Get ready to MOVE Pittsburgh, Runner of STEEL! The DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is BACK this May. Participants have a variety of distances to choose from during the Marathon Weekend— the full marathon, half-marathon, five-person relay, 5K, kids marathon (one-mile run), toddler trot, and pet walk – so everyone …
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Get ready to MOVE Pittsburgh, Runner of STEEL! The DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is BACK this May. Participants have a variety of distances to choose from during the Marathon Weekend— the full marathon, half-marathon, five-person relay, 5K, kids marathon (one-mile run), toddler trot, and pet walk – so everyone from pros to families can find the race that’s right for them. We encourage you to MOVE, whether it’s to achieve a personal goal or to run for charity.
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon provides a 26.2 mile tour of Pittsburgh the best way we know how… on foot! With 24 miles of riverfront trails, beautiful parks, historic attractions and home to 90 neighborhoods, the ‘Burgh is a great place to run! Pittsburgh is known for its rivers and bridges and the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon course will not disappoint. You’ll cross Pittsburgh’s three rivers over three different bridges each with their own distinct architecture and incredible views of the city. Your tour of the city will take you through 13 different and unique neighborhoods featuring festivals, bands, and cheerathoners that will keep you motivated and smiling all the way to the finish line.
The UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon has been a runner favorite since its inception in 2009. Run over Pittsburgh’s three rivers, across bridges with amazing views of the city skyline, and travel through unique neighborhoods lined with spectators and entertainment that showcases Pittsburgh’s history and diversity. PLUS, the course will take you past the stadiums of legendary Pittsburgh sports teams – the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins.
Are you planning on a warm-up run Saturday? Then join us for the STEEL CHALLENGE, run your warm-up with us and earn an extra medal – it’s that easy! If you run the UPMC Health Plan/UPMC Sports Medicine Pittsburgh 5K Run on Saturday and either the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon or the FedEx Ground Pittsburgh Marathon Relay on Sunday – you will have completed our Steel Challenge, earning a special bonus medal. (That’s right, you still get the 5K medal, plus your race medal from Sunday — and a special Steel Challenge medal!)
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Great Course, Organization, and Weather
Pre-race: They sent out a lot of pre-race emails with plenty of information. They described the corral system but didn't say which corral we would be in until we received … MORE
Pre-race: They sent out a lot of pre-race emails with plenty of information. They described the corral system but didn’t say which corral we would be in until we received our bibs.
Packet pickup: It was in the downtown convention center, very close to the race start. The bib and shirt pickup were very well organized. There were lots of booths and lots of people going in all directions. Near the entrance/exit they had a map on the wall to place a sticker for “Where Yinz From?” which was neat to see.
Start: Race morning there were plenty of portapotties near each corral entrance. However each corral blocked off an entire city block so the only way to get around a corral was to walk a block away, which we had to do for bag drop off at the end of the corrals then backtrack to get to corrals B and C. There were people checking bibs at the corral entrances, but after I was in corral C I saw lots of corral D and E bibs walking through C to get to D or E. Lots of pacer options and they were easily spotted in the corrals. Corral A started at 7am, then everyone moved forward. Corral B started around 7:10. Corral C started at 7:20. At 35 degrees F at the start I started shivering while waiting for each corral to be started. But, once I got moving I warmed up quickly.
On-course aid/signage: Fluid stations were well placed with plenty of tables on both sides of the roads – about 4 tables of water then 4 tables of electrolytes. Signage was also done well — several blocks of half/full marathon split ahead, then a few blocks with cones, signs, and volunteers down the center of the road to prepare for the split, and additional signs on the bridge after the split to indicate which distance that side of the bridge would be running. Mile marker signs were made of steel (steel city), very sturdy, and easy to see.
Lots of crowd support. I would say the first 5 miles of the course was shoulder to shoulder filled with people cheering. I really enjoyed the course too, with three bridges to cross in the half marathon, Oakland / University of Pittsburgh then Shadyside for the marathoners. Even the neighborhoods without interesting buildings had crowd support.
Relay: I ran the marathon but I from my viewpoint the relay was well organized. 5 legs spaced about 5 miles each with warning signs, timing mats, finish arches, bib announcer, and flags to show where each bib number should wait.
This Race has it all! Highly Recommend!
Everything about it (expo, production, swag, organization, course signage, volunteers, crowd support, hydration/aid stations, vibe, hospitality) A+..... Did I mention the hills? The first 11.5 miles are beautiful, relatively flat … MORE
Everything about it (expo, production, swag, organization, course signage, volunteers, crowd support, hydration/aid stations, vibe, hospitality) A+….. Did I mention the hills? The first 11.5 miles are beautiful, relatively flat and then there is the back half. This is where the hills come alive! However, the crowd support does not waiver. From 1-26.2 the crowd support is AMAZING… Everything from arriving at the airport where there were displays to welcome out of town runners, to the organization and efficiency of the expo, the beautiful medals and awesome finisher shirts, the variety of vendors at the expo, the organization of the corrals, the pyro/smoke at the start line, entertainment throughout the course, ALL OF IT- 10/10. I believe there were 19 hydration stations throughout the course. It never felt like we went more than 1.5 or 2 miles without one. The bridges were beautiful, the weather was perfect, and Pittsburgh was alive! The vibe was indescribable! I cannot recommend this one enough!
A Typical Pittsburgh Race
This race was your standard Pittsburgh race with rolling hills, views of the stadiums and rivers, and a finish line downtown! Like every P3R 5K, it was well organized and … MORE
This race was your standard Pittsburgh race with rolling hills, views of the stadiums and rivers, and a finish line downtown! Like every P3R 5K, it was well organized and a fun run!
An absolutely top-tier race experience.
Pittsburgh was an excellent race in every aspect—from the seamless logistics and great expo to the entertaining city course and incredible crowd support through the various neighborhoods. This race is … MORE
Pittsburgh was an excellent race in every aspect—from the seamless logistics and great expo to the entertaining city course and incredible crowd support through the various neighborhoods. This race is highly underrated, especially for out-of-towners. While the course is tough, it’s challenging in a rewarding way. With easy corral access, practical hotel/restaurant options, and a great expo, it makes for a perfect weekend. Get there early to enjoy the city—I’m so glad I ran Pittsburgh. I cannot recommend this race enough—it was top-notch from start to finish.
Good Crowd Support
I have run this race several times, and I always enjoy it. There is fantastic crowd support from start to finish including bands and spectators cheering you on and handing … MORE
I have run this race several times, and I always enjoy it. There is fantastic crowd support from start to finish including bands and spectators cheering you on and handing out goodies- especially Carson Street- which is about miles 9-10, so it is GREAT when you are running the half because it can be the time you are starting to shut down. The start of the race is well organized, the expo is good- I am not a huge expo person, but there are great photo opportunities and lots of things there, and the after party is great.
You also get a tech shirt and other samples- which is fine, I have gotten more from others but it is a fine shirt each year I have gone.
Pittsburgh is a proud city and I think they create a marathon race weekend that supports this.
Humbling Hill
Pittsburgh was my first ever marathon. I'm so happy I chose this race to kick off my marathon journey. Weather was perfect after a rain scare. The start line was … MORE
Pittsburgh was my first ever marathon. I’m so happy I chose this race to kick off my marathon journey. Weather was perfect after a rain scare. The start line was easy to figure out. The course was pretty cool for the first 12 miles, then that hill hit. Nothing can really prepare you for that long of an uphill at the same time that the half marathoners bow out to their finish line. Crowd support was shockingly low at this critical stage of the race. Still, I was ready and finished it. The harder part was getting through miles 18-23. I ended up walking quite a bit and had some cramps. Crowd support was quite limited, which didn’t help. The downhill at 23 was lovely and then crowd support picks back up, but man it was a tough finish. Overall great race – just be ready for the tough 12-23 and you’ll be fine!
Great race with a couple quibbles
I want to be very clear that I think this is a very well done race. The few quibbles I have are personal but do keep me from personally giving … MORE
I want to be very clear that I think this is a very well done race. The few quibbles I have are personal but do keep me from personally giving it 5 shoes.
First sign up was easy and the communication and logistics leading up to race weekend were great. I had all the information I needed in order to find my way to the race expo.
The race expo was exactly what it should have been for a 45000 person race. It was large with lots of vendors. The directions for finding everything (except 1) that was needed were clear. The one thing that was not obvious and at least I was not directed to, was the gear check bags. They were handed out at a separate small booth in a corner. I was not directed by anyone when picking up my bib and shirt as to where to go to get the required bag. I did however know I needed to use their bag for gear check. I eventually asked and was directed to the corner it was in. This probably would not have been a big deal as the gear check trucks did have extra bags on race morning.
On race morning the logistics of this race really shone. The foot print of the starting area was quite large but there was never any question as to where a racer was supposed to go in order to get in their corral or take care of pre race business. ALSO very special call out to each corral area having their own porta-potties! That was amazing for those that needed them. The one quibble I have with the set up was that it was very hard to get anywhere in the corrals during a time when people would actually want to be in the corrals. I wrote this in my review to the organizers also. The problem is that a person that plans to really compete in the front corrals is going to want to be up front. However, they also don’t want to be standing around too long in a corral before launch. When I finally arrived at my corral at a goo pre-race time I could not get anywhere near where i would want to be in order to run with my pace group. I had guessed this would happen with this many people and limited access to the corrals. This was better than Miami where I could not even get into my corral because of a too small corral area. But I had to forget about running with the pacer as I was not going to get anywhere near where they were. Small quibble.
The race course was very nice if you like touring a city. I love touring a city and therefore I was happy with the course. It was an excellent tour of Pittsburgh and I would call the course neither easy nor difficult. There were several bridge crossings and I really felt like I had a sense of Pittsburgh from the course.
I have both great things a couple of quibbles with the finish. The finisher chute was great. Lots of room and it was well appointed with post race snacks. I think that the medals should have been the first stop in the finish as my hands were a little full to take the medal once I grabbed a few snacks and I had to have the volunteer put my medal on. I am a sweaty mess at the end of a race and I felt bad needing to ask the volunteer to do so or put my open food on the ground. I also went to my gear check to find no one in the van with it wide open. Beyond the fact that it was annoying to wait for someone to return when I wanted to get my clothes, I could have entered the van and taken other people’s bags had I so wished. The adjoining vans were not monitoring mine as I went to ask them about the missing attendant and they were of no assistance. My final quibble is a personal preference/wish. Pittsburgh is a beer city and really should have a free beer as part of the race. Further that beer should be a Pittsburgh or at least Pennsylvania beer. However, the race has michelob ultra for purchase. I understand that this is not a wish of everyone, but it really does seem in the spirit of Pittsburgh to have a local beer. Charge more and have the beer.
Even with the quibbles this is again a great race. It is definitely in the top 5 that I have done. If one is looking for a Pennsylvania race, they have alternatives from Philadelphia. Go race in NJ and visit Philly. Race in Pittsburgh and feel that part of Pennsylvania.
2025
Despite a huge string of storms that ran through the area earlier in the week, the race personnel pull it off. If you have never been to Pittsburgh, it is … MORE
Despite a huge string of storms that ran through the area earlier in the week, the race personnel pull it off. If you have never been to Pittsburgh, it is beautiful in early May. The hills provide a challenge. The support is unmatched. The entire city comes out in full force.
Come visit, promise you wont regret it.
3rd Marathon. 2nd State.
I signed up for this because I work at Dick’s and they are the sponsor. With that, I got all the DSG perks including an employee only bib pick up. … MORE
I signed up for this because I work at Dick’s and they are the sponsor. With that, I got all the DSG perks including an employee only bib pick up. That was super nice. I’ve always wanted to run this race simply because it’s close and it’s a new state. The bridges were super fun to run over, but I’m not familiar with Pittsburgh, so I didn’t really know where we were running. The hills were hell… downhill included. I am very glad that I ran this race through. I also ran the 5K Saturday, so I completed the Steel Challenge.
Great support, difficult course
Enjoyed seeing the different areas of the city. Water stations were plentiful and crowd support was great as well, with lots of people handing out bananas, candy, ice pops, and … MORE
Enjoyed seeing the different areas of the city. Water stations were plentiful and crowd support was great as well, with lots of people handing out bananas, candy, ice pops, and beer. This is not a great PR course as it was very hilly and mostly in the back half of the race. Overall, really enjoyed the city and the race weekend. Would do again but definitely with more focus on hills during training!
Great Big City Race
The Pittsburg Marathon was a really well done big City Race. If you looking for a race with crowd support that is well organized this is for you. If you … MORE
The Pittsburg Marathon was a really well done big City Race. If you looking for a race with crowd support that is well organized this is for you. If you looking for beautiful scenery or a PR. I would pick something else.
Expo: The Expo is at the big Pittsburg convention center in the middle of downtown. Easy to get to and has cheap parking (5 dollars). Race is on Sunday and you can pick up your bib and get your t-shirt at the expo. Also a ton of vendors with official merch. Expo was open Friday and Saturday.
Race Start: Starts in the middle of downtown. I stayed at a hotel about half mile away. Plenty of hotels in walking distance, but you can also park at one of many parking lots and walk to the race as well. Got there at about 6:15 with plenty of time to spare. You are split into 5 Corals. Each coral had 1000s of people. (23k participated in the Sunday race). You have your marathoners, half marathoners, and relay team. It starts at 7am and each Coral goes every 10 minutes. So last coral out about 7:40. Also a pretty good amount of porta potties as well. One few races I’ve done that did not have a huge line. Bag drop off is far away from some corals. So be warry of that if you are one to use this.(I don’t)
Course: The first 3 miles stay in the center of the city. Like most big races its really compact at first. Somewhere at mile 3 you go over bridge and head towards the Steelers and Pirates stadiums. You run around them from miles 3-6 which is cool. You cross another bridge. Miles 7-10 you are across the river looking at Pittsburg. Probably some the best views of the marathon. Right before mile 11 you split off with the half marathoners (technically there two half marathons with this race. The half marathoners can pick to do the “first half” or the “second half” this is were the first half splits off.) You split off at the 3rd and final bridge.
Mile 11-13 is one the harder hills I’ve ran. You cross the bridge and its one giant hill. You gain well over 250ft of elevation in less then a mile. At about the halfway point you hit University of Pittsburg campus which is my second favorite part of the race. Then Miles 14-22 you go through lot of little towns and neighborhood running. Nothing to eventful there and they all kind of blend in. Mile 23 you start to head back towards the downtown area. Mile 22-23 has some huge downhills. So all the at up hill you did earlier is going back downhill now. The finish line is near the tip of the island near point state park. Less then a half mile from the start. While the course is not the hardest thing in the world. You do have some really big uphill’s and downhills. (smaller ones as well). I doubt many would get a PR here. Lot of easier marathons then this.
Aid Stations/Crowd Support: Lot of fun crowd support. Very few parts that had little or none. It seems like there was always at least a couple out there too. Official Aid stations had great volunteers plenty of water had some bananas and other items late in the race. However, they had “Never second C30 Sports Drink” instead of Gatorade. I thought this was nasty. It was the nastiest thing I’ve tasted at a race before. I drank it at time for the electrolytes but I didn’t like it. At one point someone in the crowd was giving out Gatorade and I was never more grateful then that moment lol. It seemed like more didn’t like it then liked it.
Weather: It was cloudy most of the race with the exception of one mile that was a downpour. Reading and looking into the history of this race it does seem like it does get rain a lot. So expect a chance of rain if you sign up. The temperature was not to bad. 60s most of the race, but was a tad humid Especially early.
Finish Line: Finish line was really well done. Lot of food. Chips, Bagles, Fruit, and even a smile cookie which was amazing. More vendors to check stuff out at.
Swag: I really enjoyed the shirt and medal. Both are really well designed. The shirt is super comfortable.
Overall: I enjoyed the Pittsburg Marathon greatly. Biggest Negatives are the aid stations awful drink and probably not the prettiest course. Especially the second half. Plus weather seems to be all over the place with this race. additionally it can be tough if you don’t like hard races. However, there are so many positives including great swag, amazing volunteers, extremely well organized, and a ton of great crowd support. Would recommend this to any.
Glad I Did It
This was a good race during a great race weekend. There was a lot of events for kids, through a 5K on Saturday, with the main races on Sunday. The … MORE
This was a good race during a great race weekend. There was a lot of events for kids, through a 5K on Saturday, with the main races on Sunday. The events were very well run. The expo was a breeze to get through. On race day there were plenty of police and great support at aid stations. I did not find the course very scenic. It also measured long on my watch (.4 miles). However, I am glad to have run the race and thankful for the event organizers.
Great course, terrible weather
Started off raining and cold, then it slow cooked us with sunny clear skies and 80 degrees. I was woefully undertrained for this one, as it was my last semester … MORE
Started off raining and cold, then it slow cooked us with sunny clear skies and 80 degrees. I was woefully undertrained for this one, as it was my last semester of undergrad. As for the course, it was really lively. Large crowd turn out and participation, I’d put it in the vicinity of Richmond and Flying Pig, maybe just a little below. The course, I would argue, is slightly harder than Flying Pig because many of the hills come later. The first half is very easy.
Marathon Relay Adrenaline is Real!
If you’ve never done a relay, this is a great one! The adrenaline while you wait with other runners for your teammate to pass you the baton and then passing … MORE
If you’ve never done a relay, this is a great one! The adrenaline while you wait with other runners for your teammate to pass you the baton and then passing off the baton to the next runner is a new runners high. While in Pittsburgh you will cross over every bridge, see every stadium, and have a great time at the well organized and full expo. We had 5 on our marathon relay team but I also had friends running the full course and a running club cheer spot that helped hype the day up even more. The only con was I was in leg 2 (3.82 miles – 37:27) of the relay so I had plenty of walking to do after my leg was done to meet up with my teammates, and I didn’t get the high of crossing the finish line or even seeing the finish or finish line after party, which I did hear was amazing. I probably got one of the easiest/flattest legs while my teammates got all the hills. I also ran the kids marathon mile with my niece and nephew the day before which was well organized considering the massive amount of elementary schools who have running teams and a big after party. All in a great location! I laugh when my rave raves pops up because it’s putting this relay as my marathon PR. I have run 3 marathons before, this being my first relay but running as a team was really fun and we definitely had a great overall time!
Hilly and Wet
I knew race had hills but it didn’t come until mile 10. Rest were rolling hills. First mile was in the rain and then it tapered off to off and … MORE
I knew race had hills but it didn’t come until mile 10. Rest were rolling hills. First mile was in the rain and then it tapered off to off and on. I had to be careful especially going downhills. At some parts of the race, it was crowded and difficult to push ahead. Mike 10-12 was an uphill that doesn’t seem to end until 13 where you pick up to the finish. I wish they had more port-o-potties along the course and volunteers with the drinks. Medal is really awesome and worth the run. I wasn’t focused on my time knowing it is rainy and hilly. Nevertheless, the less am glad I did it.
Awesome run through Pittsburgh
This run was one of my favorites. The medal was nice but the race shirt ran on the small side. Heard that from a lot of other runners. Plenty of … MORE
This run was one of my favorites. The medal was nice but the race shirt ran on the small side. Heard that from a lot of other runners. Plenty of port a potties throughout the course. The course was scenic with spectators coming out in droves. Definitely would run it again!
Eclectic city, great support, HILLS!
This marathon was very well organized and crowd support along the route was awesome. This course was super hilly, more than I expected, and the warm muggy weather made it … MORE
This marathon was very well organized and crowd support along the route was awesome. This course was super hilly, more than I expected, and the warm muggy weather made it extra challenging and one of my slowest to date. Ran this one with friends and we had a fantastic time. The expo was fantastic too. We stayed at the Westin and just walked out our door to the start. What an amazing city…I’m now in love with Pittsburgh!
Loved it
I ran the 1/2 marathon with a group of friends who traveled from Michigan. We loved the race and loved Pittsburgh. COMMUNICATION from the race team was hands down the … MORE
I ran the 1/2 marathon with a group of friends who traveled from Michigan. We loved the race and loved Pittsburgh.
COMMUNICATION from the race team was hands down the best of any race I’ve ever run. They even have a really great app containing TONS of info.
EXPO was HUGE with lots of vendors with free swag and opportunities to purchase anything you forgot. Lots of energy, cool photo ops and people to meet.
COURSE was fairly challenging with some decent hills but nothing that stopped me in my tracks. Be sure to hill train. Saw interesting parts of Pittsburgh. Crowd support was great and there were many impromptu aid stations with people offering beer, licorice, gummy worms and even Jello shots. I loved all the support.
AFTER PARY was lots of fun with good energy and more booths set up for last chance swag and race merch. There wasn’t much free food for runners but there were food trucks where you could purchase food. No free beer at all which was a bummer. The beer tent was kind of away from everything else, but they had a great DJ who was rocking the tunes. Must bring ID or they won’t let you in.
OVERALL, a great race I would highly recommend. Don’t miss the “Steel Challenge” where you do the 5K and the 1/2 or full marathon and get a challenge medal for completing both.
City of Bridges
This is my hometown race, and my third time participating. It is a huge event, well-organized, and has a lot to offer. I think it is a challenging course with … MORE
This is my hometown race, and my third time participating. It is a huge event, well-organized, and has a lot to offer. I think it is a challenging course with so many bridges and hills, but it provides a very nice scenic tour of Pittsburgh!
A great tour of Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh marathon weekend is a huge event for the city, and gives both visitors and locals a great tour around the various neighborhoods that make up the city's core. … MORE
The Pittsburgh marathon weekend is a huge event for the city, and gives both visitors and locals a great tour around the various neighborhoods that make up the city’s core. The expo beforehand is huge and well-run, and provides runners a nice long-sleeve tech, shirt, bag, and bib. The race itself is well-coordinated. Runners are released in corrals, with the fastest corral released at 7am and later corrals going every ~5 minutes. Keep this in mind, as there will be a wait after queuing for the start. Do not fret, tons of port-a-pots, water, gatorade, and other supplies. Locals love this race, so you can count on volunteers and supporters sharing beer, candy, and other treats at tables set-up in different neighborhoods. Keep in mind, this is Pittsburgh, so there are going to be hills. They dial it back as much as possible, but the half is generally hilly, and you will continue with a big hill(s) if you continue through to the marathon length (did once during a training run and did not enjoy). Overall, it is one, if not my most, favorite half marathon to this point. I would love to race it again if we end up closer to Pittsburgh in the future.