisced on her mother leading Bible studies and prayer sessions with doctors and hospital staff during her illness.

“She was a very strong person,” Gerken said. “She was my hero.”

That’s why it’s so important for Gerken to lace up for the Great Race every year.

And Gerken doesn’t race alone. She’s joined by her best friend, Erin Fogg.

Typically, she’d also be surrounded by throngs of runners and spectators. Last year, over 11,500 people participated in the Great Race events, according to P3R, the organization that hosts the race.

This year, because of covid-19 restrictions, those crowds are gone and the race is moving to a virtual format.

Though Gerken said she enjoyed meeting new people and being part of a community atmosphere at past Great Race events, the virtual format won’t deter her and Fogg.

“I still want to run this race in memory of my mom and I will continue to do it until the Lord doesn’t let me anymore,” Gerken said.

This year, the pair plans to run both a 5K and a 10K. They plan to run the last weekend in September.

“It’s a good way to celebrate,” she said.

She hopes others will join her in running for the cause.

“We’ve got to get out there and be advocates for one another. It’s good for the soul to be out there,” she said. “When you sign up, it’s actually helping others. The money is going to provide for the research, for the foundation. It helps so much more than people think.”

To register for this year’s virtual Great Race, visit the Great Race website.

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