Marathon Runner Wears 11 Pound Vest To Honor Those Killed In Tree Of Life Synagogue Shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man that took on the daunting task of running the 26.1 miles of the Pittsburgh Marathon added extra weight for those that lost their lives last year.
Matt Scoletti strapped on an 11-pound vest Sunday morning and took to the streets of Pittsburgh. The vest has the weight evenly distributed, one pound for each victim of the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting.
In an interview with KDKA's Andy Sheehan prior to the race, he said that this is his first marathon, but he is a physical fitness enthusiast. Scoletti has already conquered triathlons, obstacle courses and even a 24-hour bike ride.
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But to him, Sunday's race had a deeper meaning.
"Love conquers all really and I think that hate can win in the short term when something like this happens but love is always going to win love the long haul," he said.
With him, he kept a list of the names of the 11 victims in his pocket.
"When that moment happens and I get fatigued and feeling a lot of pain, I'm just going to pull out that list and just remember why I'm doing this marathon to just push me through to the end."