This popular spring marathon attracts over 45,000 runners from all over the country. If you’re getting ready to train for and run the Pittsburgh marathon, you need to read this post.
If you’ve never been to Pittsburgh before, running the marathon will be like a little 26.2-mile foot tour. You’ll get to run over the yellow bridges, in and out of different neighborhoods, and even past their baseball stadium.
The one thing that you’ll hear almost every runner say is how hilly the course is, especially in the second half of the marathon. Don’t let this intimidate you, put together a plan, start focusing on your mindset and get ready to tackle the distance.
Whether it’s your first marathon or you’re out to run a personal best, we hope these tips below will help you have the best day.
Once you start to realize how long it takes to train for a marathon, we hope you’ve started looking at the right plan! If you want a little extra support, our team of 10 coaches is here to help you!
Pittsburgh Marathon Tips
The Pittsburgh Marathon is only a small part of a weekend full of events. Plus, if you’re not looking to run the full marathon, but still want to experience part of the course, you can put together a team for the marathon relay.
Events race weekend include:
- Saturday, May 2nd: Pittsburgh 5k, Kids Marathon, Toddler Trot, Pet Walk and Champions Mile
- Sunday, May 3rd: Pittsburgh Marathon, Marathon Relay and Half Marathon, Back Half Marathon, and 4-mile Fitness Challenge
With any race, we have a few standard recommendations for our athletes:
- Try not to walk around a ton before the race
- Have your pre-race dinner and morning of meal with you or planned out, so you know it’s food you tolerate
- Don’t get sucked into driving the course :) You should have been training for whatever the elevation looks like and that’s all you can control
I have run this race 8 times – I always look forward to it as it approaches and am saddened when it is over. If you have not run this race, it is a must! Pittsburgh rolls out the red carpet for the runners! Great entertainment, well-volunteered, safe, plenty of aid stations, great swag, fun city! – Sean Brenann’s review on marathonmaniacs.com
We love that the Pittsburgh Marathon is so welcoming to all paces. You’ll find pacers from 3 hours all the way to a 6 and 7 hour run/walk pacer. While the course may be a little challenging with the hills, every runner is going to get the support that they need to get to that finish line.
#1 Race Weekend Logistics
The marathon is just one of many events happening over that first weekend of May. Try not to get caught up in all of the excitement and spend too much time on your feet, whether that’s at the expo, spectating the races on Saturday, or just exploring the city.
As with any race weekend, you want to book your lodging as early as possible. There are a good number of hotels in the main downtown area, but we would suggest looking into Airbnb or other options as well.
Plan ahead, especially with making reservations for your pre-race dinner. You can also map out grocery stores if you’re coming from out of town and want to be set for your carb load.
#2 Train for the Course
Our biggest advice after talking with lots of runners: be prepared for rolling hills.
Here are 7 Hill Running Workouts to Boost Your Speed and Endurance that you can add throughout your marathon training to be prepared. You’ll also want to add some hills to your longer runs so that you can get practice ahead of race day.
Don’t forget to treat your long runs like a dress rehearsal for the race. That means testing out everything from your fueling, hydration and even your race day shoes.
Because the course runs a lot through the city where streets will need to reopen, there are checkpoints that runners need to pass in order not be swept:
- All participants must be to the 16th Street Bridge by 8:40 a.m.
- All participants must be to the West End Bridge by 9:40 a.m.
- All participants must be to the Birmingham Bridge by 10:40 a.m.
This means you need to run at a pace of 20:00/mile for the first half and 16:00/mile for the second. Check out our tips on how to pace walking a marathon.
Enjoyed seeing the different areas of the city. Water stations were plentiful and crowd support was great as well, with lots of people handing out bananas, candy, ice pops, and beer. This is not a great PR course as it was very hilly and mostly in the back half of the race. Overall, really enjoyed the city and the race weekend. Would do again but definitely with more focus on hills during training! – Running Reader, raceraves.com
#3 Marathon Expo
The Pittsburgh Marathon Expo is located at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
You’ll have the opportunity to pick up your bib and explore the expo on either Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2. There is a VIP option available with a private hour pick up on Friday morning.
You can have someone else pick up your bib, but there’s a specific form that needs to be filled out and shown at the time of pick up.
If you’re planning on checking a bag race morning, make sure you pick up the bag that must be used at the Expo!
#4 Plan for Race Morning
When: Sunday, May 3 2026 at 7:00am
Start line corrals will open at 5:30am; however, if you’re in Corrals B-E be prepared for your start time to be later than the post 7:00am start. Some runners may start closer to 7:30am, so sleep in a little and head to the start area a little closer to that time.
However, if that makes you anxious, do whatever will help you have the best race morning!
There will be 5 corrals assigned based on your expected finish time, with faster runners in the front.
Each corral has access points that you should become familiar with before race morning. In order to get into the corral, your bib must be visible.
- Corral A Access: 7th Avenue and Smithfield Street OR Penn Avenue and 9th Street
- Corral B Access: 6th Avenue and Wood Street OR Penn Avenue and 7th Street
- Corral C Access: Liberty Avenue and Market Street OR Penn Avenue and 6th Street
- Corral D Access: Penn Avenue and 5th Avenue OR Stanwix Street and Liberty Avenue
- Corral E Access: Stanwix Street and Liberty Avenue
You can move to a later corral on race morning, but not to a faster one.
Make sure to use the porta-potties, check your bag, and anything else that you need to do prior to entering your corral area.
#5 Pittsburgh Marathon Course Strategy
The 26.2 mile course is going to take you through the Strip District, North Side, South Side, Oakland and East Liberty. Here’s some highlights of what you can expect so that you can start to physically and mentlaly prepare.
Miles 1-11
The beginning of the marathon is pretty straightforward and nothing to really write home about.
Don’t start out too fast here ,from all of the excitement and adrenaline around you. You’re going to want to conserve your energy, especially before the rolling hills from mile 12 onward.
Soak in the energy from the spectators in each neighborhood and use that when you’re second-guessing yourself during the second half of the race.
Mile 11
The climb from Forbes Avenue into Oakland is known to be one of the toughest parts of the course. After all, it’s almost 200ft of gain in a half mile(!!).
You’ll be tempted to split with the half-marathoners to the finishline, but just keep going!
If you’re someone who listens to music, try to plan some distracting and motivating tunes for this part of the race. And if you tend not to listen to anything, have your mantras ready so that you don’t let your mind trick you out of pushing forward.
Mile 12-13
Be prepared for a long, steady climb up Forbes Avenue. You’re going to get around 150ft in gain just right here. Take smaller steps, and use those arms to get to the top. We wish we could tell you it’s all downhill from there but it’s not.
Mile 14-18
Another gradual climb as you go through two more neighborhoods that are said to be full of spectators cheering you on!
Mile 18
Get ready for a party. If you were starting to enter the pain cave or question your decision to run this marathon, the folks near the Homewood House are there to help. This will be a big energy boost to help you get through to the finish.
Mile 20
Okay, this may be the last major climb. Push through it and know that it’s just a 10k remaining. You can hang in there.
Miles 21-22
Take advantage of this little downhill before you reach your final tiny uphill climb of the marathon.
Miles 24-26.2
It’s a long, boring stretch, but we’re here to tell you it starts with a descent into the Strip District and right to the finish. You’ll be able to see the skyline ahead of you, and your mind may start to play tricks on you here.
Remind yourself you survived the rolling hills of Pittsburgh, this flat stretch to the finish is a dig deep, you got this moment.
We hope that this list of Pittsburgh Marathon tips was helpful.
Have you run the Pittsburgh Marathon before? Are there other tips you think we should add?
Pittsburgh Marathon FAQs
A few of your common questions as well!
When is the Pittsburgh Marathon?
The Pittsburgh Marathon is typically held the first weekend of May, and you can expect a variety of spring weather conditions. It has been pretty rainy in the past!
Do you have to qualify for the Pittsburgh Marathon?
No, anyone can register for the Pittsburgh Marathon race weekend.
How big is the Pittsburgh Marathon?
The 2025 Pittsburgh Marathon had 25,000 participants.
Is there a cut-off time?
Yes, there’s a 7-hour cutoff. You need to maintain a 16-minute-per-mile pace; if not, runners will be asked to board the sweep vehicle. If you choose to continue on the course with no support, you will not be guaranteed a time or finisher’s medal.
Can you defer your registration?
No, you’re unable to defer to another year. However, you can transfer your bib to another runner.
Can you change your race distance?
Yes, they allow transferring race distances if you need to drop down or want to run a longer distance (this is only if the races are not sold out).
Can you run with headphones?
Yes, however, they strongly discourage the use of headphones for your safety and the safety of the other runners.
Can someone else pick up your bib?
Yes, they must show a photo ID and a packet pickup slip.
Are there pacers?
Yes, they will have pace groups starting from 3:00 all the way to 6:30 Run/walk and 7:00 Run/walk
What to Read Next?
- Best Marathon Shoes for Beginners Who Just Want to Finish Strong
- Post Marathon Recovery Plan: A Guide to Physical and Mental Recovery
- 7 Long Distance Running Shoes That Make Marathon Training Bearable
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