Marathon Madness
Spectating truly takes a commitment
A 5 a.m. wake-up call on a Sunday did not go ignored, even though it’s my one day to really relax. This May 4 was the 41st running of the Pittsburgh Marathon and I was participating. No, not as a runner. Rather as a spectator and a cheerleader for my favorite contestant – Michael Bailey – my nephew and Godson. Even crafted a sign with a catchy slogan – “Scale of 1-10, U.R.A. 26.2” – for him and the 3,784 participants in the long and arduous race.
Clad in Gortex and equipped with cowbells, not to mention coolers packed with emergency supplies like water, Gatorade, Goo and nutrition bars for the participants, Michael’s Mobile Army assembled near Caste Village and departed the South Hills.
The caravan included Patricia Ward, an avid runner and marathon veteran not to mention Michael’s aunt. Her husband, Mike, served as chauffeur. He bypassed road closures, found free parking spaces and the best viewing sports to watch the runners parade past, like Sidney Crosby skating through defenders on his way to a goal.
Positioned on the Southside, underneath the Garmin-sponsored 10-mile marker, we waited. And waited. See, the gun for the race’s 7 o’clock start had yet to sound.
To pass the time, Mike asked, “Are you writing about this?” Before an answer could be formulated, a blast from the past approached.
Other than my 14 nephews and nieces, my kids are the athletes whom I have covered on a weekly basis for as long as there have been Pittsburgh Marathons in my role as sports editor for The Almanac and contributor for the parent paper, The Observer-Reporter in Washington.
And, crossing the street to greet me was one of them. Matt DiGiacomo was a Mt. Lebanon standout. He excelled in football and volleyball, a rare combination that screamed “feature story” back then.
After graduating high school, he attended St. Vincent College then earned a law degree from Widener University in 1996. Additionally, he spent nine years as an active duty Judge Advocate in the United States Army. He currently serves in the homicide unit as the Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney.
A Moon resident, DiGiacomo was helping at the Southside Chamber of Commerce booth on Marathon Day because his girlfriend works in that area of Pittsburgh.
While we charted Michael’s progress through the West End via an “app”, we also watched as the frontrunners jockeyed for position, which eventually saw Mulgeta Birhanu Feyissa from Ethiopia edge out Milton Rotich in the male division as well as Jane Bareikis beat out Aberu Mekuria Zennebe in the female category.
Before long familiar faces trotted by. Some waved. One smiled.
Mike asked, “Did you know him?”
I replied, “I think it’s the poster.”
“No,” Tricia stressed. “He knew you.”
Mike added that I had better figure it out by the end of the race in case I ran into him again.
He looked like Noah Lejuene but I doubted the Bethel Park senior would be running in a marathon because his baseball team is in the midst of its own pursuit. The Black Hawks are chasing after a WPIAL championship after winning their 37th section title. They were PIAA state champions in 1988, 2021 and 2022.
After Michael reached the 10-mile marker, on target for a sub 4-hour pace in his first marathon attempt, his following scooted off to Shady Side. Endurance was not reserved for only marathoners. Though parking was juxtaposed between two viewing positions, walking was required to see him rounding S. Aitken Street onto Walnut followed by a short sprint to yet another vantage point along East Liberty and Baum Boulevard.
Old acquaintances were renewed and new friendships were forged along the path.
Met Matt Freed. He’s the only person other than Phil that I know from Punxsutawney. He worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before the labor dispute caused him and many of his brethren to go on strike. A freelance photographer now, he was working the marathon.
The marathon attracted nearly 50,000 competitors and over 250,000 spectators, but it’s not just a 26.2-mile run. It included a half and back-half marathon, 4-mile fitness challenge, champions mile, toddler trot, pet walk, 5K and a relay.
The relays are a way for organizations and charities to raise funds. Teams cover 26.2 miles but members run segments of varying distances, passing a baton to the next runner at designated exchange zones.
Braedon Scherer participated in the marathon relay. A Shaler native, he played soccer at Eden Christian Academy before matriculation to Robert Morris University, earning a degree in marketing.
Scherer represented Urban Impact, which is a nonprofit on the North Side. The organization was the No. 1 fundraising charity in the 2024 marathon, raising over $94,000 for underserved youth in Pittsburgh.
Scherer loves his job, where he specifically works with children from grades 1 through 6 but also with high school and college students at summer camps.
“I get to mentor them and build them up and grow as much as possible,” he said. “They help me grow, too.”
Scherer hoped to help spread the good news Urban Impact promotes by supporting his fund-raising efforts, which can be found at uifpgh.givevirtuous.org/donate/missionaries–fellows.
After we found Michael at the intersection of East Liberty and Baum Boulevard, looking as fresh as one could be 20 miles into a marathon, the sprint was on to our last possible viewing spot, before the baton would be turned over to his fiancé, Fabienne Hudson. The Mount Lebanon High School graduate was positioned at the finish line. She would stream the arrival of the conquering hero for those on the text loop. That group included out-of- town folks such as Michael’s parents, Bill and Barb, in Virginia and Uncle Jim in Atlanta.
It was a tense time and a tight turnaround for Michael’s Mobile Army as the cheerleaders became the ones pushing each other onward with encouraging words. Darting down Polish Hill, and onto Liberty Ave to the crossroads with 24th Street, spectators could be heard uttering familiar course chants such as “You Got This” as knees screamed in pain. Instead of running shoes, one of us had worn waterproof hiking boots for the forecasted rainstorms that never occurred.
Even Michael gave the thumbs up. He kicked it up a notch and crossed the finish line with a 3:46.22 chip time.
A day after his effort, Michael shared in a text message that he was feeling ok. “Pretty sore and going down stairs is tough.” Yet he was pleased with his performance. “I think if I got serious about it I could break 3:30, but don’t think I’d ever be near Boston qualifying time.”
He added that he wasn’t sure he’d do one again.
“I really enjoyed the event and the crowds, especially my mobile fan club,” he enthused. “The training time commitment is tough to maintain.”
Watching a marathon too is a commitment. A labor of love.