This was my 5th marathon in Pittsburgh and by far the hottest! But I love the city and the crowd support. The medical people were great. I needed help at 25 miles and they were there. I finished but it was unofficial. But I will be back in the future to a great city and race.

I love Pittsburgh. I think if we had to have the heat and humidity that we experienced on race day, it couldn't have happened in a finer city. EVERYONE did their best, and went out of their way to help us finish safely (wet and well-hydrated); from the city workers who opened the fire hydrants, to the bars and restraurants who handed out cups of ice, and all of the individuals who stood with sprinkler or fruit in hand to help us deal with Mother Nature. Thank you to all of you for caring about us and cheering us on to the finish. Alot of us didn't finish in the time we had hoped largely because of the heat, but, your genuine concern for our safety, and enthusiastic encouragement helped keep our spirits alive and allowed us to finish, as always with the hope of doing better the next time!!!

My husband and I ran Pittsburgh the past two years (with temperatures much hotter than usual for the time of year
both years). The people, both organizers and crowds, are fantastic, with special recognition going to the medical volunteers, who watch every person passing by very carefully for signs of any problems and are quick with any needed aid. The course winds through many of the neighborhoods and isn't too proud to include the working class part of town (something the spectators seem to appreciate, as every neighborhood has folks out cheering).
We chose this marathon partly by reading the description in 'The Ultimate Guide to Marathons' where the elevation chart shows essentially one monster hill and a matching downhill miles later (they also wrote that it was a good place to improve your time). Indeed, there is a monster hill at 10 to 11 miles, but what doesn't show on the chart are the nearly constant rolling small hills after that until mile 21 (a real shock for us the first time). If you train wisely, it's not a problem, but beware of those hills!!

This was my 1st marathon. I trained hard for 4 months. I could not factor in the heat. I was ready, physically and mentally. I was not prepared for the heat/humidity. The AWESOME people of Pittsburgh kept me going while my body was dehydrating. My goal of less than 4:00 changed during the race to merely surviving it. I did it in 4:30. I want to say thanks to the volunteers, fans and organizers. Start the race at 7 next time. Most of the people who train for marathons are doing their long runs early anyway!

My only negative comment is the weather has been abnormally hot the last 2 years. Otherwise I love the race.

Russ Hannan