Pittsburgh Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Pittsburgh, PAMay 2, 2027
The Pittsburgh Marathon crosses all three of the city's rivers, each on a different bridge, and then climbs out of the valley those rivers cut. That is the whole course in one sentence. There are 933 feet of gain and 939 feet of loss, and the gap between the lowest point on the route and the highest is 261 feet.
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It starts and finishes downtown, with the finish on the Boulevard of the Allies near Point State Park, and it takes in the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, East Liberty, Highland Park, Shadyside, Oakland, the South Side and the North Shore along the way. 5,024 people finished the marathon in 2026.
220 days to race day
Pittsburgh Marathon · May 2, 2027 · about 31 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Pittsburgh Marathon 2027
Race day is May 2, 2027, which is 220 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart October 4, 2026
- 24-week buildStart November 15, 2026
- 18-week buildStart December 27, 2026
- 16-week buildStart January 10, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart February 7, 2027
You have about 31 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to May 2, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Pittsburgh Marathon course facts
- Course
- Loop · Rolling Hills · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 933 ft gain, 939 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 985 ft / 724 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 5,024 in 2026 (large field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 4.5% in 2026
- Typical race morning
- 53°F at the start, 75% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 66°F / 44°F on average
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Pittsburgh Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Pittsburgh Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: three rivers, three bridges, 933 feet of climbing
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is a hilly downtown loop that crosses each of Pittsburgh's three rivers at least once on three different bridges, climbing 933 feet and descending 939 across 26.2 miles. The course sits between 724 and 985 feet of elevation, which means the East End neighborhoods run about 260 feet above the river crossings.
The route takes in the Strip District and the 16th Street Bridge, also known as the David McCullough Bridge, plus Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, East Liberty, Highland Park, Shadyside, Oakland, the South Side and the North Shore. The race dates to 1985, went dark from 2004 through 2008, and came back in 2009 under a new title sponsor. Its reputation has always rested on the topography rather than the scenery.
How to train for Pittsburgh
Training for the Pittsburgh Marathon means hill work in both directions. The course climbs 933 feet and hands every foot of it back, 939 feet of descent, and the climbs come out of the river valleys into neighborhoods sitting roughly 260 feet higher. Legs trained only on flat roads will survive the ups and then come apart on the downs.
Put your hill repeats late in a long run rather than at the start of a fresh easy day. A 16 miler where the hilly section falls between miles 11 and 15 teaches something a rested hill workout cannot. Add downhill running on purpose, two or three miles of controlled descent a week building over eight weeks, because eccentric quad damage is what turns a good Pittsburgh race into a long walk. And run the climbs by effort. Giving up 30 seconds on a hill you ran patiently is a much cheaper trade than losing four minutes at mile 22.
Getting in
Registration runs through the official race site at thepittsburghmarathon.com. There is no qualifying standard and no lottery. The race has been a fixture in the city since 1985, apart from a pause between 2004 and 2008, and it returned in 2009 with a new title sponsor. Entry fees and the official course time limit are not stated here because they could not be read from the race site, so confirm both with the organizer before booking travel.
Where does the Pittsburgh Marathon get hard?
The race turns hard where the course leaves the river valleys and climbs toward the East End, taking most of its 933 feet of gain to reach ground roughly 260 feet above the bridges you crossed earlier.
What is the weather like at the Pittsburgh Marathon?
Race morning in Pittsburgh in early May has averaged about 53 degrees at the start with 75 percent humidity, clear skies and a light west-southwest wind near 4 mph, warming toward a daily high around 66. You start cool and finish in sun. Do a few long runs that begin at dawn and run well into the warm part of the morning, so the swing is familiar rather than a surprise at mile 20.
Is the Pittsburgh Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Pittsburgh is a certified Boston qualifier, and 4.5 percent of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, close to the 4.4 percent in 2025 and down from 6.4 percent in 2024. That is an honest qualifying rate for a genuinely hard course. Runners who qualify here have usually trained the hills specifically rather than arriving fit and hoping the profile forgives them.
Is the Pittsburgh Marathon a good first marathon?
Pittsburgh is a fine first marathon if you have hills to train on and a poor one if you do not. The field of 5,024 finishers in 2026 brings real crowd support and the city turns out for this race. But 933 feet of climbing on a course that also gives back 939 feet is a lot to meet for the first time on race day.
Pittsburgh Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Pittsburgh Marathon hilly?
Yes, genuinely. The Pittsburgh Marathon climbs 933 feet and descends 939 across 26.2 miles, and the course ranges from 724 to 985 feet of elevation. The climbing comes where the route leaves the river valleys for the East End neighborhoods, which sit roughly 260 feet above the bridges. This is a hard course by any standard.
How many bridges does the Pittsburgh Marathon cross?
The course crosses each of Pittsburgh's three rivers at least once, on three different bridges, including the 16th Street Bridge near the Strip District, also called the David McCullough Bridge. The bridge decks themselves are flat. What comes after them is not, which is why the crossings are worth marking on your race plan.
Can you qualify for Boston at Pittsburgh?
You can. Pittsburgh is a certified Boston qualifier, and 4.5 percent of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, with 4.4 percent in 2025 and 6.4 percent in 2024. The hills make it a harder qualifier than a flat course, so most runners who succeed here have done specific hill and downhill work first.
What is the weather like at the Pittsburgh Marathon?
Early May in Pittsburgh is mild. Race morning has averaged about 53 degrees with 75 percent humidity, clear skies and a light west-southwest wind, with daily highs near 66. You will start cool and finish warmer, and the sun is well up for the second half, so dress for the middle of the race rather than the start line.
Where does the Pittsburgh Marathon get hard?
The race turns hard where the course leaves the river valleys and climbs toward the East End, taking most of its 933 feet of gain to reach ground roughly 260 feet above the bridges you crossed earlier.
What is the weather like at the Pittsburgh Marathon?
Race morning in Pittsburgh in early May has averaged about 53 degrees at the start with 75 percent humidity, clear skies and a light west-southwest wind near 4 mph, warming toward a daily high around 66. You start cool and finish in sun. Do a few long runs that begin at dawn and run well into the warm part of the morning, so the swing is familiar rather than a surprise at mile 20.
Is the Pittsburgh Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Pittsburgh is a certified Boston qualifier, and 4.5 percent of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, close to the 4.4 percent in 2025 and down from 6.4 percent in 2024. That is an honest qualifying rate for a genuinely hard course. Runners who qualify here have usually trained the hills specifically rather than arriving fit and hoping the profile forgives them.
Is the Pittsburgh Marathon a good first marathon?
Pittsburgh is a fine first marathon if you have hills to train on and a poor one if you do not. The field of 5,024 finishers in 2026 brings real crowd support and the city turns out for this race. But 933 feet of climbing on a course that also gives back 939 feet is a lot to meet for the first time on race day.
When should I start training for the Pittsburgh Marathon 2027?
Race day is May 2, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around December 13, 2026, a 16-week build around January 10, 2027, and a 12-week build around February 7, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Pittsburgh Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Pittsburgh Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to May 2, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Pittsburgh Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
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