The 20th running of the Pittsburgh Marathon, now renamed the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, will take place Sunday, May 3, 2009.
After starting in 1985 under the leadership of the late mayor, Dick Caliguiri, the Pittsburgh Marathon has become a top-five marathon in the United States, hosting national championships and Olympic trials. Following a six-year hiatus, the event will return to the streets and neighborhoods of the city in 2009.
In addition to a multi-year financial commitment, Dicks Sporting Goods will also provide a significant amount of marketing support and volunteers from its corporate headquarters and 13 Pittsburgh area store locations.
Respironics, a leading provider of innovative products and programs that serve the global sleep and respiratory markets, will present the half marathon.
UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) Sports Medicine will be the medical sponsor for the marathon, providing all medical support for runners along the course and at the finish line, as well as holding training seminars throughout the year. UPMC has led the medical team for every Pittsburgh Marathon.
The race course is still being finalized, but organizers hope to start on Grant Street in front of the City-County Building and finish in the newly renovated Point State Park. The rest of the course will remain almost identical to the most recent course, running through neighborhoods including the North and South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Homewood, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Highland Park and the Strip District. To support the re-launch of the marathon, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development is providing office space in the Regional Enterprise Tower.
