Will Loevner returned to long-distance running two years ago after a five-year run of success in mountain bike racing.
The 2016 Winchester Thurston graduate who ran two years at Penn State won the Cleveland Marathon in 2023 and qualified for the Olympic marathon trials at the Philadelphia Marathon later that year.
After competing at the Olympic Trials in February of last year, Loevner made his Pittsburgh Marathon running debut and placed second in the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 17.38 minutes.
He followed up the Pittsburgh Marathon with victories in his return to Cleveland and Philadelphia.
“The last couple of years have been kind of a whirlwind,” Loevner said.
That whirlwind will continue this weekend as he returns to Pittsburgh to test his mettle and seek victory. He will be among the elite runners in the full 26.2 race Sunday starting at 7 a.m.
It is just one of numerous races and events that make up the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend from Friday to Sunday at points all over Downtown.
“Being able to run in Pittsburgh means everything to me,” said Loevner who helped marshal the marathon during his biking days.
“Growing up here, Pittsburgh is such a special place. Going to Winchester, I started running in middle school and through high school, and we started training in the city on a lot of the streets that are on the marathon course. I know them well, and it is a trip down memory lane. I always had dreams of running the marathon. It is such a great feeling to be able to go out there and compete for the win.”
Pittsburgh Marathon director Troy Schooley said more than 46,000 runners, walkers and hand-cyclists have registered for the various race events throughout the weekend.
“The runner experience is always something truly special, and I know there will even be more spectator support to cheer them on as they complete their races,” Schooley said.
“With our record numbers, I feel it is going to be an unbelievable year with the crowd support because everybody knows someone who is participating. Even if you are not running, it is a special time to come down. What is great about all of the events is that it is a celebration of movement.”
Sunday’s marquee races with nearly 23,000 entered begin with the 20 or so hand-cyclists at 6:50 a.m. followed by all of half and full marathon runners and the other races at 7. The full marathon will have 5,000 runners, and more than 14,000 are expected for the half marathon.
Jane Bareikis is hoping to go back-to-back in the women’s full marathon. She claimed the 2024 title in 2:27.37, earning the $7,000 top prize.
The total prize purse this year is $102,000.
Pittsburgh Marathon race champions Stephanie Bruce and Wesley Kiptoo will be featured in their respective half marathons Sunday. Last year’s men’s full marathon winner, Michigan native Andrew Bowman (2:15.52), is switching gears this year to the half-marathon distance.
Kiptoo won last year’s men’s half in a record time of 1:01.21 and is going after an unprecedented fourth straight title.
Schooley said he loves to hear the many different stories of why people enter and run.
“Everybody has a story,” he said. “When I stand at the finish line, I see all this emotion. There are people of different sizes, different ages, different ethnicities, and they all have their reasons for being there. Whether they are running for charity, or they went through an incredible weight-loss journey, or they are just trying to feel better about themselves mentally, there are so many great stories.
“The ones I’ve heard coming into this year’s race are nothing short of amazing. We hear how they trained in the ice, the snow and the rain over the winter and kept going as the weather improved. Then we see them cross that finish line and complete that journey. It is inspiring for our team to do what we do. We know we are providing a setting and an opportunity to change people’s lives.”
Schooley said he’s excited to have the four-mile fitness challenge return as part of Sunday’s schedule of events.
“We currently have 250 people registered for it,” Schooley said.
“With the six obstacles, it gives people another opportunity to get out and move with us. It’s a good challenge for people who might feel they are not ready for the full marathon or half marathon, but they can do four miles with those challenges mixed in. The cool thing is they get to finish at the marathon finish line.”
The Kids of Steel Marathon at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on the North Shore continues to grow. Schooley said 9,500 kids are registered to run.
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“We’ve interacted with close to 330 schools, and it is the biggest kids running event in the country,” he said.
“That turns into close to 20,000 people because a lot of the parents run with their kids. It just continues to expand.”
Schooley said the 5K race, which kicks off Saturday’s events at 7:30 a.m., also on the North Shore, is at its largest number of entries in its history at close to 6,000.
“I look at the 5K as kind of an entry point where you see so many 5K runners doing their first 5K, and then they say, ‘Man, I want to try the half marathon,” he said.
“So, it’s great to see these numbers so high because I know many of them will take the leap next year which is super exciting. We know that some of last year’s 5K runners are doing this year’s half marathon.”
The weekend of events begin Friday morning at 11 with the Pittsburgh Live Well Expo presented by GNC at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
“There’s always new things going on at the Expo each year,” Schooley said.
“That is the first touch point for our movers race weekend. We want to make sure the fitness expo continues to grow, and this year will be the best one yet. There are always new things going on at the Expo. There will be so may picture-taking opportunities to get people excited.”
For more information on all things Dick’s Pittsburgh Marathon, visit the marathon website.