Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Race Festival: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K

Notes will be updated for 2024!

Hi Everybody,

! I hope your training has been going well and you are primed for a great race on Saturday! I want to provide you with some final race updates.

There is poor to no cell service at the start/finish area. Last year, there was public wifi accessible without a password. See if your phone can find it as it is good wifi.

Packet Pickup

• You can pickup your packet on Friday from 4:30 to 6:30pm in the parking lot where the race starts/finishes off Sheridan Street.
• You can pickup your packet on race morning, Saturday, starting at 6am at the same place.
• If you ordered an extra shirt, just let the check-in people know. On Friday, there will be normal pickup of bib, and socks from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

• On Saturday morning before the race, athletes will only pickup their bib and safety pins prior to the race.
• After finishing, you can get your shirt, socks, awards and of course your finisher's medal!
• We are doing this to alleviate long lines on race morning prior to the race. We want to make sure the events start on time.
• Of course, if the lines are short, we will give you your goodies prior to the race, but I anticipate that with an 0730 start, there will be a crunch to get bibs in the last 45 minutes prior to the start, so this system will make it less stress for the athletes pre-race.
• You can concentrate on your pre-race routines rather than standing in line. 

RESULTS

• There will be live race results posted at this link that you'll be able to access on your phones as soon as you finish.
• You can show your results to the athlete check in people, and they can get your award if you place in overall or age group.
• Please note: if you are in the marathon or half marathon and start early, you will have to wait up to 60 minutes to see if anyone in the main race group start has a faster time that could affect your placing.

Event Race Starts

• If you are in the half marathon or marathon, you are welcome to start as early as 0630.
• Just let me know at the start area. 
• If you are in the 5k or 10k or the combo platter, please stay away from the start/finish area.
• You will be called near the start/finish prior to the race. It will be a gun start. 
• There are a ton of timing chip reads for 5 different events and it works best if all stay away from the start line until called up. For early start half marathon and marathoners, just see me when you are ready to start.

Aid Stations

• It's a difficult course for aid stations, as there isn't any trail access between mile 1 and 6.
• We have an aid station at mile 1 and mile 6, and at the start/finish area where you can get fluids to start your second loop.
• These aid stations will have water and Gatorade.
• We have bottled water just past mile 3. This will have 12 ounce bottled water available. If you need fluids, please take a bottle.
• As with all aid stations, please dispose of cups, bottles, gels responsibly.
• The Park Service is very generous to let us have this event that supports the local Volunteer Fire Department and Arts nonprofits. Thank you for your help with this!
• Please utilize a hydration and fueling strategy that works for you.

Quick FAQ that may be of interest to you and your family and friends:

Do you anticipate parking being an issue for spectators?
There is plenty of parking about a three minute walk from the race start/finish area: The race is where the P blue sign on the map is, just to the right of the red pin. There should be parking available there if you arrive early enough. But don't worry, if you look where it says Horseshoe Bend in the River....just below that you'll see Ohiopyle State Park off Main Street. There are a couple of hundred parking spots there and it's very close to the event area!

Are any roads being closed off due to the marathon/crowds?
We will be driving in the morning of the race. No roads will be closed. The traffic really won't be bad. Put 7 Sheridan Street in your GPS and you'll do fine. There's 'only' 350 in the events. There's plenty of space for everyone.

Is the trail closed to anyone not in the race? The trail is open. What you'll find is that beginning about 10am, you'll start to see people in the first two miles of the course. Then they taper off and from 2 to 6 miles you'll only see a few people. It's not crowded. The bridge about 1/4 mile from the start probably is the most crowded area but that really isn't until noon and by that time it'll just be the marathoners on the course.
 
Boston Qualifier: The marathon is a certified Boston Qualifier course.

The Courses

• All races start and finish at the same spot. All head north on the trail from the start.
• The 5k goes out 1.55 miles and turns around and goes back to the finish. 7:45am start.
   
  The 10k goes out 3.1 miles and turns around and goes back to the finish. 8:45am start.
   
  The half marathon and marathon goes out 6.55 miles and turns around and goes back to the finish. 7:30am start
   
  Marathoners get to do that loop twice!
   
  Marathoners and Half Marathoners can start as early as 0630am if you need extra time or want to start earlier. The course closes at 2pm, so a marathoner will have up to 7.5 hours to complete the course.

Portapotties

• There will be four in the start/finish area. The train station is also at the start/finish line at 7 Sheridan Street. It has 3 or 4 actual bathrooms in it and has been available for use to us previously, although it hasn’t been confirmed for this year. It’s the general public bathroom facility.
   
  There will be one at mile six on the trail.
   
  The trail has access problems as it is basically only accessible from mile .5 and mile 6.

Aid Stations

• We will have an unmanned  aid station around mile 4 on the trail.
• There will be aid stations at mile .5 and mile 6 as well.
• Gatorade and water will be available at the aid stations.

UPDATE

• With limited access on the trail, we have decided to have bottles of water on course at the aid stations at mile 3 and 6.
• These will be the 12 ounce standard bottled water that you see in stores.
• We will have garbage bags along the course. Please drop your bottle near the bags and we'll pick them up.
• You'll see bags about every quarter mile.
• We can't littler on the course. I think this solution will enable you to get all the fluids you need during the race.
• Aid station 1 at mile 1 will have regular cups of water and Gatorade.
• Aid station 3 at mile 6 will have bottled water and Gatorade in cups.
• Aid station 2 at mile 3.5 will have bottled water.
• Please plan your hydration strategy carefully for the trail and weather conditions.
• Please keep the trail clean and carry your fluids to the next aid station if you don’t drop them off within 50 feet of the aid station.

Results
 
We'll try and have live results. The live results link will be sent to you during race week.
 
You'll be able to get any top 3 in your age group or overall award quickly after finishing.
 
Post Race Food
 
There will be sandwiches and cookies available in the finish area You'll enjoy the food!