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Run the Pittsburgh Marathon and raise scholarship funds for Laurelville campers
Three racing options offer great opportunity to get fit, support Laurelville

Here’s an opportunity that just might awaken your inner runner. On May 2, 2010, Pittsburgh will again host the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon as well as a half marathon and marathon relay. The 2009 race marked a return of the event and enjoyed great participation—registration maxed out at 10,500—as well as citywide enthusiasm and great running weather.

This year, Laurelville has determined to jump in the race, too. Several Association members will be raising money for camp scholarships allotted for youth and adults with financial hardships who wish to attend programs at Laurelville. Participants and their families will be offered free lodging and meals at Laurelville during Marathon weekend as well as a free Laurelville racing shirt if they raise $250 in support.

Your options are varied to meet a diverse range of runner profiles:

Enter the full Marathon The 26.2 mile course tours downtown Pittsburgh and its surrounding neighborhoods, crossing all three rivers (via bridges, of course) before finishing on the North Shore. This requires a significant amount of training—and likely an equally significant amount of recovery—but the rewards are plentiful.

Run the Half Marathon An excellent alternative to training for and completing a full marathon, the half marathon allows you to carry on a relatively normal life leading up to the event and should allow you to return to a normal life afterwards. The course follows a good portion of the full Marathon route and will offer runners great views of the city of Pittsburgh. If you’ve never run further than 8 miles or so, this is a great goal to work towards.

Form a team to run in the Marathon Relay; This is a great option for those who aren’t sure they want to run further than their daily commute to work but would like to taste some of the excitement of a big city marathon. Form a team of five individuals and split the total distance of a full marathon (each runner travels approximately five miles). You’ll follow the same course as the runners competing in the marathon and enjoy the camaraderie of working together.