Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026

Start Time: 9:00 am

Start Line: Ellsworth Ave. between Morewood Ave & Devonshire St.

Finish Line: Boulevard of the Allies near Point State Park, Downtown Pittsburgh

All participants are required to pick up their bibs at the 2026 GNC Pittsburgh Live Well Expo. 

• Friday, May 1: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET (VIP ONLY)
• Friday, May 1: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET
• Saturday, May 2: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET

Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center (1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222)

Shuttles to the BACK Half Marathon start line will depart outside PPG Paints Arena (1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) at 8 AM. We invite you to join spectators at the start line on Liberty Avenue to cheer on your fellow runners as they begin their races!

BACK Half Marathon participants will have their very own gear check truck located outside the PPG Paints Arena. Make sure you drop off your gear before boarding the start line shuttle. Pick up your gear at the Gateway Center T-station after your event!

• You must use a race-issued clear Gear Check bag, which you pick up at the Pittsburgh Live Well Expo presented by GNC, as well as your Gear Check tag (which is a tear tag at the bottom of your race bib).

  • Luggage bags, oversized or overnight items, loose articles, or bags that are not race-issued will not be accepted at Gear Check.

• Do not check valuable items such as medication, jewelry, cell phones, cameras, electronic devices, etc. The event is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items.

• You must show your bib number when dropping off and picking up your gear.

• Participants will NOT be permitted to bring or carry bags into the start line area.

The overall course pace requirement is 16:00 minutes per mile. If you are unable to adhere to the permitted pace per mile, you may be asked to board a sweep vehicle. If you refuse to board the vehicle when asked, you must move to the sidewalk so traffic can resume. If you choose to continue after the roads have reopened, there will be no medical support, fluid stations, or course marshals at intersections, and the course will no longer be marked. Participants after that time will not be guaranteed a time or finisher’s medal.

No refunds or deferments of entry fees

Bicycles, skateboards, scooters, baby joggers, strollers, roller skates, and roller blades are not permitted on the course.

No animals are permitted on theBACK Half Marathon course.

No wheelchairs are permitted on the BACK Half Marathon course

There are several garages where you can park on race weekend. We recommend that you use the ParkPGH app to help you plan your parking based on real-time information.

Minimum age for BACK Half Marathon participants: 16 on May 3, 2026 (no exceptions)

Headphones are strongly discouraged

There are no awards for the BACK Half Marathon based on time. If you wish to compete for time-based half marathon awards, you will need to run the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon.

To be eligible for elite entry or prize purse at any P3R event, an athlete must:

• Not be currently serving a suspension for use of a banned substance*
• Not have ever served a ban for use of performance-enhancing drugs*+
• Not be represented by coaches and/or agents who have had two (2) or more athletes receive such suspensions in the previous four (4) years (from the current year’s race date)*
• Provide proper documentation proving they are eligible for prize money (Form W-9, W-8ECI, or W-8BEN)
• Consent to random drug testing according to the standards and procedures of USATF, USADA, and WADA

*A list of athletes who have received a sanction for a doping violation under the athlete’s international federation rules and/or the USOC Anti-Doping Policies can be found here: https://www.usada.org/ and https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/athlete-representatives/directory.

+Unless otherwise agreed by the P3R Games Committee