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☰
Pittsburgh Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Pittsburgh Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa
(5/7/2018)
"Another Great Race" (about: 2018)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Another excellent effort by the organizers. From the expo to the post race snacks, I believe that everything was managed well. My complaint this year was with the crowds. On a decent weather morning, the crowds were subpar in Shadyside and South Side and non existent in Oakland. Most neighborhoods under represented from past years. On the plus side the crowds Downtown were good. The course is first rate with a nice mix of hills and flat. Nice finishing area with Point St Park as the staging area. Visit Hop Farm for delicious brews. | |
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D. N. from Reading, PA
(5/10/2017)
"Great way to tour the Steel City" (about: 2017)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race does not disappoint. I love visiting Pittsburgh and this race gives the city an opportunity to show off. Nice expo, lots of cool gear/ t-shirts available. Great organization for a larger race. Race course takes you through many of the diverse neighborhoods. Spectator support is outstanding. | |
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B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa
(5/9/2017)
"Excellent as Always" (about: 2017)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I know I'm biased, but there are not many races out there better than Pittsburgh. A fun and not overwhelmingly big expo with lots of cool vendors. Race day was fairly easy for a bigger city race (of course I know my way around) with cheap parking just a short subway ride away from the start and finish. I really like the course most of all. Challenging, but not ridiculously so for a hilly city, and it shows off some of the best views of the city. No out and backs either. Spectators were supportive, but not as numerous as they could have been. I must have looked really bad because I had a lot of folks cheering for me. The shirt is very nice and the medal is a small work of art. Two small complaints: I wish they had chocolate milk or soda at the finish and I felt that the start could have gone quicker with less time in between corral starts. Otherwise, a truly great race. After the race take the short trip to Allegheny City Brewing in Deutschtown!! | |
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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 | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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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. |
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