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Wednesday, May 03, 2000 By Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
This is the fifth year UPMC Health System has been the title sponsor for the Pittsburgh marathon. Yesterday, UPMC announced it would again sponsor the race next year. The announcement came during a news conference at the Westin William Penn hotel.
Ronald Forsythe, vice president of facilities and construction at UPMC, said being the title sponsor for such a prestigious event is one way UPMC can give back to the community.
"UPMC has grown tremendously over the years and people are the reason for that," he said. "People continue to choose us to meet their needs and have helped us grow into one of the most successful integrated health systems around. We want to say thanks. We have seen a tremendous growth in this event and we want to continue to be a part of it."
UPMC committed foronly one year, but Forsythe, who is on the board of directors for the marathon, said that is not unusual. UPMC has signed on for only one year at a time every year since it first became the title sponsor in 1996.
Race director Larry Grollman said it is not yet certain whether the race will continue to be the host of elite American athletes or return to an international field.
Mayor Murphy said the health system's sponsorship of the event was a godsend at a time when the Marathon's future was very much in doubt. "The Pittsburgh marathon has become one of the most prestigious events of the year in Pittsburgh, and UPMC has again made it happen," he said.
Setting the pace
For the first time since the marathon began in 1985, there will be a pace team for amateur runners. The pace team, sponsored by Heinz, will consist of 11 runners who will set a pace between three and five hours. The pace team will wear red and will run the race at a pace in 10-minute intervals.
"People set goals and want to achieve times but waste a lot of energy trying to figure out what pace they are on," said Dan Stolick, the pace team coordinator. "This way they can choose a time and run with the pacesetter and not worry about anything else but running."
Stolick, who will run a 4-hour pace, is a Bloomfield native who works in retail sales for Heinz. He is one of three area Heinz employees who will be pace team leaders. The others are Darlene Wilson of Bloomfield, who will run at a pace of 4:30, and Curt Canneta of North Hills, who will run at 3:40.
Numbers crunched
Grollman said he expects more than 6,000 participants in this year's event, the most since UPMC took over sponsorship in 1996.
There are already 3,379 registered marathoners, and organizers estimate another 200 will sign up before the race. There are 753 people registered for the UPMC Health Plan 5K race, and the number is expected to grow to nearly 1,200. There are 396 four-person relay teams. A dozen or so wheelchair racers also are expected to compete. And there are 114 qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic trials.
Sign of the times
In the past, runners who were struggling late in the race could look forward only to grabbing some Gatorade or water to give them a lift and help them finish. Now, they not only can get replenished, but they also can grab a cellular phone and call their loved ones to tell them they are running behind schedule.
AT&T will donate 20 cellular phones which will be placed at the 20-mile marker to be used by runners who might need more time than they had expected.
Medics
UPMC has put together a medical team of 1,000 volunteers under the direction of Dr. Ronald Roth, who estimates that about 10 percent of the runners will need some sort of medical treatment, from blisters and cramps to heat exhaustion and heart attacks.
The medical staff also will provide motorcycle medics who will carry equipment necessary to handle any major medical emergencies. Roth also will oversee drug testing on the top 10 finishers in the Olympic trials and will conduct a research study on the electrolyte levels in the blood of certain marathoners.
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