Pittsburgh Marathon mile 20 Highlights

First runners

Bubbles

Pittsburgh Marathon this Sunday

This is Kirk Millikan of Richmond Virginia, dressed as a taco, running the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 1, 2016.

He holds Guinness world records in a Lumberjack costume in London 2023 and in Berlin wearing Lederhosen 2019 running a marathon in these costumes.

I’ll be looking for him as he reaches mile 21 in Highland Park where I live. No idea how he’ll be dressed. But I’ll have my camera at the ready.

The runners will be going right through our neighborhood. Stay tuned for updates.

Pittsburgh Marathon Mile 20

Pittsburgh Marathon First Place Women’s winner Margo Malone heading around the bend to Mile 20.

Heart Transplant Recipient Ran Marathon

An AGH (Allegheny General Hospital) Heart Transplant ran the Pittsburgh Marathon last Sunday. I thought about him today and I went back tonight and found his photograph. I took it just before Mile 20.

Absolutely incredible, isn’t it?

Wishing him all the best!

According to the article below from WTAE he had the transplant just 17 months ago

http://www.wtae.com/article/heart-transplant-recipient-to-run-in-pittsburgh-marathon/20169309

A Few More Random Runners

A Few More Random Runners. Almost mile 20, Highland Park.

Highland Avenue.

I had to post a few more runners photos from Sunday’s Pittsburgh Marathon.

PGH Marathon Sunday May 6th

Pittsburgh Marathon is officially DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon- Here is a  Pittsburgh Post -Gazette Article about PGH MarathonMay 2018!

I missed photographing the early wheelchair participants and the first and fastest runners who’d already run by.  Got down the hill a little later this year.

Running to “remember Uncle Buddy” was touching.

 

Finding friendsIMG_0744

 

The Volunteers and the workers who make the day possible.

Coaching his wife MarathonMy favorite shot of the day.  This husband is running backwards, coaching his wife on to the finish.  Just before Mile Marker 20.   LOVE

Rounding the Corner Pittsburgh Marathon Mile 21

Rounding the corner Pittsburgh Marathon Mile 21.  From the archives.  Sorry to not identify  runner- he was a leader by a large margin.    Weekly Photo Challenge is Corner- Highland Avenue and Bryant Street

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Pittsburgh Marathon Sparks Admiration

Today was the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Admiration was abundant.

Anyone who sets out to run 26.2 miles deserves admiration.  Here are a few highlights.

Laura and Charles were visiting from Columbus and Steve accompanied us down the hill to the 20 mile marker spot.

I started to photograph a couple of men is some crazy wedding gowns, which from a distance made me think they were togas.

As I photographed them, it turns out one was my good friend’s son.  He recognized me first.

Tony told me they were wearing the costumes, running for a charity fundraiser Project R.U.N., (Reaching Underserved Neighborhoods) getting kids running shoes if they need them, providing nutrition education and transportation to the marathon and free registrations and “promotes healthy and active lifestyles”

I was filled with admiration.  Nice job, men!

Running in costumes for charity fundraiser. This just in   IT is not too late to donate to Project R.U.N.  here is the linkDonate to Project R.U.N. until May 31

Runawy BridesI can’t imagine running a marathon but in a full length wedding gown?

 

IMG_6239Okay Tony.  We get the message.  Six more miles to go!

Waiting for another “bride”

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A spectator with her sign

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Volunteers give numerous hours to make the Marathon a success. Some on bicycles, offering assistance to runners.

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The workers

And the littlest cheering squad   They cheered as every runner went by, bringing smiles to their exhausted faces

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IMG_6278One of the runners the little squad cheered on, stops for a selfie

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_6247Carrying a flag the entire race could not be easy.

 

 

IMG_6230And thanks to Rich and Barbara for hosting the Annual Marathon Viewing chairs and delicious spread with all that delicious food.

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Marathon Highlights – Sunday May 3 Pittsburgh PA

At the twenty mile mark in Highland ParkStephen Njoroge

Stephen Njoroge, a native of Kenya  runner-up in 2013, won the men’s race in 2:15:19.
Clara SantucciFemale winner -Clara Santucci, 28, finished in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 6 seconds here she is approaching the twenty mile mark

The handchairs are inspiring to watch.

 

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FROM THE PITTSBURGH ZOO and AquariumIMG_0661

Pittsburgh Marathon Photos – Almost Mile Twenty

I got down early to catch the first marathoners in the wheelchair division. It was a perfect day for a marathon.

There was a street sweeper operating at the intersection of Highland and Bryant when I got down.   I knew the wheelchair participants started about 6:45 AM and I calculated when they’d arrive at almost mile twenty down the bottom of our hill.  I didn’t have too long to wait.

When I witness their effort, a catch forms in my throat.  It’s inspiring.  Accompanied by a bicycle escort, they “run” the course with determination and hard work.

I am dividing the post into galleries.  The first shots I stood across the street from the local coffee shop – Tazza D’Oro.

DICK’S Sporting Goods flew about 3 dozen marathoners to Pittsburgh from Boston so they could run the marathon.  These runners were ones who were unable to complete the marathon due to the attacks.

There were thousands of runners today for the Pittsburgh Marathon so this is just a small sampling of the day.  Perfect weather!

Here’ s the first gallery-

The Wheelchair Participants

The lead runners just flew by, almost effortlessly (well, it seemed easy watching them)  Soooo fast.  So smooth.

There were lots of dogs in attendance today.

And then there were the fun runners, the monkey, the man with the trumpet.bugle?, the guy in a kilt and sandals, women wearing tutus who were texting, and some wild hair and outfits.  Many patriotic displays and one guy running backwards.  A man wore a Chicago Runs for Boston shirt.

One man ran the whole marathon blindfolded,  tethered to a co-runner.  He did this to raise awareness and to experience what his 7 year old daughter must experience in life- she’s legally blind.   To read about his efforts click here and another article about this father’s running the entire marathon blindfolded-  here

A few more runners

man juggles running marathon

And all the volunteers and the workers who made it all possible

The street sweepers, the garbage collectors, the police, the paramedics, the course marshals, the volunteers who passed out water and picked up the cups from the course. The bus who came to sweep up the runners who needed to ride for the remainder of the course.  All photos shot with a 70-200mm Canon L series lens on Canon 5D SLR camera

And the partiers, the cheering section, and as neighbor Mike coined the term the CHAIR-ATHONERS.  for further coverage you can go to the Post-Gazette