Pennsylvanian-native Tyler McCandless and Pittsburgher Margo Malone take home gold in the 26.2 miles; Kiptoo defends title and breaks his own record in the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon; Sunday events draw over 20,000 for the Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay
PITTSBURGH, PA – The 15th annual DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon drew more than 20,000 MOVERS from all 50 states and six continents, along with more than 300,000 spectators to cheer them on through 14 Pittsburgh neighborhoods. The average spring temperatures and cloudy skies provided prime conditions for all involved this year, especially the MOVERS as they pushed themselves toward the finish line in downtown Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgher Margo Malone, who competed at the U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in 2020, broke the finisher tape in 2:41:58, setting a new personal best. The North Hills High School graduate ran the first half of the course with her sister Mary. In second place was Rachel Brown of Philadelphia, with a time of 2:48:29. Anna Balouris, also from Pittsburgh, finished in third with a time of 2:51:37.
“It was so fun to race in Pittsburgh! My family, friends and coworkers got me through the tough miles, and the fans along the way made it a blast!” said Malone.
In the men’s marathon race, top American runner and Penn State University graduate Tyler McCandless broke the finisher tape in 2:16:10. Coming in second was Peterson Muthoni, who recorded a finishing time of 2:16:54. Pittsburgher Nick Wolk placed third in his marathon debut, crossing the finish line at 2:19:11.
“My wife Kristin and I brought out our two boys and made it an awesome family weekend,” said McCandless. “I ran a really big negative split and finally pulled away on an uphill during mile 19. The Pittsburgh community was out in force but nothing beat running down the final straightaway to a roar of a crowd and immediately hugging my family after finishing. P3R puts on an amazing event, and it was a career milestone to earn the win here today.”
In the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon, Kenyan Wesley Kiptoo defended his title and broke his own event record by three seconds, completing the race in 1:01:22. James Ngandu finished second in 1:02:14 and Dominic Ondoro finished third in 1:02:32
Three-time EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler champion Buze Diriba of Ethiopia took home the women’s gold medal, crossing the finish line in 1:10:45. Carrie Verdon finished second in 1:10:47 and Jackie Gaughan finished third in 1:11:31.
“After 15 years, Pittsburgh’s largest sporting event still attracts an impressive mix of high-profile professional athletes and MOVERS of various ages and ability levels from across the globe,” said Troy Schooley, P3R CEO. “What’s most unique about our marathon is that we focus on every single person on the course; it doesn’t matter if they’re breaking the tape or the last one to cross the finish line, we are going to give them the same incredible experience from start to finish.”
Sharing the streets with the elite athletes were over 20,000 MOVERS participating in a variety of events. More than 600 relay teams completed the FedEx Pittsburgh Marathon Relay, while more than 1,000 others participated in the Walking Division of the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon. Plus, the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh BACK Half Marathon returned for the second year, giving MOVERS who raised at least $1,000 through the Run For A Reason Charity Program, presented by Microsoft, the unique opportunity to see the second half of the marathon course.
All of today’s races finished in the same location on the Boulevard of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh. MOVERS of all ages and athletic abilities came together to achieve a common goal and earn the title “Runner of STEEL.”
2023 DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon
OVERALL MEN
1) Tyler McCandless (USA / CO), 2:16:10, $7,000
2) Peterson Muthoni (KEN), 2:16:54, $4,000
3) Nick Wolk (USA / PA), 2:19:11, $3,000*
4) Giovanni Grano (ITA), 2:22:05, $1,000
5) Colin Martin (USA / PA), 2:26:32, $500
6) Zachary Hoagland (USA / PA), 2:28:38
7) Colt Mack (USA / PA), 2:32:05
8) Ryan Leahy (USA / DC), 2:35:31
9) Alec Keaton (USA / VA), 2:36:07
10) AJ Kelly (USA / PA), 2:36:24
*Includes $1,000 first Pennsylvanian bonus
OVERALL WOMEN
1) Margo Malone (USA / PA), 2:41:58, $8,000*
2) Rachel Brown (USA / PA), 2:48:29, $4,000
3) Anna Balouris (USA / PA), 2:51:37, $2,000
4) Laura Galeazzo (USA / NY), 2:54:09, $1,000
5) Stephanie Gerland (USA / NY), 2:54:50 $500
6) Sarah Biehl (USA / OH) 2:56:12
7) Alysia Rogers (USA / OH), 3:01:42
8) Ann Mazur (USA / VA), 3:03:23
9) Julie Bromyard (USA / PA), 3:03:47
10) Kimberly Mills (USA / NY), 3:04:31
*Includes $1,000 first Pennsylvanian bonus
WHEELCHAIR / HANDCYCLE MEN’S DIVISION
1) Marshall Tempest (USA / PA), 1:25:40
2) Troy Baker (USA / OH), 1:27:15
3) Bruce Newman (USA / NC), 1:37:12
WHEELCHAIR / HANDCYCLE WOMEN’S DIVISION
Sarah Beth (USA / PA) 2:21:55
Ashli Molinero (USA / PA) 3:48:11
2023 UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon
OVERALL MEN
1) Wesley Kiptoo (KEN), 1:01:22, $10,000
2) James Ngandu (KEN), 1:02:14, $6,000
3) Dominic Ondoro (KEN), 1:02:32, $4,000
4) Lawrence Kipkoech (KEN), 1:02:40, $3,000
5) Dominic Korir (KEN), 1:04:03, $2,000
6) Milton Rotich (KEN), 1:04:38, $1,500
7) Chase Weaverling (USA / CO), 1:05:11, $1,000
8) Will Nation (USA / TX ), 1:06:13, $750
9) Sergio Reyes (USA / CA), 1:06:27, $500
10) Jared Ward (USA / UT), 1:07:30, $250
OVERALL WOMEN
1) Buze Diriba (ETH), 1:10:45, $10,000
2) Carrie Verdon (USA / CO), 1:10:47, $6,000
3) Jackie Gaughan (USA / MA), 1:11:31, $4,000
4) Neely Gracey (USA / CO), 1:12:56, $3,000
5) Caroline Rotich (KEN), 1:12:57, $2,000
6) Katie Kellner (USA / MA) , 1:12:57, $1,500
7) Jaci Smith (USA / CO), 1:12:58, $1,000
8) Lindsay Flanagan (USA / CO), 1:13:11, $750
9) Heather Kampf (USA / MN), 1:17:12, $500
10) Maddie Van (USA / ND), 1:17:23, $250
Visit PittsburghMarathon.com for complete results and more, and click here for high resolution images of the winners from today’s race.
Run by P3R, the 16th edition of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events will be held May 3-5, 2023. Registration is currently open for a limited time – it will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, May 8, 2023 and will reopen in August. For more information, go to: www.thePittsburghMarathon.com.
