The real reason that I signed up for the Lemieux Run and Walk was because I heard that Mario Lemieux himself stands at the finish line and high-fives the every finisher. If you know anything about Pittsburgh or hockey, you know that Mr. Mario Lemieux is a big deal around here. I was stoked! The Pens had just won the Stanley Cup (2016) and I heard that Mario was bringing it to the race, too! Two goodies in one plus, a local race….game on! I was pretty stoked about this one. Hopefully, it would not disappoint.

Packet pick up was simple and easy. No fancy expo, no fancy swag…just a t-shirt and a bib that you picked up from a table at PPG Paints Arena. All funds for this race were going to the Lemieux foundation, which is really cool. The sign-up cost was $40.00 and the race distance was a 6.6k. A what? Yep. A 6.6K… that is 4.1 miles. Why? Because the number 66 is a big deal in hockey (it is Mario’s number and it is well respected in Pittsburgh and in the NHL). I had never raced this distance before and was excited to test it out! I had a 10-miler coming up in a few weeks and was excited to race a distance that was longer than a 5k but less than a 10k.

Race morning came and I slipped on my race outfit: A Penguins blue sports bra, black racing shorts, and my new Penguin’s high socks. I ate my usual pre-race breakfast and coffee and started my warm up. I only live 1.5 miles from the start, so it was the perfect warm up distance! The start line was lively but not crowded. I easily got my desired spot (toes on the line) and was excited to get this race started. The national anthem was sung and runners were getting high-strung (at least the ones on the line were). Right when I thought they were going to announce the start, Mario Lemieux stepped up to the microphone and gave his thanks to everyone who had donated to the Lemieux Foundation and supported the Penguins. People were going crazy. Then, out of nowhere, he hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head and the crowd went wild (including myself). After all, this is Pittsburgh. We are a proud bunch.

The race finally took off and I was cruising at a 6:25 pace. Speedy for me! I had studied the course and ran segments of it in my training but I didn’t realize quite how picturesque it would be. This course is pretty challenging. There are hills and bridges and tunnels and turns, etc. I knew what to expect but, I didn’t quite realize how much of a visual experience it would be. What I mean is that I did not realize how the course would all come together. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with great architecture, amazing bridges, water, etc. Being sent off by Mario, running over one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic bridges (the Smithfield Bridge), flying through a fun part of town (the South Side), and coming back over the Mon River over the 10th street bridge is an experience on its own. Then, the best part: you get to run through a tunnel! Every Pittsburghers dream…. or, just mine. ;) The Armstrong tunnel was really fun to run through. It was also a bit exhausting. This is the part in the race where you would be done if you were running a 5k but, you aren’t running a 5k. One more mile to go! I got through the tunnel and to my surprise, my boyfriend was cheering me on… in the tunnel! From that point on, all I could think about was Mario Lemieux waiting at the finish line. When you come out of the tunnel you weave up a hill and through downtown until you end up at the Hockey Stadium, close to where you started. I could see the finish line and sure enough, I could see Mr. Lemieux with a huge smile on his face, high-fiving runners. I kicked up my pace like no other. I certainly was not the top female but, I did end up winning my age group. Cool! Leaving over that finish line and high-fiving Mario is a memory that still makes me smile! Every challenge in that course was worth it for that finishing moment. The medals were pretty cool and I won a Hockey puck for placing first in my age group. There were plenty of snacks (chips, fruit, granola bars, Gatorade, water, etc.) at the finish line. I think the volunteers did a great job!

This race really made me appreciate training in Pittsburgh. It’s not an easy city and you have to be okay with that to excel and have fun here. The sights are very much worth it. My finishing time turned out to be 27:12 (6:38 pace). I was hoping to run a bit faster, more like 6:25 pace but I was very happy regardless! This was a really fun and simple race. Nothing fancy, just the pride of a bunch of true Pittsburghers. In 2016, it felt more like a celebration run to commemorate the win of the Stanley Cup. We will see what 2017 brings. :)

xoxo, A