This was my first marathon and I think I picked a challenging but fun one to start with. The second half of the course'definitely said hello to me' as Meb would say. The hills aren't overly steep just long and several of them,but needless to say you have several long down hills as well that gets your quads attention. The crowd support was great from start to finish, and they take great pride in their support of you and their neighborhoods. I BQ'd in my first marathon in Pittsburgh so it wasn't overly tough. A fun course, and will definitely do it again given the opportunity. Everyone we met in Pittsburgh goes out of their way to make you feel welcome and have a good time. The race was extremely well organized.

I think it would be better to wheen out some runners to have the half marathan runners start after the marathan runners. They was no room to run the first couple of miles. If you are running for a time there is no way in the beginning you can set a pace without bumming into someone. Having a couple of thousand people start later would make a world of difference. I think the marathaners should start earlier at least a half hour earlier. Even if we started at 7:00 it would of helped in the heat. I do want to commend the volunteers they were wonderful hats off to them and the spectators. If it wasn't for them handing oranges and water I don't know how I would of finished. To have the support of cheering from the crowd was wonderful. I appreciate the water from the firemen and the spectators along the course that is what helped me to keep going and finish strong.

This is my third Pittsburgh Marathon and every time I think it is the best! 2012 was just a wonderful, positive experience. The race course is just fun! You run through so many neighborhoods and fun parts of the city that you don't even feel like you're running. The organization is exceptional. They seem to cater to a runner's every need. I can't say anything negative about the race. Well, I guess if they could've done something about the high temps! The best thing about Pittsburgh is the spectators. They are everywhere, and they cheer you on as if you were their own family members! I highly recommend this race!

What a great time. The bridges were wonderful, and my favorite 'band' was the choir on the church steps.

I can't say enough about Pittsburgh!!! I had never been there before. BEAUTIFUL city with great people. Every neighborhood (and there were many) came out in full support. This is a 'Must Run' marathon!

This was my first Marathon and it was a great experience. The race was very well organized, the support from the community was awesome, and the finishers medal and shirt were very nice. The only negative was the heat (Out of anyones control of course). Special thanks to the spectators who brought out their hoses and sprayed us down as we ran by! Will run this marathon again without a doubt.

My wife and I traveled from Chicago to Pittsburgh to participate in the 2012 race: I ran the full marathon and she ran the half marathon.

Thanks to the overlapping race courses, we were fortunate to be able to run the first 11 miles together before we parted ways at the Birmingham bridge (S. 24th St.) for her to complete her last two miles and for me to head toward the University of Pittsburgh and the remaining 15 miles of the marathon.

The half & full courses weave through many neighborhoods; the courses take you over five bridges, so you end up crossing all three rivers. It's a somewhat hilly course, though the variance in elevation between the low and high points of the course is about 200 feet  the most difficult stretch occurring right after the half & full marathon courses diverge and the marathon heads toward Pitt and the Cathedral of Learning.

The full marathon course goes through a lower income neighborhood called Homewood for about two miles (16.5 to 18.5, roughly). The area might give some runners pause if they drive through it prior to the race (as we did the day before); however, the people in that neighborhood who came out to cheer for the runners were among the best of the entire course (and the music played by the DJs in that neighborhood was the best of the course too, IMHO).

The course support was VERY good and VERY visible throughout the race, which was incredibly important for the 2012 race because it was unseasonably hot: The temperature rose to the mid-80s according to one bank's display that we ran by, though it had cooled a bit to the high 70s by the early afternoon. The road leading to the finish line had been resurfaced in the days/weeks leading up to the race, but the temperature and direct sunlight on it was such that the tar was literally melting in the last 100-200 yards leading to the finish line  it was THAT hot out there by the time I finished the race (approx. 1:40pm EST).

The race marshalls had declared a RED alert at some point during the race due to the high temperatures and lack of clouds (it was sunny the entire day  beautiful, but not ideal running conditions). Ambulances were seen regularly toward the back of the pack to care for any distressed runners, and the water, Gatorade, Gu, and PowerBars (and ice, at times) was plentiful for the last 8-10 miles, which helped out tremendously, esp. for us slow runners who were out on the course for nearly six hours. (I finished in 5:55:23 or thereabouts.)

The expo was fairly standard stuff: Pretty well organized, nothing exceptional, but nothing lacking either.

All in all, we had a wonderful experience in Pittsburgh; it's a race I suspect we'll return to run again someday.

I ran the 2012 Pittsburgh marathon. Virtually everything about the race was top notch. The route was somewhat hilly, but the last 5 or so miles was a net downhill. Water stops were good and I even got a beer at mile 24. And since the weather was unusually warm, there were many sprinklers and misters.
The streets were wide and the route was scenic. And the medal is big and heavy. The expo was good and the post race was in a large park. There is not much they can do to improve this race. Do it!!!

The course is tough, but gives you a nice tour of the city. The bridges and hills -including some sharp downhill turns make for a challenging race. The organizers do a great job with communicating -lots of informative e-mails and a nice guide book-but the start is kind of a mess. The relay runners and half-marathoners really clog up the start. However, the course is marked well and has lots of volunteers and support. Fans and bands were great and line the entire course. The goodie bag is fantastic and the expo was good. This year's shirt was from Asics and is a nice wicking, long sleeve shirt. The medal is nice and solid, and is shaped like the bridge logo. The after race food was sufficent and there are plenty of fluid and gel stops on the course. I would recommend this race to anyone, and if it fixes a few minor flaws like the start it could really standout among spring marathons.

My 36th Marathon!
A tough hilly course filled with lots of bands (no need for an i pod) lots of aid stations and great fans. Hats off to the fire station that sprayed water on the runners. Stay few days (only 5 hours from TO) and discover the Big Mac Museum, Cartoon Museum, Aviary and Warhol museum.
1. Expo - any expo that has window installation (with people lining up!) is a jam packed expo. Running shoes for $55 and $1 gels go straight to my heart - as well as free tuna
2. Bands - I think there were only a few spots where the bands weren't playing. A good selection.
3. Fans - Wow! Great support. Almost as good as Philly or Boston. That is saying a lot.
4. Glossy magazine - Again, concise and informative. A great addition to a running kit.
Bad:
1. Timing - the Pirates had a game the same day! traffic was bad.
2. Volunteers - more needed before race to point out gear drop off prior to race