Most Popular Videos Featured On KDKA.com
Mar 27, 2009 4:20 pm US/Eastern
Pittsburgh Marathon Expands Registration To 10,500
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
-
-
The Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is just weeks away and 9,000 runners have entered.
KDKA
The Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is just weeks away and 9,000 runners have entered.
But thousands of others were shut out.
KDKA's Andy Sheehan reports hope may not be lost at least for some applicants.
Michael Shahen has been in training since December, logging mile after mile in anticipation of running the Pittsburgh Marathon, but when he got online to register earlier this month, the got an awful surprise.
"Full. Could not get in. They weren't accepting any more applications," he said.
Shahen is one of thousands of runners who have been turned away or put on waiting lists.
Marathon Director Patrice Matamoros says she feels as though she's talked to each one of them.
"We've had bribes. We've had flowers sent to the office. We've had people dump all these medals out on the table saying that they've run every marathon before," she said.
The size of the marathon has been dictated by limited resources – medical staff, volunteers and amenities like bottled water.
But Pittsburgh EMS has come through with more help and so has Penn American Water and so the marathon made the decision to expand the total field to 10,500.
"We are trying to accommodate everyone we can. At this time we're going 1,500 over our cap. So, we feel like were going to accommodate some people. Unfortunately we're not going to be able to accommodate all people this year," Matamoros said.
So, for many runners on the waiting list, all hope is not lost.
Matamoros says the lucky ones will be informed over the next two weeks that they've made the cut.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Flooding Below Expectations So Far
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments