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May 20, 2024

Pittsburgh Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Pittsburgh Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 225 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 23 > ]

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.
Dan Way from Toronto, ON, Canada (5/7/2015) "A cool city but challenging course" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 All in all, I really enjoyed this race. Pittsburgh is a really cool place and the course does an amazing job of capturing the best of what it has to offer. Be warned though, this is a very challenging course with seemingly endless rolling hills and a few big climbs and downhills. It also got a bit warm in 2015. Crowd support was great in many areas but non-existent in others. Event organization was great too although I occasionally worried that I might have gotten lost if not for the runners ahead of me. I will say that I was rather disappointed at the finish when I was presented a half marathon medal (I ran the full) and then disappeared into a stream of halfers. Perhaps more emphasis/attention should be given to the marathoners at the finish. All in all, I was very happy with the event and the course and would definitely consider doing it again. Not a place to set a PB, but definitely a place to have a great time and test yourself on a tough course.
B. M. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/6/2015) "A great up-and-coming Marathon" (about: 2015) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was a great race for a smaller city Marathon. This will never be a race on the magnitude of Boston or Chicago but they got a lot of things right. The course was tough with the hills in the second half but it wasn't impossible and it was really well marked with good course and crowd support. It is the sort of race that I am really glad I did, but not one I would be jumping up and down to do again. For sure it is a race to check out if you are looking for a spring Marathon though. Things they did right: crowd support was great, good support on the course itself with water stops and nutrition readily available, and pre-race information was good, overall race organization was above expectations Things they did wrong: The shirts were ugly(looked like a 5k shirt), the expo was organized but it wasn't anything to write home about, the course was crowded with the marathon/half/relay all starting in same corrals and running on the same course for the first 12 miles. One final note is that if you look at the course profile the second half is really really hilly, it doesn't make it an impossible course but it is definitely challenging. Make sure you work in some hills in your training. You can also look at my blog (link below) for my detailed review with pictures, Enjoy! http://outdooroutlier.blogspot.com/2015/05/pittsburgh-marathon-2015-race-recap.html
E. O. from New Castle, PA (5/5/2015) "Great Race, much improved!" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my fourth year in a row running Pittsburgh and was by far the best! The switch to a new shirt company was a great idea. The finishers shirts are great quality. The course is hilly but the aid stations are well stocked and the wet towels on the second half of the course were a life saver with the heat! Organization was great along with crowd support for the entire 26.2 miles! Also a very nice finishers medal!
R. B. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/5/2015) "Superb!" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You will not be disappointed if you run this race. Course was a nice mix of hills and flat. All major hills are done by mile 15. Finisher medal is as nice as they get. Organization of this race was phenomenal. Shirt was very nice. If you are interested in seeing Pittsburgh, this is the best way to do so. You will see all the city has to offer while running this race. I did not have plans to repeat any race until I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon...I'll be back next year.
M. D. from Georgia USA (5/4/2015) "Great Race" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this event for the first time and it gets my highest recommendations. Expo, volunteers, starting line and organization were great. A real tough hill at 11-12 miles but a giveback at 22-23.
J. A. from Panama (5/4/2015) "Very challenging. Not for a PR" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A very well organized race with enthusiastic fans. This is a hard course with a lot of long uphill segments. The descend towards the end sounds like it would be a nice rest but is long and steep so it can be very hard on your quads. It's a fun city to visit. If you decide to run this race, practice a lot of uphill running!
L. P. from Colorado (5/12/2014) "Way to go, Pittsburgh!" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great course with excellent crowd support. My fourth time running it and it gets better every year. After Boston, this is my favorite race. Fun people in the city, good food, challenging course. The crowds were fun - except Oakland - what's up there?? Where are you, Oakland?? I love that city... Good job, Pittsburgh.
P. B. from Gatineau, Quebec, Canada (5/7/2014) "Amazing!" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Excellent race! I didn't had a lot of expectation for this race because I heard it was tough and very hilly. Finally, It was hilly (on the second half) but was manageable. This end up to be my funniest marathon ever. I even did my PR. The course is beautiful and you have the chance to explore Pittsburgh in every aspects. Volonteers were outstanding and the crowd was really great. Yes, this marathon is challenging but if you do the proper training, you won't regret it!
T. O. from Alexandria, VA (5/7/2014) "Great support, very well organized" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first time running this marathon and was very impressed with the race organization. The crowds were great and there was a ton of aid along the race route. The downhill at mile 23 also made me VERY happy (and totally made up for the uphill at mile 12.) My first time in Pittsburgh and I found it an interesting city to run through. Would definitely run this again.

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