The UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon, part of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events, has been selected as the USATF Half Marathon Championships for men & women in 2018 and 2019 by USA Track & Field, the national governing body.
America’s best long distance runners including rising stars to Olympians are expected to compete in the national championships, which will offer a $85,000 prize purse. The events scheduled for May 6, 2018 and May 5, 2019 will be presented by P3R, the nonprofit organizers of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh and a year-round calendar of running events in Pittsburgh.
“We are honored to host a USATF National Championship and invite America’s best runners to the City of Champions,” said P3R CEO Patrice Matamoros. “The presence of such talented runners will bring added excitement to the entire field of runners and will also increase the prestige and footprint of the Pittsburgh Marathon event for many years to come.”
The Championships will also be part of the USATF Running Circuit, a road series featuring USATF Championships from one mile through the marathon. The series consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded annually in total prize money.
In 2018, P3R will also celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the return of the Pittsburgh Marathon after a 5-year hiatus from 2003 to 2008. The historic Pittsburgh event returned in 2009 and has inspired a running renaissance in the region. Pittsburgh was named the 17th “Best Running City in the Country” by Runner’s World magazine in 2016 and was also named one of the “Best Cities for an Active Lifestyle” by WalletHub in 2017. In addition, the Steel City has hosted six USA Marathon Championships including two U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (women 1988 and men 2000).
Each year, the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon and UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon attract thousands of runners from 50 states and more than 20 countries. The weekend of events help boost tourism to the city and is an opportunity to showcase Pittsburgh’s diverse neighborhoods. A runner-friendly city, Pittsburgh has been recently named one of the “Best Places to Travel in 2016” by Travel + Leisure, rated the nation's "No. 1 Food City" by Zagat and named among the "Top Destinations on the Rise" by TripAdvisor.
For more information about the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon and UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon, click here.
About P3R: P3R is a nonprofit organization that is passionate about promoting the love of running and enhancing community access to health & fitness education and activities. Best known for organizing the acclaimed annual DSG Pittsburgh Marathon, we also run a variety of other high-quality races, events and health & fitness programs throughout the Pittsburgh region. While many of our races attract some of the nation’s highest-profile professional athletes, we offer activities for all ages and ability levels. The only criterion for participation is a desire to be happy, healthy and active! Learn more at: www.P3R.org
About USATF: USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country’s No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information, visit: usatf.org
About the USATF Running Circuit: The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF road series featuring USATF Championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money.
The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided more than $9 million to U.S. distance runners.
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