Uncle Andy’s 26.2 miles

‘Let’s go run Pittsburgh,’ 18,000 people decided this morning. Among them was Uncle Andy, who has been working hard for the last four months lifting weights, eating right, cross training, spending YMCA time, city running…well, a LOT of time running, to gear up for his first marathon.  He said to me one day that he’d like to look back at some point in his life and say that he’d run thirty or so marathons.  My sister and I, our parents, and our husbands were there to cheer him along his first one!

The city is alive with people during the marathon, supportive husbands, young mother runners, old-timers, new-timers, people who have lost weight and are completing their first marathon, boyfriends and girlfriends running the 1/2 together. The momentum generated from all of these determined people does something to the soul. It’s difficult not to be overwhelmed by the power of it -the Pitt band on the corner, the singers, announcers, the view of a hundred people running across Smithfield street bridge to the finish line from our hotel window.

The race began at 7am in downtown Pittsburgh. At the 8-mile mark or so Andy passed us at the Sheraton hotel on Carson street looking strong. It wasn’t until 17 miles later that we caught him again at the Roberto Clemente bridge. My family spaced out along the hundreds of fans that crowded the streets with cheerful voices, clapping hands, and bouts of pride as we stood along the sidelines of these marathon accomplishments.

Some finishers were crying, others invited their young children along to help them cross the finish. There was The Joker, families of three in step together, some characters and then Andy came running through. Mom and Dad were at the finish line. After he passed us, Phil and I sifted through the thousands of people to find an exhausted and accomplished Andy. I was so proud!

Watch the video my husband just made of him here:  Uncle Andy’s 26.2

Way to go!