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Pittsburgh Marathon 2024: Here’s what you need to know about race weekend

Pittsburgh Marathon weekend

PITTSBURGH — It’ll be a busy weekend in downtown Pittsburgh, as thousands of people are expected to flock to the area for the 2024 DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon.

While the marathon is on Sunday, organizers planned a weekend full of races and events for the whole family.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Pittsburgh Marathon.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, May 3

Race weekend officially kicks off when the Pittsburgh Health and Fitness Expo opens at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Friday. The space opens at 10 a.m. for VIPs. The general public has access from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 4

Saturday is full of events and is the first day of races.

The races taking place are:

  • 8 a.m.: the UPMC Sports Medicine Pittsburgh 5K Run begins on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.
  • 8:30 a.m.: The Sheetz Pittsburgh Toddler Trot starts at Point State Park. There are four heats taking place 15 minutes apart.
  • 9 a.m.: The U.S. Steel Pittsburgh Champions Mile begins on the North Shore
  • 9:30 a.m.: The Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Kids Marathon begins on the North Shore. There are 16 heats in total, including a sensory-inclusive heat

When you’re not watching or taking part in races, there are several other spaces to check out:

  • From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., visit the Finish Line Festival powered by Cleveland Brothers at Point State Park
  • The Pittsburgh Health and Fitness Expo is open again on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • At 4 p.m., there’s a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Sunday, May 5

Sunday is Marathon day, but a couple of other races are being held simultaneously. Here’s the breakdown of when runners start on the course.

Runners for the marathon, half marathon and marathon relay take off from corrals in downtown Pittsburgh at 7 a.m. The handcycle division begins at 6:50 a.m.

At 9 a.m., the back half marathon begins in Oakland.

The 4-mile fitness challenge begins in Bloomfield at 9:30 a.m.

Below is a map of the entire course for Sunday.

HOW TO PICK UP BIBS

Racers should pick up their bib in a race packet at the Pittsburgh Health and Fitness Expo.

To pick up a bib, you’ll need a bib number and photo ID. Racers can allow someone else to get their packet. The designated pickup person has a photo ID, a completed packet pickup slip and the participant’s bib number.

If you’re racing on Sunday and unable to get to the expo, you can purchase the Will Call option to pick up your race gear on Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Those racing in Saturday events can pick up their race gear on Saturday morning.

ROAD CLOSURES AND PARKING

Various roads will be closed throughout Pittsburgh starting on Friday. The closures mostly impact Downtown and the North Shore but will impact most neighborhoods during the marathon on Sunday morning.

Click here to read WPXI’s full breakdown of the road closures and see maps of what roads will be closed and when.

Race officials encourage people coming into the city to race or to watch their loved ones run to use the ParkPGH app to see the real-time capacity of any number of garages. Typically, people park on the North Shore on Saturday. Parking on Sunday is generally more spread out throughout the city, with people opting to park on the North Shore or in Station Square and walking to the start line if needed.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit busses will operate according to their regular weekend schedule, with extensive detours. Click here to see all detours.

HOW TO TRACK BIBS

If you’re trying to track the progress of your loved one as they take on one of the races, organizers make it easy to track a bib. You can look up a runner by their name or email address. Click here to do so.

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