Pittsburgh Marathon offers strong tradition, something new

Troy Schooley loves the traditions of the Pittsburgh Marathon, and he also gets excited at new things that take place every year.

On Sunday, during the marathon and half marathon through the streets of Downtown, more than 42,000 runners, walkers and hand-cyclists will be joined by a group of athletes participating in their own special way.

“This year, we added a four-mile fitness challenge sponsored by Oxford Athletic Club,” Schooley said.

“It’s another good way to get people involved. Think of the cross-fitters and others who might not want to do a full marathon or half marathon but who want to get a great workout in and run four miles. They will start at Mile 22, and there will be different challenges such as pushing tires and pull-ups and an obstacle course to perform for a couple of miles. Then they will finish with the marathoners at the finish line.

“As of (Tuesday) morning we had more than 200 registered. They continue to come in, and more are welcomed. The registration will close Saturday at 5 p.m.”

The weekend of events begins at 11 a.m. Friday with the Pittsburgh Health and Fitness Expo at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

“There’s always new things going on at the Expo each year,” Schooley said.

“The one thing we like to focus on is giving people the opportunity to capture different moments through photos and video, and that starts at the Expo. A nice thing we launched last year was a commemorative history piece of the marathon so that the medals and the shirts of each year leading up to this year will be in the showcase as they walk in.”

Schooley said his heart is warmed every year by hearing stories of why people take to the streets. It’s a big reason, he said, that he and others involved put in so much time and energy into making it a special weekend experience.

“This year, we have close to 4,000 charity runners, and for me to pick just one of those stories and talk about them would be unfair to the others,” Schooley said.

“There’s going to be close to $1.5 million raised for charities through our runners. … Then there are individuals, friends and families who are simply running to honor or memorialize someone or a cause. You see so many cross the finish line in shirts that might say, ‘In loving memory of dad’ or ‘We did this for you, mom.’ There are hundreds if not thousands who have a story behind why they run. Some display it on their clothes or their gear, and others keep it closer to their hearts and minds. We have close to 42,000 people taking part this weekend, and everyone has a story.”

Saturday’s Kids of Steel marathon on the North Shore starting at 9:30 a.m. will have approximately 8,500 running, a record.

“We’ve gone into more schools and been able to impact more lives,” Schooley said. “This year, we interacted with 266 schools, and the program continues to grow. Now, we look at how far can we expand. This year, we have a school in Kane in the north central part of the state, and they have over 100 kids coming down. The mayor of Kane found out about the program and thought it would be awesome to put in their schools. They’ve embraced it, and the kids love it.

“Sometimes, the parents might say, ‘You’re doing this.’ Kids often don’t want to run. They want to play, but when they get down there, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this was awesome!’ They get a medal, they get to run with their friends, and they get to run on the open streets of downtown Pittsburgh.”

Schooley said some who started out in the Kids of Steel program now are running in the half marathon or full marathon.

Schooley said the field of competitors Sunday morning will be anchored by the talents of the elite runners.

“The elite field is amazing again this year,” he said. “We have (Kenyan) Wesley Kiptoo looking to be a three-time (half marathon) champion. Last year he ran that (record) 1:01 and some change. That is so fast. Steph Bruce, who won the USA half marathon championships here in 2019, is coming back.

“Tyler McCandless is back to defend his marathon title, and (North Hills grad) Margo Malone’s win last year was so special. The thing about our elite runners is that whether they are local, national or international, they love coming to the city to run and compete. The support for them from the spectators is overwhelming. Some elite runners have come back just to be spectators and hang out for the weekend. That is another part of why we love what we do.”

Whether someone is an elite runner or not, Schooley is encouraged when he sees the celebration in the city each marathon Sunday morning.

“You often see people completing the marathon or half marathon who never thought they would or could,” he said. “It unites people. Those who don’t participate in a run or walk line the streets to offer support in so many unique and special ways. There are so many signs. The cheering really gives those on the streets a big lift of encouragement.”

It often takes a village to raise a marathon, and Schooley said that the several hundred workers, from P3R or volunteers, are appreciated, no matter how big or small their roles are throughout the weekend.

“For us to get to record numbers, it takes so many people working together,” he said. “It takes a small army. Without the support of everybody, this doesn’t happen.

“There’s so many ways to be involved every year without actually running. Our team knows that this is a top-10 running event in the country. Last year, we were 16th in the country in total participants. This year, we should move into the top 10. We feel we deserve that because of everybody we have at the table, all of our supporters. We couldn’t do it without them.”