Pittsburgh Great Race

Pittsburgh Great Race
Date September 28 (2014)
Location Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Event type Road
Distance 10k
Established 1977
Official site http://www.rungreatrace.com/

The Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race, known most commonly as the Great Race, is a major 10 kilometer foot race held annually in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, named after former Mayor of Pittsburgh Richard S. Caliguiri.[1] Established in 1977, the race has been held the last Sunday of September each year except 2003, when the city of Pittsburgh faced financial difficulty.[2]

Since the revival of the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2009, participation in the Great Race has increased dramatically, meeting registration caps enacted to limit the total number of runners. In 2010, 14,000 runners competed, making the race the largest 10k race in Pennsylvania and tenth largest in the United States.[3][4] A 5k race immediately precedes the 10k race, which essentially follows the second half of the 10k course. Both races finish at the same location in Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh.

Beginning at the foot of Frick Park, the course of the Great Race leads through some of Pittsburgh's most well-known neighborhoods, including Squirrel Hill, Oakland, The Bluff (Uptown), and Downtown. Runners pass the three largest universities in Pittsburgh during the race, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne. Finishing roughly 400 feet below the start line, with the exceptions of notable climbs in the 1st and 5th mile the course is predominantly downhill,[5] enabling a competitive race.

References

  1. ↑ Kelly, Jack (September 29, 2007). "Great Race keeps them coming back for more". Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
  2. ↑ Harrop, JoAnne Klimovich (September 29, 2007). "Great Race keeps Radley running". Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
  3. ↑ "Pittsburgh's Great Race: Record numbers a by-product of marathon", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 18 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "10 Biggest 10Ks in the US", Running USA. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Pittsburgh Great Race Map. From the race's official website, retrieved 18 July 2011

External links

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