Pittsburgh Marathon Canceled

PITTSBURGH, PA - Last week, the coronavirus outbreak took out one of Pittsburgh's major events when the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. This week, another of the city's largest events fell victim to COVID-19: the Pittsburgh Marathon.

The event, scheduled for May 3, won't held because the city followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation and banned gatherings of 50 or more people during the eight-week period beginning March 15. The move was made in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Marathon organizers P3R said scuttling this year's marathon was done to ensure the safety of participants, staff, volunteers, medical professional, security personnel and spectators.

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"We are heartbroken to have to cancel this year’s DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend," a message on the marathon website stated.

"Each year, more than 40,000 runners take tothe streets of Pittsburgh — including kids as young as one year old to grandparents in their nineties, and each of you has a unique story to tell. We know that many of you started training even before January first and have put in months of effort to get to race day, and now that isn’t going to happen. We understand that you are disappointed, and we’re sure that many of you are upset that this is the outcome."

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