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May 12, 2024

Pittsburgh Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Pittsburgh Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 224 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 22 > ]

P. K. from Pennsylvania (11/1/2016) "A must-do Race with great support" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have done this marathon twice (and the half, once) it takes you through a huge number of the cities neighborhoods with lots of people along the whole course. There is plenty of aid stations and they are well stocked and organized. When you come down the last mile it is just jam packed with people on the side walks yelling out to you. The finish chute is well organized and efficient from medal to food to pictures
M. R. from Wellington, Fl., 33414 (5/21/2016) "Always great to come home to pittsburgh" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization is great. Best medical support of any marathon. For the second year very difficult to get to corral C, mass confusion. Since the marathon is the signature event, consideration should be given to starting the marathon at least fifteen minutes prior to the half. The size of marathon field would not conflict with the fast half-marathoners but would give a special recognition for those doing 26.2. An added plus was that the Pirates were home. Best ballpark in country, the 5K on Saturday was a great warm-up. Nice to see so many kids on the course.
S. K. from Florida (5/4/2016) "A Bucket List Marathon" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros: 1. Exceptionally well-organized. 2. I got a surprise 'runners box' of goodies shipped to me while I was training with swag, treats, and a $10 discount at Dicks. 3. Course was interesting - truly diverse experiences of running on bridges (five of them), downtown streets, neighborhood roads, and lots of different bands playing different types of music. 4. Best fan support ever! I couldn't believe the turnout. Only one neighborhood was sparse (Homewood), but that gave a time of running reflection. Fans' signs were hilarious. One fan held a sign that said 'get the F up the hill!' and proceeded to hand out cards to each runner that ran near her - the cards had 'Fs' on them! 5. I don't mind hills - they gave me a chance to use different muscles. The hills weren't bad. There's a big downhill around mile 24 which was welcomed! 6. Great Expo (I bought some t-shirts and I usually don't like any shirts at expos.) 7. Downtown hotels were reasonably priced which made for a late wake-up and plenty of sleep before the marathon. 8. No shortage of beverage (gatorade and water) on the course or 'stinger' gels. 9. Marathon start time was 7 (not too early, not too late) 10. PGH Temp that time of year makes it likely that the weather is cool and perfect for running. 11. Course seems safe - no tight turns and wide enough to accommodate the pack. 12. Wave starts were good - 5 minute separation kept the field open in the beginning. 13. PGH. Firefighters had the fire hydrants open and misting water at several points throughout the course. 14. Great finishers medal! Cons: 1. It seemed that the finish line was the least exciting area. However, the overwhelm of personal accomplishment was enough. 2. The expo didn't have a station to double check that the timing device was working. Usually I appreciate this chance to verify that the bib chip works. All in all, an awesome event!!!! I have run Honolulu, Madrid, San Diego, and Space Coast.
R. B. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/3/2016) "Consistent Race" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have participated in this race the past 4 years (2 halves and 2 fulls) and the PGH marathon remains consistent. The early precipitation definitely kept a lot of spectators away so they were light throughout compared to previous years. This is the reason I gave the rating a 4 instead of the 5 I gave the fans last year. Still, many braved the rain and humid temperatures, but appeared to be less enthusiastic as they were in years past. The expo was fine, nothing to write home about. Race morning was easy as we chose to park across the river for $5 at the Heinz Field Parking Lot and walked across the bridge. For a medium size city, treat race morning like a large size city by arriving a bit early as there are a lot of participants in the corrals. More restrooms than I have ever seen before the race, on the course and post-race. I love this course as it takes your through a lot of great neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Watch out for the serious challenge from mile 10 to 15. This stretch if tough so keep that in mind. Water stops were made easy as they were on both sides of the course while running the first half and one side during the second. Excellent job in that aspect. Really enjoyed the fact that so many people participated in the relay. This made the second half of the race feel less lonely as many runners were around during all parts of the race. Shirt was nice and finishers medal was excellent.
J. B. from West Chester, PA (5/2/2016) "Great Marathon" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was one of my favorite marathons to date. The course takes you through several neighborhoods all over the city, so the scenery is varied and interesting from start to finish. The hills are almost continuous up until mile 22, at which point you begin a nice descent towards the finish line. Spectators were sincere and supportive, often calling out your name to cheer you on. Organization was excellent. The medal is outstanding. I would highly recommend this marathon.
B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa (5/2/2016) "Another Great Job" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Once again Pittsburgh proved why it's among the best. Great organization from the expo to the post race. An interesting and challenging course that takes you all through the city with no out and backs. Not as hilly as it could be, but still pretty hilly. Good, but not great spectator support. Great medal and shirt, and a decent value if you register early. All in America's Most Livable City. If you're thirsty post race check out East End Brewing and Grist House Brewing.
J. A. from Panama City, Panama (10/13/2015) "Excellent organization and course" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I chose this race at the last minute. I was training for another race but had to change plans at the last minute. Pittsburgh was the only large city marathon I could find around the date I needed. I am so glad I found it. I enjoyed visiting Pittsburgh a lot. The race itself has great course, the second half is quite challenging as it is almost all uphill. The fans were great. The start/finish line was very easy to get to and accessible via public transportation. Also, a super cool medal. The shirt was really ugly, though.
A. G. from Ocala Florida (6/11/2015) "Great half marathon" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a must race to do. Had a great time staying and running in Pittsburgh. The vols do a super job, Cant say anything bad about any part of this race. Oh ya, I received my age group award an all I can say is thank you and WOW, it's the best I have ever received. It made all those early a.m. training runs worth it. Great job to all those involved and once again thanks.
James Bielli from Poughkeepsie, NY (6/9/2015) "Great course, ruined by inconsiderate spectator" (about: 2015) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Somewhat challenging but fair course, to be expected in Pittsburgh. I only ran the half for this one but felt inclined to comment anyway. I was on pace for a nice PR during this when it was ruined for me at mile 5 by overenthusiastic spectator support. In a group of 6 people going around a corner, twisted my ankle on a curb after some woman jumps out in front to snap a picture of someone behind me and we all had to dodge her. Stopped and yelled at her and she looks at me like I've got 3 heads and has no idea what she did wrong. I'm usually not one in favor of this kind of thing but based on my experience here, maybe there needs to be some sort of signage telling stupid people not to do that sort of thing, especially toward the front of the race where people are more exhausted and moving faster and have less time to react... because clearly this woman needed it. Other than that it was a great experience and a race I would run again, taking greater care to watch out for idiots. Really enjoyed the many, many other spectators who came out to watch the race who kept me going as I limp-jogged the last 8 miles to an unspectacular finish, the cool bands out on the course, very supportive volunteers, the spray-mister thing over the course at around mile 9... oh yeah, and the 3/4 mile long downhill finish (at least for the half) with people cheering from the top of the bluff at Duquesne University!
S. R. from New England, USA (5/13/2015) "Two thumbs up for Elite and back of the pack" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've completed this marathon twice; first as my first (miserable) marathon and second to redeem my first awful marathon (my own fault, not the race's). Between my first and second Pittsburgh, it's been 5 years and about 30 marathons in between, and I've become quite the running nerd. Few races in a city this size can boast an elite field like the one assembled for the race - and have a great race day for relay runners and half marathoners alike. Some context, I'm now a ~3:10 marathoner. At first I balked at the price, but then again, marathon prices have gone up. If you want to feel like you're running in a competitive race that doesn't just have hobby joggers, Pittsburgh is fantastic - while also a great experience for those who like a small town race feel. The race makes clear that the country has far fewer competitive athletes than it used to, and part of the registration fee goes towards elite athlete development. I've run races as large as NYC and as small as a marathon with 10 finishers. Pittsburgh is unique in that it truly caters effectively to all runners. It is a great tour by foot of the city, runners pass by iconic landmarks and bridges, including some hills of course due to the city's topography, but they avoid too many hills if that kind of that would scare you away. The expo was fun, good bargains, great ease in packet pickup - one could be in and out in less than 10 minutes. The city has great spectators and bands - without feeling like a generic Rock n Roll marathon. I'll be back.

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