Revival of the Pittsburgh Marathon?

Don't get too excited, don't think its going to happen anytime soon, but I found the article that was in the Post Gazette in 2004 about the marathon being dead. (I think I've read it like 20 times after googling "Pittsburgh Marathon" just hoping that it will read differently when I try again.) Anyhow, I got e-mail addresses for all those included in the article and sent out an e-mail asking about any updates anyone is aware of. I'll post the replies as they come in:

From Tom Rooney of Rooney Sports & Entertainment (as in a REAL Pgh Steelers related Rooney) -

Greg Smith of the Elite Runners and Walkers stores in Monroeville and Coraopolis was our mover and shaker on this. But when the city went broke and couldn’t pick up all the traffic and medical staffing costs (some $250,000) it doomed the race. Last I heard Greg was working on a 20K or a 10 miler.

From Dan Holland, former president of the Pharaoh Hounds and organizer of the Great Replacement Race -

I believe a marathon can be assembled and run here in Pittsburgh. But after my experience in putting on the Great Replacement Race, I'd rather not be involved. I loved working with my fellow runners to offer a high-quality event for runners. It brought us closer, and since we are all seasoned runners we knew what to do.

However, I didn't have a very good experience with the city police and paramedic unions. They required us to pay up-front (the only ones who did), incurred the greatest cost, required an unnecessarily large force of people, and then required us to pay them for four hours, when it's a two hour event. Some didn't even show up.

I live in the city and enjoy it here. But I see the waste that goes on--way, way too many people working for a city of this size. It's big government at its worst.

The key will be to attract some deep pocketed donors who are sympathetic to the cause. If you can tolerate working with the city, then I say go for it. I'd love for the marathon to come back.

Second reply from Tom Rooney:

Tom Murphy is a runner and he loved (and ran) the marathons, too. That being said there is a new mayor and a relatively new county executive. They could take a fresh look at it……maybe we should organize something. Pgh will celebrate 250 years in 2008….maybe we can get together with the two as a team.

Reply from Kevin Smith, owner of Elite Runners & Walkers and the "mover and shaker" referred to by Tom Rooney (I believe he was speaking of Kevin when he mentioned "Greg Smith"):

It is interesting on the timing of all these emails. I am currently working with Dr. Brad Henderson of the the Pittsburgh Youth Network to put on a large event for them as well as bring life back to the city. I had sent in an email to Mike Radley about a week ago outlining plans for a ten miler to be held in May 2007. This distance was chosen as it is long enough that runners have to train and short enough that many more people will attempt it vs a marathon. This has been proven in other cities where the 10 miler is two times bigger than their marathon, i.e. Philly. In addition, due to the shorter course, the cost is more manageable given the current economic climate of the city. If we get enough ground support, I am sure we can morph this concept into a marathon for the city which is what Brad and I had discussed right from the beginning.

I have also been contacted by a former member of the marathon board who is interested in helping revive the marathon as well. It is reasonable to assume there are more like her plus some corporate executives who may be ready to commit again.

If anyone is truly interested, I am willing to work as the point person in getting this going as I aready have a base budget and have been working with a few race directors in similar cities to assess true costs of a marathon in a city our size.

Thanks,

Kevin J. Smith
Elite Runners & Walkers
We Run This Town!

tel: 412-490-0881
fax: 412-490-0882
toll free: 877-RUN-WALK
mailto:ksmith@eliterunners.com