The weekend of May 5th and 6th marked the 10th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Marathon. What began as a single race has grown into a weekend of events for the whole family including a full marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K, kids race, toddler trot and even have a pet walk for furry family members. This year, 40,000 runners laced up their shoes and participated in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events.
The Organization for Autism Research had an amazing team of 53 RUN FOR AUTISM runners participate in the many events held throughout the weekend. This was the ninth year in a row that the RUN FOR AUTISM program was part of the Pittsburgh Run for a Reason Charity Program and raised an amazing $25,404. The RUN FOR AUTISM team plus all the other 2018 charity runners helped the Pittsburgh Run for a Reason Charity Program reach a major fundraising milestone…surpassing $12 million over 10 years!
On Saturday May 5th, the first RUN FOR AUTISM Pittsburgh Runner’s Recognition Dinner was held at Lidia’s in downtown Pittsburgh. Fifteen runners and their families enjoyed a delicious pre-race dinner along with the RUN FOR AUTISM staff. Top fundraiser, Frank Mutnansky, gave a heartwarming speech about being an autism father and his personal fitness journey. This was Frank’s first year on the OAR team and he raised an incredible $3,311!
Overcast skies and threats of rain didn’t stop the OAR team from crushing the hills and bridges along the tough Pittsburgh course. Melissa Dunkleberger was OAR’s first marathon finisher with an impressive time of 4:02:26. RUN FOR AUTISM alums Dave Eschenbach and Stephanie Sciulli were our top half marathoners finishing just 15 seconds apart with times of 1:49:06 and 1:49:21, respectively. Team members were in high spirits receiving their OAR medal after the race while hanging out with family and friends at the RUN FOR AUTISM tent. Congratulations to the entire team, especially to those who ran PR’s!
The entire RUN FOR AUTISM staff is looking forward to another successful race weekend next year! Interested in participating in one of the 2019 Pittsburgh Marathon weekend events? Email the RUN Staff to be put on the interest list.
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